JP2002152203A - Client machine, client software and network supervisory method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically investigate positions prone to be a cause to fault in a client server type system. SOLUTION: A client machine 1 connected to, e.g. the Internet is provided with a function (response measurement section 1d) that measures the response time from a Web server 6, a function (threshold discriminating section 1d) that discriminates whether the response time from the Web server 6 exceeds a preset threshold, a function (path specification section 1e) that checks and identifies passing routers 2-4 up to the Web server 6 when the response time from the Web server 6 exceeds the threshold, and a function (path information acquisition section 1f that checks the response time (delay time) from each router. The Web server 6 automatically supervises delays in the response, in the case of browsing a home page by a browser 1a or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology of a client server system constituting a network such as the Internet, an intranet, and a LAN (LOcal Area Network), and more particularly, to efficiently specifying a cause of a failure in the client server system. The present invention relates to a client machine, client software, and a network monitoring method suitable for the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a client-server type system constituting a network such as the Internet, an intranet, and a LAN, when a failure such as a response delay or a timeout occurs, a user using the system operates the system. The person in charge was notified of the failure, and the person in charge of the operation of the system, which received the notification, examined each possible location of the failure and identified the cause.

[0003] As described above, it is burdensome for an operator in charge of a system operator to examine each location that may cause a failure, such as a network or a server, one by one.
Quick response cannot be taken.

[0004]

The problem to be solved is that, in the prior art, a point which may cause a failure in the network of the client server type system is as follows.
The point is that the person in charge of operating the system must examine each one and find out the cause.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and reduce the burden on a system operator who needs to investigate a location that may cause a failure in a network of a client-server type system. An object of the present invention is to provide a client machine, client software, and a network monitoring method that enable early response to a failure.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a client machine, client software, and a network monitoring method according to the present invention provide, for example, an Internet, an intranet, a LAN, or other network configured by a client server type system.
A function for measuring response time from a Web server to client software such as a browser,
A function for determining whether or not a response time from a server exceeds a preset threshold; and a function for determining whether a response time from a web server exceeds the threshold.
A function to check and identify routers that pass through before accessing the server and a function to check the response time from each router and the delay time at each router are provided, and the address of the passing router and the response time of each router are displayed on the screen. To be displayed. Then, based on the display, the browser user or automatically the browser notifies the operator of the occurrence of the failure and the displayed information. As a result, the operator can narrow down the location causing the failure, and can take quick action.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a client machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a client machine in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a CRT (Cathode Ra).
y Tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and the like, 22 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, 23 is an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and 24 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit)
24a, main memory 24b and input / output interface 2
And an information processing apparatus 25 for performing computer processing, including a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only) recording software programs and data according to the present invention.
Memory) or DVD (Digital Video Disc / Digita)
l An optical disk such as a Versatile Disc, 26 is a driving device for reading out programs and data recorded on the optical disk 25, and 27 is a LAN (Local Area Network).
rk) A communication device consisting of a card, a modem, and the like.

After the software program and data stored in the optical disk 25 are installed in the external storage device 23 by the information processing device 24 via the drive device 26, the data is read from the external storage device 23 into the main memory 24b and processed by the CPU 24a. The information processing device 24
Each function of the client machine shown in FIG. 1 is mounted therein.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a client machine,
Reference numerals 2 to 5 denote routers, reference numeral 6 denotes a Web server, and reference numerals 7 to 9 denote computer devices (referred to as “hosts” in the figure), which are exemplified by the Internet configured as a network by a client server model.

The client machine 1 has a browser 1a
Server response measurement unit 1c,
Threshold determination unit 1d, route identification unit 1e, route information acquisition unit 1
f, an information display unit 1g, an information notification unit 1h, and the like. For example, the browser 1a requests the Web server 6 to browse a Web page, and the mailer 1b requests transmission and reception of mail to a mail server such as the host 7. .

The server response measuring unit 1c is, for example,
The browser 1a issues a Web page browsing request to the Web server 6, and measures a required time (response time) until the Web page is sent. The threshold determination unit 1d measures the server response measurement unit 1c. The result is compared with a preset threshold to determine whether the threshold is exceeded.

If the response time from the Web server exceeds the threshold value in the determination by the threshold determining unit 1d, the route specifying unit 1e is activated, and the route specifying unit 1e executes the communication between the client machine 1 and the Web server 6. Identify routers (relay nodes) involved in this communication. In this example, router 2
To 4 are specified.

Then, for each router specified by the route specifying unit 1e, the route information obtaining unit 1f executes, for example, "icmp (internet control message protocol)".
To obtain information such as the response time, delay time, and address of each router.

The information thus obtained is displayed on the screen of the display device 21 in FIG. 2 by the information display section 1g, and further, the information is displayed by the information notifying section 1h for a predetermined administrator. Send to computer.

Hereinafter, such operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of the network monitoring method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a processing operation example of the client machine 1 in FIG. 1 based on the client software according to the present invention, and particularly shows an operation example when accessing a Web server via the Internet.

In the client machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, a browser 1a is started (step 301), and when a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a home page is designated (step 302), the server response measuring section 1 is started.
c starts a timer and starts measuring elapsed time (step 302).

When reading of the page specified by URl by the browser 1a is completed (step 304), the server response measuring unit 1c stops the timer (step 305), and based on the value, starts the designation of URl and starts the page. The elapsed time until the reading is completed is calculated (step 306).

When the elapsed time is calculated in this way, the threshold determining unit 1d compares the elapsed time with a preset threshold (step 307). As a result of the comparison, if the calculated elapsed time exceeds the threshold (step 308), the route specifying unit 1e is activated to specify each transit router (step 309), and the route information obtaining unit 1
With f, the address of the specified router and the response time are obtained (step 310).

When a program using "icmp" such as "traceroute" is used in the route specifying unit 1e to specify such a route router and obtain a response time, the "traceroute" is used. Based on the information obtained in step (1), the route specifying unit 1e specifies the transit router, and the route information obtaining unit 1f obtains the address of each router and the response time (delay time).

The address of each router and the response time (delay time) obtained by the route information obtaining unit 1f are displayed on the screen of the display device 21 in FIG. 2 by the information display unit 1g (step 311), and the information is notified. The notification is sent to a predetermined administrator computer device automatically by the unit 1h or manually by an operator (user) of the client machine (step 312).

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the client machine, the client software, and the network monitoring method of the present embodiment, the client machine 1 automatically investigates a location causing a failure in the Internet. As a result, the burden on the operation management staff can be reduced, and a quick response can be taken. As a result, for example, the Internet user can browse the homepage with a more comfortable response, and can improve the evaluation of the provider.

The present invention is not limited to the examples described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in this example,
Although the Internet is an example of a network, the present invention can be applied to a client-server model computer network such as an intranet, a LAN, and a WAN (Wide Area Network).

Also, in this example, the access to the Web server 6 by the browser 1a in FIG. 1 has been described as an example.
The present invention can be applied to access to a mail server by the mailer 1b or access to an FTP server by an FTP application (not shown).

In this embodiment, in the client machine 1, the server response measuring section 1c and the threshold determining section 1c
d, the route identification unit 1e, the route information acquisition unit 1f, the information display unit 1g, and the information notification unit 1h are configured to be independent of the browser 1a and the mailer 1b. It is good also as a structure provided as a function of 1a or mailer 1b.

In this example, an example in which network information is collected using “traceroute” has been described.
Or a program such as "ping".

In this embodiment, the network monitoring method has been described with the configuration in which the client software is installed in the client machine 1 of FIG. 1 and the processing is performed. However, another method of monitoring the communication between the client machine 1 and the Web server 6 is described. A configuration in which processing is performed in a computer device may be employed.

Further, in this embodiment, the example of the computer configuration shown in FIG. 2 is shown as the configuration of the client machine. However, it is also possible to use a computer configuration having no optical disk driving device or a configuration in which a printer is additionally connected. In this example, an optical disk is used as a recording medium for a program, but an FD (Flexible Disk) may be used as a recording medium. As for the installation of software (program), the program may be downloaded and installed via a network via a communication device.

[0031]

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically investigate a location causing a failure in a client-server model network, so that the burden on the operation management staff can be reduced and a quick response can be made. For example, it is possible to provide a user of the Internet with browsing of a homepage with a more comfortable response, and it is possible to improve the evaluation of a provider.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a client machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a client machine in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation example of the network monitoring method according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Client machine, 1a: Browser, 1b: Mailer, 1c: Server response measurement unit, 1d: Threshold determination unit, 1e: Route identification unit, 1f: Route information acquisition unit, 1g:
Information display unit, 1h: information notification unit, 2 to 5: router, 6:
Web server, 7 to 9: computer device (“host”), 21: display device, 22: input device, 23: external storage device, 24: information processing device, 24a: CPU, 24
b: main memory, 24c: input / output interface, 25:
Optical disk, 26: drive device, 27: communication device.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A client machine constituting a client-server system, comprising: a server response measuring means for measuring a response time from a server; and comparing the measured response time with a preset threshold to determine a response time. Threshold determining means for determining whether or not the response time exceeds the threshold, when the measured response time exceeds the threshold, a route specifying means for specifying a node through which to access the server, and a relay time at the specified node. A client machine comprising: a path information acquisition unit for acquiring. 2. A client software executed on a client machine constituting a client-server system, comprising: a first step of measuring a response time from a server; and comparing the measured response time with a preset threshold. A second step of determining whether or not the response time exceeds a threshold; and a third step of identifying a node through which to access the server when the measured response time exceeds the threshold; Acquiring the relay time at the specified node. 3. The client software according to claim 2, further comprising a step of displaying the relay time at the node obtained in the fourth step together with the address information of the node. . 4. The client software according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the relay time at the node obtained in the fourth step is determined in advance together with the address information of the node. Client software having the step of transmitting to the assigned administrator device. 5. The client software according to claim 2, wherein a step of starting a browser to access a Web server and a step of starting a mailer to access a mail server. Client software having at least one of them. 6. A method for monitoring a network of a client-server model, comprising: a first step of measuring a response time between a client and a server; and comparing the measured response time with a preset threshold. A second step of determining whether or not exceeds a threshold value; a third step of specifying a relay node between the client and the server if the measured response time exceeds the threshold value; Acquiring the relay time of the network.