Abstract: A method of identifying differences between activity data files includes determining a difference between the activity data files. Causal analysis may be performed to identify a cause of the difference. The difference and/or the cause of the difference may be rendered based on a rendering template. Tier pairs between the activity data files may be matched and a user may be queried to confirm the tier pair match. Statistical and/or protocol differences between each of the activity files may be presented. Transactions between each of the activity data files may be matched including comparing the content files in each of the activity data files that account for the transactions. Client side differences between each of the activity data files may be identified. A categorization may be assigned to each of the determined differences. Determined differences may be excluded from the rendering.

Abstract: A network analysis system provides for a user-definable display of information related to messages communicated on the network. The network analysis system includes one or more display formats that provide a display of message exchanges between nodes of a network, and a display augmenter that provides additional information on the display based on a user-defined visualization. The user defined visualization includes augmenting the display based on user-defined coloring characteristics and/or augmenting the display with user-defined labels. To further facilitate user control of the augmentation of the display, the system accepts user-defined programs for discriminating among messages, for controlling the labeling of messages, and for controlling the coloring of messages and labels. Commonly used user-defined characteristics and labels are stored in a library, for use via a selection from among the library entries.

Abstract: A visualization system analyzes the data from a first capture system that captures communication events to and from a processing node, and a second capture system that captures processing events at the processing node, synchronizes the data to a common time base, and presents an integrated display of these communication and processing events. Timing diagrams are preferably used to display the processing events, and data-exchange charts are preferably used to display the communication events.

Abstract: Data representing application deployment attributes, network topology, and network performance attributes based on a reduced set of element attributes is utilized to simulate application deployment. The data may be received from a user directly, a program that models a network topology or application behavior, and a wizard that implies the data based on an interview process. The simulation may be based on application deployment attributes including application traffic pattern, application message sizes, network topology, and network performance attributes. The element attributes may be determined from a lookup table of element operating characteristics that may contain element maximum and minimum boundary operating values utilized to interpolate other operating conditions.

Abstract: A user interface to a network simulator facilitates the use of application layer parameters and application layer logic. The user interface is configured to allow the user to define the input in a graphic form, or a text/programming form, or a combination of both. Preferably, the user interface provides common graphic forms for both inputting the data to the simulator as well as for displaying the resultant data from the simulator, thereby easing the progression from the analysis of output from one simulation to the generation of new input for a subsequent simulation.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a common time base among nodes in a network by iteratively propagating timing constraints among the nodes, and determining a time-shift to apply to the time base of each node that conforms to these constraints. “Trace” files record the time of transmission or reception of packets at each node, based on the time base at the node. A fundamental constraint in a common time-based system is that the time of reception of a packet at a destination node cannot be prior to the time of transmission of the packet from a source node. A further constraint in a common time-based system is that the time of reacting to an event cannot be prior to the time of the event.