Patent ID: 8265906

Claim:
A method for automatic identification of execution phases in load test data, comprising: receiving load test data indicating application execution characteristics over a period of time; dividing the period of time of the load test data into a plurality of intervals; for each pair of proximate intervals of the plurality of intervals, comparing a first interval of the pair of proximate intervals with a second interval of the pair of proximate intervals to determine whether the application execution characteristics for each of the pair of proximate intervals are substantially equivalent; combining the pair of proximate intervals into a single interval when it is determined that the pair of proximate intervals are substantially equivalent; and dividing each of the pair of proximate intervals into subintervals when it is determined that the pair of proximate intervals are not substantially equivalent, wherein one or more execution phases are automatically identified as occurring between proximate intervals are that not substantially equivalent, wherein each of the above steps is performed using a computer system.