FLOW TOPOLOGY OF COMPUTER TRANSACTIONS

1 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . A computer program product for generating a visualization of a topology of a flow of multiple transactions, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to detect that a first computer system has received a current transaction initiation request from a precursory transaction, wherein the current transaction initiation request is for an initiation of a current transaction in the first computer system, wherein the precursory transaction is part of a flow of other transactions that are upstream from the current transaction, and wherein the current transaction initiation request contains parameter information that comprises:

a hop count that identifies how many computer systems have received other transaction initiation requests in the flow of other transactions, and

a transaction initiation count that identifies how many transaction initiation requests have been transmitted in the flow of other transactions; and

second program instructions to generate a visualization of a topology map of the current transaction and the other transactions based on information in the parameter information from the current transaction initiation request; and wherein

the first and second program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the parameter information further comprises a precursory transaction identifier that identifies the precursory transaction, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

third program instructions to extract the precursory transaction identifier from the parameter information; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the precursory transaction identifier; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the parameter information further comprises a base transaction identifier that identifies a base transaction in the flow of other transactions, wherein the base transaction initiated the flow of other transactions, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

third program instructions to extract the base transaction identifier from the parameter information; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the base transaction identifier; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

12 . The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

third program instructions to generate multiple topology maps of the current transaction and the other transactions over a passage of time; and

fourth program instructions to present an historical visualization of the multiple topology maps in order to represent changes to transaction initiation requests from the flow of other transactions to the current transaction; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

third program instructions to generate multiple topology maps of the current transaction and the other transactions over a passage of time; and

fourth program instructions to present an historical visualization of the multiple topology maps in order to represent a change as to which computer systems received the transaction initiation requests from the flow of other transactions to the current transaction; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

14 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the transaction initiation count further describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in a particular computer system used in an execution of the current transaction and the other transactions, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

third program instructions to extract data from the transaction initiation count that describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in the particular computer system used in the execution of the current transaction and the other transactions; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the data from the transaction initiation count that describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in the particular computer system used in the execution of the current transaction and the other transactions; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

15 . A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to detect that a first computer system has received a current transaction initiation request from a precursory transaction, wherein the current transaction initiation request is for an initiation of a current transaction in the first computer system, wherein the precursory transaction is part of a flow of other transactions that are upstream from the current transaction, and wherein the current transaction initiation request contains parameter information that comprises:

a hop count that identifies how many computer systems have received other transaction initiation requests in the flow of other transactions, and

a transaction initiation count that identifies how many transaction initiation requests that have been transmitted in the flow of other transactions; and

second program instructions to generate a visualization of a topology map of the current transaction and the other transactions based on information in the parameter information from the current transaction initiation request; and wherein

the first and second program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the parameter information further comprises a precursory transaction identifier that identifies the precursory transaction, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to extract the precursory transaction identifier from the parameter information; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the precursory transaction identifier; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the parameter information further comprises a base transaction identifier that identifies a base transaction in the flow of other transactions, wherein the base transaction initiated the flow of other transactions, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to extract the base transaction identifier from the parameter information; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the base transaction identifier; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

18 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the parameter information further comprises a flow transaction identifier that identifies all transactions in the flow of other transactions, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to extract the flow transaction identifier from the parameter information; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the flow transaction identifier; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

19 . The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising:

third program instructions to generate multiple topology maps of the current transaction and the other transactions over a passage of time; and

fourth program instructions to present an historical visualization of the multiple topology maps in order to represent a change as to which computer systems received the transaction initiation requests from the flow of other transactions to the current transaction; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

20 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the transaction initiation count further describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in a particular computer system used in an execution of the current transaction and the other transactions, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to extract data from the transaction initiation count that describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in the particular computer system used in the execution of the current transaction and the other transactions; and

fourth program instructions to modify the topology map based on the data from the transaction initiation count that describes how many transaction initiation requests have been processed in the particular computer system used in the execution of the current transaction and the other transactions; and wherein

the third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.