EP0259224A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method for performance evaluation of a data processor system
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1987-08-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-08-31
Abstract
Abstract A method for evaluating the performance of a data processor system includes data collection, analysis, and report generation. The data collection involves the periodic selection of a number of metrics, which are measurable values in the data processing system, and system parameters, which are system values that can be adjusted. The analysis involves the application of certain rules comparing metrics and parameters to corrersponding thresholds. The report generation includes the display of recommendations to be taken when certain rules have triggered a certain number of times, and, if desired, the presentation of displays of certain work load characteristics of either the data processor system by itself or of a network of such data processor system.
Inventors
- 👤 Ackanaickenpalayam V. Chinnaswamy
- 👤 Stanley A. Wilk
- 👤 James H Torrey, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 09:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/34; G06F2201/00; G06F2201/81; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/902; Y10S706/911; Y10S706/916
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
251 words
A method for evaluating the performance of a data processor system having a plurality of work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the data processor system and having a plurality of system parameters which can be altered to adjust the performance of the data processor system, the method comprising the steps of: determining a set of rules specifying acceptable states of the work load characteristics by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of rules, each of said metrics representing a measurable quantity in said data processor system, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of rules; measuring a value of each of said metrics at least once during each of a plurality of predetermined time periods constituting major intervals; storing the value measured for each metric and the major interval during which the measurement was made; and analyzing the performance of the data processor system during selected ones of said major intervals by comparing, for each of said selected major intervals, the value stored for each of said measured metrics and the corresponding thresholds, evaluating the results of each of said comparisons to determine whether the specified relationships for each of said rules have been met and the rules have thereby triggered, and recording each of the rules which have triggered and each of the major intervals during which the rules has triggered.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
251 words
A method for evaluating the performance of a data processor system having a plurality of work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the data processor system and having a plurality of system parameters which can be altered to adjust the performance of the data processor system, the method comprising the steps of: determining a set of rules specifying acceptable states of the work load characteristics by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of rules, each of said metrics representing a measurable quantity in said data processor system, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of rules; measuring a value of each of said metrics at least once during each of a plurality of predetermined time periods constituting major intervals; storing the value measured for each metric and the major interval during which the measurement was made; and analyzing the performance of the data processor system during selected ones of said major intervals by comparing, for each of said selected major intervals, the value stored for each of said measured metrics and the corresponding thresholds, evaluating the results of each of said comparisons to determine whether the specified relationships for each of said rules have been met and the rules have thereby triggered, and recording each of the rules which have triggered and each of the major intervals during which the rules has triggered.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of recommending, from the rules which have triggered, the adjustment of certain ones of said system parameters to improve the performance of said data processor system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the data processor system includes a plurality of interconnected elements in a specified configuration, and further including the step of recommending, from the rules which have triggered, changes in said configuration of said data processor system to improve the performance of the data processor system.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said analyzing step includes the step of counting the number of said major intervals during which each of said rules has triggered, and wherein said recommending step includes the step of ensuring that the number of said major intervals during which each of said rules has triggered exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold number prior to recommending.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 4 further including the step of outputting, for each of said rules for which a recommending step is performed, preselected ones of said metrics, parameters, and thresholds used in evaluating whether that rule has triggered.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steps of constructing a display of a work load characteristic of said data processor system from said stored metric values; and outputting said display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said measuring step includes the steps of measuring several values for selected one of said metrics more than once during each major interval, and averaging said measured values for said selected ones of said metrics; and wherein said storing step includes the step of storing the averaged values for said selected ones of said metrics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said recording step includes the step of constructing for each of said rules a structured database including information about selected ones of the metrics corresponding to said rules and the number of times each said rule has triggered.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method of claim 1 wherein said analyzing step includes the step of implementing said rules as a decision tree structure having a plurality of decision points each calling for a comparison to be made during said comparing step, and wherein said evaluating step includes the step of traversing said decision tree structure.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
402 words
A method for improving the performance of a network of data processor systems, each of the data processor systems in the network having a plurality of system work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the data processor systems and having a plurality of system parameters to be adjusted to affect the performance of the network of data processor systems, and the network having a plurality of network work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the network, the method comprising the steps of: determining a set of network rules specifying acceptable states of the network work load characteristics by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of network rules, each of said metrics representing a measurable quantity in said data processor system, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between ones of said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of network rules; determining a set of system rules specifying acceptable states of the work load characteristics for each system by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of system rules, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of system rules; synchronizing a plurality of logical clocks each contained in a different one of said data processor systems in the network; measuring a value of each of said metrics, by each of said data processing systems in said network, at least once during each of a plurality of predetrmined time periods constituting major intervals; storing the value of each of said metrics in a common storage area of memory accessible by the data processor systems; and analyzing the performance of the network of data processor systems during selected one of said major intervals by comparing, for each of said selected major intervals, the value stored for each of said metrics and the corresponding thresholds, evaluating the results of said comparisons to determine whether the specified relationships for each of said system rules and said network rules has been met and the system and network rules have thereby triggered, and recording each of the system and network rules which have triggered and each of the major intervals during which each of the system rules and network rules has triggered.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
402 words
A method for improving the performance of a network of data processor systems, each of the data processor systems in the network having a plurality of system work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the data processor systems and having a plurality of system parameters to be adjusted to affect the performance of the network of data processor systems, and the network having a plurality of network work load characteristics indicative of the performance of the network, the method comprising the steps of: determining a set of network rules specifying acceptable states of the network work load characteristics by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of network rules, each of said metrics representing a measurable quantity in said data processor system, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between ones of said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of network rules; determining a set of system rules specifying acceptable states of the work load characteristics for each system by identifying a plurality of metrics corresponding to said set of system rules, selecting a threshold corresponding to each of said plurality of metrics, and specifying relationships between said plurality of metrics and corresponding thresholds which are required to trigger each of said set of system rules; synchronizing a plurality of logical clocks each contained in a different one of said data processor systems in the network; measuring a value of each of said metrics, by each of said data processing systems in said network, at least once during each of a plurality of predetrmined time periods constituting major intervals; storing the value of each of said metrics in a common storage area of memory accessible by the data processor systems; and analyzing the performance of the network of data processor systems during selected one of said major intervals by comparing, for each of said selected major intervals, the value stored for each of said metrics and the corresponding thresholds, evaluating the results of said comparisons to determine whether the specified relationships for each of said system rules and said network rules has been met and the system and network rules have thereby triggered, and recording each of the system and network rules which have triggered and each of the major intervals during which each of the system rules and network rules has triggered.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said analyzing step includes the step of counting the number of said major intervals during which each of said system rules and network rules has triggered, and wherein said method further includes the step of recommending, from said system rules and network rules which have triggered, an adjustment of certain ones of said system parameters or a change in said network of data processor systems to improve the performance of said network of data processor systems.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 10 further including the step of selecting one of said data processor systems to be a timekeeper data processor system, and wherein said synchronizing step includes the step of synchronizing each of the logical clocks of said data processor systems to said logical clock of said timekeeper data processor system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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