Network site testing method and associated system
View Patent ↗A method for network site testing and associated distributed parallel processing system are disclosed that identifies the capabilities of distributed devices connected together through a wide variety of communication systems and networks and utilizes those capabilities to provide incentives to the distributed devices and to organize, manage and distribute project workloads to the distributed devices.
1. A method operating a distributed processing system having a network coupling a number M of Host distributed devices to process workloads for the distributed processing system, a plurality of Client systems requesting processing of the workloads, one or more network sites coupled to the network for providing services upon request to a multiplicity of Host distributed devices including at least the M Host distributed devices, and a Server system for selectively distributing the workloads for processing by the distributed processing system comprising the steps of:
a) sending a software agent to a number N of Host distributed devices selected from the M Host distributed devices, the software agent configured to start a program execution at a predetermined first time interval;
b) sending a test program to each of the N Host distributed devices, wherein the test program is configured to request a service from a first network site selected from the one or more network sites; and
c) sending a request to each of the N Host distributed devices to concurrently start execution of the test program at the first time interval.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving, in the Server system, a status from each of the N Host distributed devices in a second time interval following the first time interval, the status indicating a quality of providing the service to each of the N Host distributed devices.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the status is generated automatically by the N Host distributed devices following the first time interval.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the status is generated in response to a request from the Server system.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
d) determining if any of the N Host distributed devices had a failure in receiving the service requested by running the test program;
e) increasing the number N if no failure was detected; and
f) repeat steps a) through e) until the failure is detected from at least one of the N Host distributed devices or N is equal to M.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
receiving a request from one of the Client systems to test a network site coupled to the network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test program sent to each of the N Host distributed devices is the same test program.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the N Host distributed devices is sent a different test program, wherein each test program requests a different service from the first network site.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the M Host distributed devices are coupled to the network in response to an incentive.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network site is an internet web site.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first time interval is selected to coincide with a peak time the first network site receives requests from the multiplicity Host distributed devices excluding the N Host distributed devices.
12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the quality of service comprises a response time in providing the service to a particular one of the N Host distributed devices.
13. A computer program product operating within a Server system coupled to a network and managing a distributed processing system, the network configured to enable the Server system to selectively couple a number M of Host distributed devices to perform workloads for the distributed processing system, the program product comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:
a) sending a software agent to a number N Host distributed devices selected from the M Host distributed devices, the software agent configured to start a program execution at a predetermined first time interval;
b) sending a test program to each of the N Host distributed devices, wherein the test program is configured to request a service from a first network site selected from the one or more network sites; and
c) sending a request to each of the N Host distributed devices to concurrently start execution of the test program at the first time interval.
14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising the step of receiving, in the Server system, a status from each of the N Host distributed devices in a second time interval following the first time interval, the status indicating a quality of providing the service to each of the N Host distributed devices.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the status is generated automatically by the N Host distributed devices following the first time interval.
16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the status is generated in response to a request from the Server system.
17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:
d) determining if any of the N Host distributed devices had a failure in receiving the service requested by running the test program;
e) increasing the number N if no failure was detected; and
f) repeat steps a) through e) until the failure is detected from at least one of the N Host distributed devices or N is equal to M.
18. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising the step of:
receiving a request from one of the Client systems to test a network site coupled to the network.
19. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the test program sent to each of the N Host distributed devices is the same test program.
20. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein each of the N Host distributed devices is sent a different test program, wherein each test program requests a different service from the first network site.
21. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the M Host distributed devices are coupled to the network in response to an incentive.
22. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the first network site is an internet web site.
23. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the first time interval is selected to coincide with a peak time the first network site receives requests from the M Host distributed devices excluding the N Host distributed devices.
24. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the quality of service comprises a response time in providing the service to a particular one of the N Host distributed devices.
25. A software agent operating within each of a multiplicity of Host distributed devices coupled to a network, the network configured to enable a Server system to selectively couple the multiplicity of Host distributed devices to perform workloads for a distributed processing system, the software agent comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:
receiving a request from the server system to process a test program workload in one of the multiplicity of Host distributed devices for testing a site coupled to the network;
receiving the test program and a predetermined first time interval, the test program configured to request a service by accessing the site;
starting an execution of the test program in a first Host distributed device selected from the multiplicity of Host distributed devices at the first time interval; and
sending a status to the Server system at a second time following the first time-interval, the status indicating a quality of service provided to the first Host distributed device at the first time interval.
26. The software agent of claim 25 , wherein the status is determined by monitoring a response sent to the first Host distributed device by the site following the first time interval.