Granted Patent B1

US 7,640,335 · App. 10/045,989 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Abstract

Claims (74)

1. A method for user-configured network analysis reporting, comprising:

(a) identifying a plurality of templates provided based on user input;

(b) querying a database for network traffic information based on the identified templates;

(c) populating the templates with the network traffic information; and

(d) reporting the network traffic information over a network utilizing the populated templates;

wherein the reporting includes displaying a graphical user interface reflecting the populated templates;

wherein the templates are generated based on a plurality of user-configured parameters including network portions to be reported, a format of the reporting, a time or period, where the network traffic information comes from, what type of network traffic information is used, and to what location the network traffic information is written;

wherein the templates include templates of a first type and templates of a second type;

wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a format thereof.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a versatility thereof.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the templates of the first type are populated with the network traffic information utilizing a first module.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the templates of the second type are populated with the network traffic information utilizing a second module.

5. A computer program product embodied on a tangible computer readable medium for user-configured network analysis reporting, comprising:

(a) computer code for identifying a plurality of templates provided based on user input;

(b) computer code for querying a database for network traffic information based on the identified templates;

(c) computer code for populating the templates with the network traffic information; and

(d) computer code for reporting the network traffic information over a network utilizing the populated templates;

wherein the reporting includes displaying a graphical user interface reflecting the populated templates;

wherein the templates are generated based on a plurality of user-configured parameters including network portions to be reported, a format of the reporting, a time or period, where the network traffic information comes from, what type of network traffic information is used, and to what location the network traffic information is written;

wherein the templates include templates of a first type and templates of a second type;

wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a format thereof.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 5 , wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a versatility thereof.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 5 , wherein the templates of the first type are populated with the network traffic information utilizing a first module.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 5 , wherein the templates of the second type are populated with the network traffic information utilizing a second module.

9. A system for user-configured network analysis reporting, comprising:

(a) a server for identifying a plurality of templates provided based on user input;

(b) the server for querying a database for network traffic information based on the identified templates;

(c) the server for populating the templates with the network traffic information; and

(d) the server for reporting the network traffic information over a network utilizing the populated templates; wherein the reporting includes displaying a graphical user interface reflecting the populated templates;

wherein the templates are generated based on a plurality of user-configured parameters including network portions to be reported, a format of the reporting, a time or period, where the network traffic information comes from, what type of network traffic information is used, and to what location the network traffic information is written;

wherein the templates include templates of a first type and templates of a second type;

wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a format thereof.

10. A method for user-configured network analysis reporting, comprising:

(a) determining whether a network analysis reporting system is operating in a report mode or edit mode;

(b) if the network analysis reporting system is operating in the report mode, identifying a plurality of existing templates;

(c) if the network analysis reporting system is operating in the edit mode, creating a plurality of templates based on user input;

(d) querying a database for network traffic information;

(e) populating the templates with the network traffic information; and

(f) reporting the network traffic information over a network utilizing the populated templates;

wherein the reporting includes displaying a graphical user interface reflecting the populated templates;

wherein the templates are generated based on a plurality of user-configured parameters including network portions to be reported, a format of the reporting, a time or period, where the network traffic information comes from, what type of network traffic information is used, and to what location the network traffic information is written;

wherein the templates include templates of a first type and templates of a second type;

wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a format thereof.

11. A method for user-configured network analysis reporting, comprising:

(a) displaying an interface;

(b) determining whether the interface is operating in a report mode or edit mode;

(c) if the interface is operating in the edit mode:

(i) receiving input from a user,

(ii) generating a parameter file based on the input,

(iii) validating the parameter file, and

(iv) storing the parameter file; and

(d) if the interface is operating in the report mode:

(i) identifying a user,

(ii) locating a parameter file, and

(iii) generating a report based on the parameter file by:

1) identifying templates in the parameter file,

2) retrieving templates of a first type from a first module,

3) retrieving templates of a second type from a second module,

4) querying a database, and

5) populating the templates utilizing network traffic information retrieved in response to the querying,

(iv) displaying the populated templates;

wherein the templates are generated based on a plurality of user-configured parameters including network portions to be reported, a format of the reporting, a time or period, where the network traffic information comes from, what type of network traffic information is used, and to what location the network traffic information is written;

wherein the templates include templates of the first type and templates of the second type;

wherein the templates of the first type and the templates of the second type differ with respect to a format thereof.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reporting includes a graph displaying error segments for a predefined period of time.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reporting includes a graph displaying a list of busiest servers for a predefined period of time.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of monitoring agents are utilized to monitor the network traffic information.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the plurality of monitoring agents write the network traffic information to files which are utilized to populate the database.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the database is populated according to a minute time interval.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the templates specify a manner in which the network traffic information is extracted from the database and a manner in which the network traffic information is reported.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user-configured parameters are validated.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the parameters are used for looping.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein another interface allows a user to select the user-configured parameters.

21. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the time or period includes a time or period at which various template fields are populated.

Assignments (9)