Method and system for simulating latency between layers of multi-tier applications

A computer program product for simulating network packet communications between layers of software applications, said software applications communicating via a driver component within a distributed software product executing on a processing device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions run by the processor for performing a method, the method comprising:

• intercepting function calls communicated to or from said driver component, said function calls requesting data I/O operations between said software applications layers;
• accessing, at said driver component, one or more user-specified parameters for simulating latency and bandwidth effects of network communications, said one or more parameters specifying one or more of:
• a latency and bandwidth modification value and a respective latency and bandwidth modification type to perform on the network communications;
• and, one or more of:
• calling, responsive to a latency modification type at said processing device, a sleep function for simulating a communications latency effect of I/O communications between said applications according to a latency modification value;
• and,
• passing, responsive to a bandwidth modification type at said processing device, said I/O data communicated between said software applications, through a buffer for modifying a data transfer rate of said I/O data communicated according to a bandwidth modification value,
• wherein users dynamically control simulated network effects of a distributed software product.

A system for simulating network packet communications between layers of software applications, said software applications communicating via a driver component within a distributed software product executing on a processing device, said system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor in communication with said memory, said processor configured to perform a method comprising:
• function calls communicated to or from said driver component, said function calls requesting data I/O operations between said software applications layers;
• accessing, at said driver component, one or more user-specified parameters for simulating latency and bandwidth effects of network communications, said one or more parameters specifying one or more of:
• a latency modification value, a bandwidth modification value and a respective latency and bandwidth modification type to perform on the network communications;
• and, one or more of:
• calling, responsive to a latency modification type at said processing device, a sleep function for simulating a communications latency effect of I/O communications between said applications according to a latency modification value;
• and,
• passing, responsive to a bandwidth modification type at said processing device, said I/O data communicated between said software applications, through a buffer for modifying a data transfer rate of said I/O data communicated according to a bandwidth modification value,
• wherein users dynamically control simulated network effects of a distributed software product.