VMware, Inc.
METHOD AND SYSTEM THAT DETERMINES APPLICATION TOPOLOGY USING NETWORK METRICS

Abstract:

The current document is directed to methods and systems that employ network metrics collected by distributed-computer-system metrics-collection services to determine a service-call-based topology for distributed service-oriented applications. In a described implementation, network metrics are collected over a number of network-metric monitoring periods. Independent component analysis is used to extract, from the collected network metrics, signals corresponding to sequences of service calls initiated by calls to the application-programming interface of a distributed service-oriented application. The signals, in combination with call traces obtained from a distributed-services call-tracing utility or service, are then used to construct representations of distributed-service-oriented-application topologies. The distributed-service-oriented-application topologies provide a basis for any additional types of distributed-computer-system functionalities, utilities, and facilities.