Patent Abstract:
A software product tests and monitors an Internet server system. Advantageously, the software product communicates with a web browser without the need for other client software to configure transactions. The user of the web browser is guided through web pages to record, edit, and playback transactions. Recording may occur over a secure connection. The software product performs automated tests using the transactions in addition to measuring both system performance data and business performance data. The software product generates alarms when thresholds are exceeded. The test data, performance data, and alarms are correlated in time and presented graphically to the user.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional application based on a provisional application, Ser. No. 60/200,295, filed Apr. 28, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Internet server systems are now a critical component to many successful businesses. Many Internet server systems are configured to function as e-commerce web sites where computer users can purchase goods and services. The efficient and reliable operation of the e-commerce web site is vital to many businesses. 
     In response to the need for efficient and reliable e-commerce web sites, test systems have been developed to ensure that the web site is operating within tolerable thresholds. These test systems perform automated tests using transactions that were previously recorded. To the web site, the test transaction appears like another customer. These test user transactions are able to determine how long a typical transaction takes and whether or not the e-commerce web site is responding at all. 
     Unfortunately, current test systems treat the Internet server system that provides the e-commerce web site as a black box—meaning that the test system sends in stimulus and measures response. Test systems do not effectively correlate user test results with internal performance measurements from the Internet server system. If there is a problem, the test system does not effectively isolate the responsible component within the Internet server system. 
     Current test systems also fail to correlate system testing and performance data with business performance data. Business performance data may only be produced in weekly or monthly reports. If the web site operator receives an alarm from a test system, another system must be used to assess the financial damage due to the system error. The use of multiple systems is complex and time consuming. 
     For effective testing, the test transactions must be properly configured. As the web site changes, new features and equipment need new test transactions for testing. In a typical sequence to configure a transaction, the user operates a web browser to interact with the web site, and the web browser activity is recorded by a system in between the web browser and the web site. The recorded activity forms the test transaction that is saved for subsequent automated testing. 
     To put up a web site, the business often uses another entity to provide the web site infrastructure, such as an Internet Service provider (ISP), that owns and operates Internet server systems. The business must interact with the ISP to generate and implement new test transactions. Often, the business receives some client software that it operates with a web browser to generate and implement test transactions through the ISP. Different versions of the client software must be developed for the different web browsers, and possibly for the different versions of the same web browser. Unfortunately, the client software also requires the use of cookies or Java applets that can be too complex for some business users—especially since the ISP is supposed to handle the technical aspects of the web site. Cookies are files that are transferred to the web browser for local storage and use by a web server. Many people dislike storing cookies on their machines. 
     The cookies and Java applets are required when configuring a transaction to maintain the proper configuration sequence or state. Without proper management, a non-technical user may be easily lost in a transaction configuration sequence. The problem becomes acute when the non-technical user begins to use forward and backward browser commands during a recording session. 
     Another problem during transaction recording occurs when secure Internet connections are invoked. Secure connections are often used for Internet commerce and need to be tested—especially their effects on transaction time. Configuration tools between the web browser and the web site that record web browser activity must decrypt the web browser activity to record a secure transaction. Thus, the recording component must either have access to the security keys or must be integrated with the web browser. Both of these techniques add too much complexity to the configuration tool. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention solves the above problems with a software product for testing and monitoring an Internet server system. Advantageously, the software product communicates with a web browser without the need for other client software to configure transactions. The user of the web browser is guided through web pages to record, edit, and playback transactions. Recording may occur over a secure connection. The software product performs automated tests using the transactions in addition to measuring both system performance data and business performance data. The software product generates alarms when thresholds are exceeded. The test data, performance data, and alarms are correlated in time and presented graphically to the user. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a user is guided through a series of steps required to configure a complex transaction. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram that illustrates Internet server system testing and monitoring in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a chart diagram that illustrates Internet server system testing and monitoring in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram that illustrates test instructions in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram that illustrates a web browser login page in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram that illustrates a web browser select transaction page in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram that illustrates a web browser record transaction page in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram that illustrates a web browser edit transaction page in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram that illustrates a web browser play transaction page in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a state diagram that illustrates transition state rules for web browser pages in an example of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a flow diagram that illustrates recording a transaction in an example of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Internet Server System Testing and Monitoring— FIGS. 1–2   
       FIGS. 1–2  depict a specific example of Internet server system testing and monitoring in accord with the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous variations from this example that do not depart from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that various features described below could be combined with other embodiments to form multiple variations of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some conventional aspects of  FIGS. 1–2  have been simplified or omitted for clarity. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram that illustrates Internet server system testing and monitoring in an example of the invention.  FIG. 1  includes Internet server system  100  and computer system  110  that have access to software product  115 . Internet server system  110  is coupled to Internet connections  105  and includes web servers  101 , session servers  102 , transaction servers  103 , and database servers  104 . Web servers  101  use web pages to interact with users over Internet connections  105 . Session servers  102  track and respond to individual user activity by selecting web pages with appropriate transaction data. Transaction servers support session servers  102  by exchanging transaction data. Database servers  104  store transaction data. 
     Computer system  110  includes processor  111  that communicates with each of web servers  101 , session servers  102 , transaction servers  103 , and database servers  104  over link  106 . Link  106  could be implemented within Internet connections  105 . Computer system  110  tests and monitors Internet server system  100  in response to processor  111  executing the instructions of software product  115 . 
     Software product  115  comprises software storage media  120  and software storage media  130 , and if desired, the two storage media could be integrated together. Software storage media  120  includes test instructions  121 , system performance instructions  122 , and business performance instructions  123 . Software storage media  130  includes agent instructions  131 . Some examples of software storage media  120  and  130  are memory devices, tape, disks, integrated circuits, and servers. Processor  111  retrieves and executes test instructions  121 , system performance instructions  122 , and business performance instructions  123  using software access link  112 . Internet server system  100  retrieves and executes agent instructions  131  using software access link  132 . Those skilled in the art appreciate that software access links  112  and  132  are logical entities that represent various structures for providing software access. For example, software product  115  could be downloaded from a server or transferred from a disk to a local memory device in computer system  110  for subsequent retrieval and execution by processor  111 . The instructions  131  are operational when executed by Internet server system  100  to direct Internet server system  100  to operate in accord with the invention. Instructions  121 – 123  are operational when executed by processor  111  to direct processor  111  to operate in accord with the invention. The term “processor” refers to a single processing device or a group of inter-operational processing devices. Some examples of processor  111  include computers, integrated circuits, and logic circuitry. Those skilled in the art are familiar with instructions, processors, and storage media. 
     Test instructions  121  direct processor  111  to configure and execute user transaction tests and report user transaction test results. User transaction tests emulate user activity to generate test results such as transaction times and data transfer rates. System performance instructions  122  direct processor  111  to measure system performance data for each of web servers  101 , session servers  102 , transaction servers  103 , and database servers  104 . Examples of system performance data include processing capacity and data retrieval time. Business performance instructions  123  direct processor  111  to measure business performance data. Examples of business performance data include: 1) monetary volume transacted by Internet server system  100  during a time period, 2) new orders transacted by Internet server system  100  during a time period, 3) sales volume for an item transacted by Internet server system  100  during a time period, 4) lost sales due to system errors during a time period, and 5) abandoned shopping carts during a time period. Agent instructions  131  direct Internet server system  100  to read its log files to collect and transfer the system performance data and the business performance data to processor  111 . 
       FIG. 2  is a chart diagram that illustrates Internet server system testing and monitoring in an example of the invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates a chart that is generated by processor  111  and that could be included in a graphical display or report. The horizontal axis represents time of day and day of week. The vertical axis represents both dollars per hour transacted at Internet server system  100  and the performance of session servers  102  performance. Both are correlated in time along the horizontal axis. Performance could be processing load or some other system performance metric. The solid lines represent actual system performance data and actual dollars per hour performance data. The lines for the actual performance data are bounded by upper and lower thresholds that can be set by the user to trigger alarms. The lines for the actual performance data have corresponding baselines which represent averages for the time of day and day of week that have been previously calculated. From the chart, one can readily deduce that poor session server performance caused a serious loss in dollars per hour on Tuesday morning. Alarms were generated when the actual performance data fell below the lower thresholds. Alarms could trigger phone calls, e-mails and pages to significant personnel who can quickly pull up the chart using a remote terminal. 
     System performance instructions  122  and business performance instructions  123  direct processor  111  to correlate the system performance data and the business performance data in time. System performance instructions  122  direct processor  111  to process the system performance data to generate system performance averages associated with time of day and day of week. System performance instructions  122  direct processor  111  to process the system performance data to generate system alarms when a system performance threshold associated with time of day and day of week is exceeded. System performance instructions  122  direct processor  111  to process the system performance data to generate system graphics illustrating system performance measured against baselines and thresholds 
     Business performance instructions  123  direct processor  111  to process the business performance data to generate business performance averages associated with time of day and day of week. Business performance instructions  123  direct processor  111  to process the business performance data to generate business alarms when a business performance threshold associated with time of day and day of week is exceeded. Business performance instructions  123  direct processor  111  to process the business performance data to generate business graphics illustrating business performance measured against baselines and thresholds. 
     Test Instructions and Computer System Operation— FIGS. 3–10   
       FIGS. 3–10  depict a specific example of test instructions and computer system operation in accord with the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous variations from this example that do not depart from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that various features described below could be combined with other embodiments to form multiple variations of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some conventional aspects of  FIGS. 3–10  have been simplified or omitted for clarity. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram that illustrates test instructions  121  in an example of the invention.  FIG. 3  also shows user device  140  that allows a user to operate web browser  141  to display web pages and input data. Web browser communicates with processor  111  over link  142 . Typically, links  106  and  142  include a firewall to protect computer system  110 . 
     In response to processor  111  executing test instructions  121 , computer system  110  operates to configure a transaction for the user operating web browser  141 . The transaction is used for automated testing of Internet server system  100 . One example of a transaction is a purchase from Internet server system  100 . Test instructions  121  include transaction configuration instructions  150 , page transition instructions  151 , proxy instructions  152 , request instructions  153 , and response instructions  154 . Test instructions  121  direct processor  111  to: 1) interact with web browser  141  and Internet server system  100  to record web browser activity to generate the transaction, 2) edit the transaction, 3) perform an automated test of Internet server system  100  using the transaction to validate the transaction for subsequent automated testing, 4) display test results from the automated test to the user, 5) save the transaction for subsequent automated testing of Internet server system, and 6) periodically perform automated tests of Internet server system  100  using the transaction and report test results. Transaction save operations should not require system restart. 
     Test instructions  121  may direct processor  111  to interact with web browser  141  and Internet server system  100  through a firewall. Test instructions  121  direct processor  111  to record the web browser activity to generate test measurements, such as the sequence of web pages. Test instructions  121  direct processor  111  to add test measurements, such as transaction time and transaction data transfer rate, to the transaction. 
     Test instructions  121  can also direct processor  111  to record the browser activity as a series of steps and to edit the transaction to specify test measurements for each step. Examples of test measurements for a step include elapsed time, a required string in an Internet server system response, and a prohibited string in an Internet server system response. Test instructions  141  may also direct processor  111  to record pauses for the steps and edit the transaction to redefine the pauses. 
     Test instructions  121  have the following test configuration and performance features. They can handle HTTP frames, cookies, and secure connections. They can parse pages for content and provide notification if content changes are discovered. They can support nested transactions. They can specify ports for use by test performance systems. They can emulate user data input, such as data fills, check boxes, and button clicks. They can handle dynamic transaction updates, and they may be written in Java. 
     Transaction configuration instructions  150  direct processor  111  to generate and transfer Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages without cookies to web browser  141 . Advantageously, a standard web browser can be used to remotely configure a complex test transaction without storing cookies or Java applets on user device  140 . Transaction configuration instructions  150  direct processor  111  to configure the transaction for automated testing of Internet server system  100  in response to user inputs to the HTML pages. The HTML pages include a user login page, a transaction selection page, a transaction record page, a transaction edit page, and a transaction play page. The pages can be set-up using different languages. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram that illustrates web browser login page  460  in an example of the invention. Page  460  includes data entry boxes for user name and password that is verified by computer system  110  to authorize the user. Page  460  includes logout and help buttons. Address checks may be used to provide additional security. 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram that illustrates web browser select transaction page  560  in an example of the invention. Page  560  allows the user to use web browser  141  to select a transaction. Page  560  includes new transaction data entry boxes for transaction name, first transaction step name, and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the first transaction step. A record button corresponds to the new transaction data. An existing transaction drop-down selection box corresponds to buttons for edit, play, delete, rename, monitor, and un-monitor. Monitor initiates periodic testing with the transaction, and un-monitor stops periodic testing with the transaction. Page  560  also includes logout and help buttons. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram that illustrates web browser record transaction page  660  in an example of the invention. Page  660  allows the user to use web browser  141  to initiate a recording of web browser activity to generate the transaction. Page  660  identifies the transaction, the transaction step, the URL for the transaction step, and a pause for the URL. Page  660  displays the web page of the URL. Page  660  has buttons for refresh, stop, insert step, and help. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram that illustrates web browser transaction edit page  760  in an example of the invention. Transaction edit page  760  allows the user to use web browser  141  to edit the transaction generated using transaction record page  660 . Transaction edit page  760  identifies the transaction and includes data entry boxes for the transaction steps, page titles for each step, URLs for each step, a pause for each URL, and test conditions for each URL. Test conditions include must have strings and fails with strings for each page. Test edit page  760  includes buttons for record, play, stop, save, insert step, delete, and help. A check box for play with pauses is included. If desired, page  760  could allow recorded user data inputs for each step to be viewed and edited. 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram that illustrates web browser play transaction page  860  in an example of the invention. Transaction play page  860  allows the user to use web browser  141  to view results of an automated test using the transaction generated using transaction record page  660  and edited using transaction edit page  760 . Page  860  has buttons for refresh, stop, and help. Transaction play page  860  identifies the transaction, the transaction steps, and test results for each of the transaction steps. Test results include valid page content, test complete, and error messages. Valid page content is determined by searching each page to find must have strings and determining an absence of fails with strings. 
       FIG. 9  is a state diagram that illustrates transition state rules  961  for web browser page transitions in an example of the invention. Page transition instructions  151  direct processor  111  to transition between the pages in response to the user inputs and to constrain the transition between the pages based on transition state rules  961 . Transition state rules  961  constrain the transition between the pages to: 1) transition from transaction selection page  560  to transaction record page  660  in response to a selection page record request, 2) transition from transaction record page  660  to transaction edit page  760  in response to a record page stop request, 3) transition from transaction edit page  760  to transaction play page  860  in response to an edit page play request, 4) transition from transaction play page  860  to transaction edit page  760  in response to a play page stop request. Transition state rules  961  may also constrain the transition between the pages  460 – 860  to: 1) start at user login page  460  and transition to transaction selection page  560  in response to an authorized login, 2) transition from transaction selection page  560  to transaction edit page  760  in response to a selection page edit request, 3) transition from transaction selection page  560  to transaction play page  860  in response to a selection page play request, 4) transition from transaction edit page  760  to transaction record page  660  in response to an edit page record request, 5) transition from transaction edit page  760  to transaction selection page  560  in response to an edit page stop request, 6) transition from transaction selection page  560  to user login page  460  in response to a selection page stop request, and 7) transition from transaction play page  860  to transaction selection page  560  in response to a play page stop request and the transition from transaction selection page  560  to transaction play page  860 . 
       FIG. 10  is a flow diagram that illustrates computer system  110  operation when recording a transaction. Proxy instructions  152  direct processor  111  to receive a first request from web browser  141 , transfer the first request to the Internet, and receive a response to the first request from the Internet. Response instructions  154  direct processor  111  to search the response for a secure address, and if the response includes the secure address, then to replace the secure address with a non-secure address and identifying characters. Response instructions  154  direct processor  111  to search the first response for embedded objects, and if the response includes any embedded objects, then to add corresponding embedded object addresses to a list. 
     Proxy instructions  152  direct processor  111  to transfer the response to web browser  141  and receive a second request from web browser  141 . Request instructions  153  direct processor  111  to record the second request as a new page if the second request is not for any of the embedded object addresses on the list. Request instructions  153  direct processor  111  to clear the list if the second request is not for any of the embedded object addresses on the list. Request instructions  153  direct processor  111  to replace the non-secure address and the identifying characters with the secure address if the second request is for the non-secure address and the identifying characters. Proxy instructions  152  direct processor  111  to transfer the second request to the Internet. 
     Typically, the requests comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol requests, the secure address and the non-secure address comprise URLs, and the response comprises a Hypertext Markup Language page. Typically, request instructions  153  direct processor  111  to record: 1) URLs for new page requests, 2) the sequence of the new page requests, 3) elapsed time between new page requests, 4) user input within the new page requests. In some examples of the invention, response instructions  153  direct processor  111  to search a header in the first response for a special instruction, and if the header includes the special instructions, then to record the special instruction. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations of the above-described embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific examples and illustrations discussed above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6