Evaluating computer resources

Abstract

To closely simulate the experience of an end user, a software agent executes where the end user would be situated and attempts to exercise a computer resource such as a networked application or a network resource in a simulated transaction in exactly or nearly exactly the same way that the computer resource would be exercised by the end user in non-simulated transaction. The results of the simulated transaction and of other simulated transactions by other software agents are communicated to a central software system for recordation and analysis.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 causing a transaction to be executed that emulates an end-user's interaction with a software application, wherein the transaction includes communication with the software application across a network.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 causing a message to be transmitted, to a point where the software application is executing, from an end-user point on the network.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 causing a message to be transmitted, from a point where the software application is executing, to an end-user point on the network.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application includes a Web server application.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 causing the transaction to be executed includes emulating a function of a Web browser.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network includes client/server technology and the transaction includes a client/server transaction.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 emulating the client side of the client/server transaction.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising 
 attempting to retrieve specified information from the software application.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising 
 attempting to retrieve information from a Web page supplied by the software application.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 supplying login information to the software application.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application includes a database application.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 attempting to retrieve information from the database application.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining a response time in the transaction.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 determining an application processing time component of the response time.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 determining a network processing time component of the response time.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 attempting to establish a TCP/IP connection; and    based on a result of the attempt, determining a network processing time.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transmitting a ping message; and    based on a result of the transmission, determining a network processing time.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulating includes emulating a TCP/IP client.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 based on the transaction, determining the availability of the software application.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 if a response is not received timely from the software application, determining that the software application is unavailable.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 causing multiple instances of the transaction to be executed according to a schedule.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 deriving a performance baseline from results of the multiple instances.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 causing, from a central location, multiple emulation transactions to be executed.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein at least two of the transactions originate from two different respective locations on the network.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 storing information derived from a result of at least one of the transactions at the respective originating location for later transmission to the central location.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transmitting a data packet to the software application, the data packet including information that identifies the transaction.    
     
     
         27 . A method comprising: 
 generating a simulated computer communication at a point in a computer network;    using a non-simulated network resource to deliver the simulated computer communication to a computer resource; and    evaluating the computer resource based on a result of the delivery of the simulated computer communication to the computer resource.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the point in the computer network includes an end-user point.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 issuing, from a central source, a directive to generate the simulated computer communication; and    receiving, at the central source, a report on the result of the delivery of the simulated computer communication to the computer resource.    
     
     
         30 . Computer software, residing on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions for use in a computer system to cause the computer system to: 
 cause a transaction to be executed that emulates an end-user's interaction with a software application, wherein the transaction includes communication with the software application across a network.    
     
     
         31 . Computer software, residing on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions for use in a computer system to cause the computer system to: 
 generate a simulated computer communication at a point in a computer network;    use a non-simulated network resource to deliver the simulated computer communication to a computer resource; and    evaluate the computer resource based on a result of the delivery of the simulated computer communication to the computer resource.    
     
     
         32 . A system comprising: 
 a system that causes a transaction to be executed that emulates an enduser's interaction with a software application, wherein the transaction includes communication with the software application across a network.    
     
     
         33 . A system comprising: 
 a generator that generates a simulated computer communication at a point in a computer network;    a utilizer that uses a non-simulated network resource to deliver the simulated computer communication to a computer resource; and    an evaluator that evaluates the computer resource based on a result of the delivery of the simulated computer communication to the computer resource.