Evaluation of performance of software applications

1. A method for evaluating performance of software applications, said method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors of a computer system, measures of performance of each step of a plurality of steps in a first software application, measures of performance of respective similar-function steps in a second software application to which the steps in the first software application have been mapped via a mapping, and measures of performance of other steps in the second software application, wherein the first software application is at a first computer within a first Internet web site, wherein the second software application is at a second computer within a second Internet web site, wherein the mapping includes associating both each step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application with a respective first task of a plurality of first tasks, and wherein the first and second Internet web sites are different Internet web sites;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the first software application based on the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the second software application based on the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps in the second software application and of the other steps in the second software application; and

improving, by the one or more processors, performance of: (i) the first software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application, (ii) the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the second software application, or (iii) both the first software application and the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the second software application, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application and the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, including collecting and statistically analyzing data that measures performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

3. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, the other steps in the second software application as being steps in the second software application that are associated with a plurality of second tasks such that each second task is not comprised by the plurality of first tasks, wherein the other steps in the second software application do not correspond to any of the mapped steps in the first software application.

4. The method of claim 3 , said method further comprising:

including in a report, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, the measure of performance of the first software application, the measure of performance of the second software application, the plurality of first tasks, the plurality of second tasks, the plurality of steps in the first software application, the plurality of respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

5. The method of claim 4 , said method comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, the report that includes a table,

wherein the table includes a row for each first task and for each second task, a first column comprising the mapped steps in the first software application, a second column comprising both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, a third column comprising the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the mapped steps in the first software application, a fourth column comprising the measure of performance of the second software application and the measure of performance of both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, and a fifth column of other software applications supporting the mapped steps in the first software application,

wherein each mapped step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application associated with a respective first task of the plurality of first tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective first task, and

wherein each other step in the second software application associated with a respective second task of the plurality of second tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective second task.

6. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

posting the report to a web site and/or sending the report by email to an email recipient.

7. A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by one or more processors of a computer system to implement a method for evaluating performance of software applications, said method comprising:

determining, by the one or more processor, measures of performance of each step of a plurality of steps in a first software application, measures of performance of respective similar-function steps in a second software application to which the steps in the first software application have been mapped via a mapping, and measures of performance of other steps in the second software application, wherein the first software application is at a first computer within a first Internet web site, wherein the second software application is at a second computer within a second Internet web site, wherein the mapping includes associating both each step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application with a respective first task of a plurality of first tasks, and wherein the first and second Internet web sites are different Internet web sites;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the first software application based on the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the second software application based on the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps in the second software application and of the other steps in the second software application; and

improving, by the one or more processors, performance of: (i) the first software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application, (ii) the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the second software application, or (iii) both the first software application and the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the second software application, respectively.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , said od further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application and the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, including collecting and statistically analyzing data that measures performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , said od further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, the other steps in the second software application as being steps in the second software application that are associated with a plurality of second tasks such that each second task is not comprised by the plurality of first tasks, wherein the other steps in the second software application do not correspond to any of the mapped steps in the first software application.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , said method further comprising:

including in a report, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, the measure of performance of the first software application, the measure of performance of the second software application, the plurality of first tasks, the plurality of second tasks, the plurality of steps in the first software application, the plurality of respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , said method comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, the report that includes a table,

wherein the table includes a row for each first task and for each second task, a first column comprising the mapped steps in the first software application, a second column comprising both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, a third column comprising the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the mapped steps in the first software application, a fourth column comprising the measure of performance of the second software application and the measure of performance of both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, and a fifth column of other software applications supporting the mapped steps in the first software application,

wherein each mapped step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application associated with a respective first task of the plurality of first tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective first task, and

wherein each other step in the second software application associated with a respective second task of the plurality of second tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective second task.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , said method further comprising:

posting the report to web site and/or sending the report by email to an email recipient.

13. A computer system, comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage device containing program code executable by the one or more processors via the one or more memories to implement a method for evaluating performance of software applications, said method comprising:

determining, by the one or more processor, measures of performance of each step of a plurality of steps in a first software application, measures of performance of respective similar-function steps in a second software application to which the steps in the first software application have been mapped via a mapping, and measures of performance of other steps in the second software application, wherein the first software application is at a first computer within a first Internet web site, wherein the second software application is at a second computer within a second Internet web site, wherein the mapping includes associating both each step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application with a respective first task of a plurality of first tasks, and wherein the first and second Internet web sites are different Internet web sites;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the first software application based on the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application;

determining, by the one or more processors, a measure of performance of the second software application based on the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps in the second software application and of the other steps in the second software application; and

improving, by the one or more processors, performance of: (i) the first software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application, (ii) the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the second software application, or (iii) both the first software application and the second software application by utilizing the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the second software application, respectively.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , said method further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application and the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, including collecting and statistically analyzing data that measures performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , said method further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, the other steps in the second software application as being steps in the second software application that are associated with a plurality of second tasks such that each second task is not comprised by the plurality of first tasks, wherein the other steps in the second software application do not correspond to any of the mapped steps in the first software application.

16. The computer system claim 15 , said method further comprising:

including in a report, by the one or more processors, the measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application, the measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of the other steps in the second software application, the measure of performance of the first software application, the measure of performance of the second software application, the plurality of first tasks, the plurality of second tasks, the plurality of steps in the first software application, the plurality of respective similar-function steps in the second software application, and the other steps in the second software application.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , said method comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, the report that includes a table,

wherein the table includes a row for each first task and for each second task, a first column comprising the mapped steps in the first software application, a second column comprising both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, a third column comprising the measure of performance of the first software application and the measure of performance of the mapped steps in the first software application, a fourth column comprising the measure of performance of the second software application and the measure of performance of both the respective similar-function steps and the other steps in the second software application, and a fifth column of other software applications supporting the mapped steps in the first software application,

wherein each mapped step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software application associated with a respective first task of the plurality of first tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective first task, and

wherein each other step in the second software application associated with a respective second task of the plurality of second tasks appears in the row pertaining to the respective second task.

18. The computer system of claim 13 , said method further comprising;

posting the report to a web site and/or sending the report by email to an email recipient.