US 2016/0080239 A1 · REAL-TIME, LOW MEMORY ESTIMATION OF UNIQUE CLIENT COMPUTERS COMMUNICATING WITH A SERVER COMPUTER

Abstract

Computer systems and methods for estimating the number of client computers actively coupled to a server computer system in real-time are discussed herein. Specifically, systems and methods are discussed for a server computer system receiving heartbeat messages from a plurality of client computers and generating an estimate of the number of client computers actively coupled to the server computer system in real-time without locks, such as a database table lock. A heartbeat message from a client computer need not include a client or user identifier. In an embodiment, the memory footprint/overhead is O(l), and may be a single whole number greater than zero, such as a 64-bit unsigned integer. Systems and methods are also discussed herein to calculate and reduce the expected error of the estimated number of active clients.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a memory;
one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive, from a plurality of client computers, a first plurality of heartbeat messages;
wherein each heartbeat message of the first plurality of heartbeat messages:
is sent by a client computer of the plurality of client computers, and includes a delta value that indicates an amount of time that has elapsed since a previous heartbeat message sent from the client computer;
determine a first total amount of time based, at least in part, on the delta value from each heartbeat message of the first plurality of heartbeat messages;
determine a total number of active client computers based, at least in part, on the first total amount of time and a defined amount of time in a first window.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of client computers, a first plurality of heartbeat messages;
wherein each heartbeat message of the first plurality of heartbeat messages:
is sent by a client computer of the plurality of client computers, and
includes a delta value that indicates an amount of time that has elapsed since a previous heartbeat message sent from the client computer;
determining a first total amount of time based, at least in part, on the delta value from each heartbeat message of the first plurality of heartbeat messages;
determining a total number of active client computers based, at least in part, on the first total amount of time and a defined amount of time in a first window;
wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Real-time, low memory estimation of unique client computers communicating with a server computer

Life of this patent

Real-time, low memory estimation of unique client computers communicating with a server computer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24