Netiq Corporation

Ganymede Software Inc.

Steven Thomas Joyce

Peter James Schwaller

Timothy Scott Huntley

John Quillian Walker, Ii

Dana Borger

Joan Marie Bellinghausen

Jeffrey Todd Hicks

John Lee Wood

Mark Clarence Zelek

Christopher David Selvaggi

Roger A Lingle

Mark Eric McCorry

John C Christensen

John Quillian Walker Ii

David V H Quan

Scott Alan Southard

Gary Michael Weichinger

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for evaluating performance of a network that supports packetized communications. A network test protocol that is associated with the packetized communication is initiated and network performance data is obtained based on the initiated network test protocol. An overall network quality rating is generated based on the obtained performance data and a network impairment indicator is calculated based on the overall network quality rating.

Methods, systems and computer program products for assessing network quality

Dynamic filtering methods, systems and computer program products are provided for network performance test results which may apply network troubleshooting expertise and knowledge of network topology to select and display test results in a manner which may facilitate analysis of those results by IT staffs. In a further aspect of the present invention, a severity index is provided which may be generated based on exception events from a plurality of network performance measurements, for example, response time, throughput and availability, which measurements are generated from test results obtained from agents located on various devices on a computer network. The test results may be obtained from either passive application monitor agents or active network test agents. In another aspect of the present invention, the exception events may be detected based on automatically generated threshold criteria which may be provided user selectable sensitivity and may be based on a specified percentage criteria relative to baseline performance results. In a further aspect of the present invention, the test results may be stored using data buckets with the number of data buckets and/or the range of each of the data buckets being selected to provide a desired overall range and granularity for each of the plurality of network performance measurement types. The range (width) of some of the data buckets may be narrower than others to provide greater resolution in a region of interest.

Methods, system and computer program products for dynamic filtering of network performance test results

Methods, systems and computer program products for testing the performance of a communication network including a plurality of endpoint nodes executing application programs which utilize the communications network are provided. A console node is provided on the network which may initiate operations by test agents executing on one or more of the plurality of endpoint nodes. The agents may generate network performance information using passive application monitoring and/or active endpoint pair based network testing responsive to scheduling instructions from the console node. Specific application programs may be designated for passive monitoring and active test protocols may be provided based on an expected type of application communication traffic. In another aspect of the present invention, one of a plurality of types of transaction models defining the beginning and ending reference point for a transaction timing measurement may be provided to the endpoint nodes for use in passive application monitoring. In a further aspect of the present invention, the endpoint nodes may be automatically discovered by the console node.

Methods, systems and computer program products for network performance testing through active endpoint pair based testing and passive application monitoring

Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario simulating actual communications traffic on the network to be tested. The test scenario includes an endpoint node specific test protocol between an endpoint node pair including a first and associated second endpoint node on the network to be tested. A partner endpoint node test protocol is determined from the endpoint node specific test protocol and communicated to from the first endpoint node to the associated second endpoint node of the endpoint node pair. A plurality of endpoint node pairs may executed different endpoint node specific test protocols under a test scenario. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint node pairs and initiating execution of the test scenario. Performance data may be monitored at one of the endpoint nodes of each endpoint node pair and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test. The test scenario may be terminated when any one endpoint node pair completes execution of its test protocol. Multiple network protocols may be utilized within a single test scenario. Each endpoint node specific test protocol includes an associated script representing a type of applications traffic such as a credit check, or a database. update. Endpoint node pairs execute tests as applications level programs on existing endpoint nodes allowing testing of networks using actual protocol stacks independent of the applications programs available on existing endpoint nodes.

Methods, systems and computer program products for endpoint pair based communications network performance testing

Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario determined based on a type of applications traffic expected on the network to be tested. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint nodes on the network to be tested. Each endpoint node is assigned an endpoint node specific test protocol. Execution of the test protocols by the endpoint nodes is initiated by the console node. Performance data such as throughput, transaction rate and response time may be monitored at selected ones of the endpoint nodes and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test. The test scenario may be terminated when all endpoint node specific test protocols have completed execution or when any one endpoint completes execution of its test protocol. Multiple network protocols may be utilized within a single test scenario. Each endpoint node specific test protocol includes an associated script representing a type of applications traffic such as a credit check, or a database update. Endpoint nodes execute tests as applications level programs on existing endpoint nodes on the network to be tested allowing testing of networks using actual protocol stacks independent of the applications programs available on existing endpoint nodes.

Endpoint node systems computer program products for application traffic

Systems, methods and computer program products for applications traffic

Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario simulating actual communications traffic on the network to be tested. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint nodes on the network to be tested. Each endpoint node is assigned an endpoint node specific test protocol. Execution of the test protocols by the endpoint nodes is initiated by the console node. Performance data such as throughput, transaction rate and response time may be monitored at selected ones of the endpoint nodes and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test. The test scenario may be terminated when all endpoint node specific test protocols have completed execution or when any one endpoint completes execution of its test protocol. Multiple network protocols may be utilized within a single test scenario. Each endpoint node specific test protocol includes an associated script representing a type of applications traffic such as a credit check, or a database update. Endpoint nodes execute tests as applications level programs on existing endpoint nodes on the network to be tested allowing testing of networks using actual protocol stacks independent of the applications programs available on existing endpoint nodes.

Methods, systems and computer program products for test scenario based

Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario simulating actual communications traffic on the network to be tested. The test scenario includes an endpoint node specific test protocol between an endpoint node pair including a first and associated second endpoint node on the network to be tested. A partner endpoint node test protocol is determined from the endpoint node specific test protocol and communicated to from the first endpoint node to the associated second endpoint node of the endpoint node pair. A plurality of endpoint node pairs may executed different endpoint node specific test protocols under a test scenario. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint node pairs and initiating execution of the test scenario. Performance data may be monitored at one of the endpoint nodes of each endpoint node pair and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Steven Thomas Joyce