Network Transaction Discovery via Robotic Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to link business tasks with IT infrastructure performance, enabling discovery of IT components involved in transactions, diagnosis of performance issues, and prediction of resource needs, which existing technologies have not effectively addressed.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a robotic transaction playback client, a network record collector, and a backend processor that records and analyzes network traffic to identify IT resources and paths involved in transactions, allowing for discovery, diagnosis, and resource management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network performance monitoring tools are used to monitor IT components, then technical performance monitoring is improved, but business aspect linkage is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transaction playback client as an intermediary that records business transactions and correlates them with IT component performance data. This mediator bridges the gap between technical monitoring tools and business context, enabling both precise IT component measurement and business aspect linkage simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where transaction playback records performance data from multiple IT components and feeds this information back to business managers. This feedback loop enables continuous improvement of both technical monitoring precision and business-relevant information availability.
2Measurement precision
If transaction playback is executed multiple times to analyze results, then measurement accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by recording transaction playback results and performance data in advance during multiple executions. This preliminary data collection enables accurate transaction path identification without requiring time-consuming real-time analysis during each individual transaction execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by executing transaction playback multiple times to create replicated transaction paths and performance records. These copies are then analyzed to identify consistent patterns and accurate transaction paths, improving measurement precision while managing time through systematic replication rather than single complex execution.
3Loss of information
If network traffic is observed throughout the network, then complete transaction mapping is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the network monitoring function into discrete segments: transaction playback clients at endpoints, network record collectors at strategic points, and a backend processor for analysis. This segmentation enables complete transaction mapping while reducing overall system complexity through modular, distributed components.
Solution Approach 2:
Network record collectors serve as intermediaries that observe traffic at specific points in the network rather than requiring comprehensive monitoring of all traffic. These intermediaries collect relevant transaction data and forward it to the backend processor, achieving complete mapping information with reduced system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a computer implemented technique for discovering the information technology resources that are involved in a particular networked business transaction. The system comprises three basic components. A robotic transaction playback client records the various steps in a particular transaction and can repetitively execute these steps to analyze the results. A network record collector observes the traffic throughout the network in response to the repeated instances of the transaction executed by the robotic transaction playback client. A backend processor analyzes the observations of network traffic to determine which ones are possibly tied to the transaction, and from this information determine which network components are part of the transaction being analyzed. Event timing information from a plurality of executions of a particular transaction are used to determine resource usage and paths.