Predicting application and network performance

Abstract

An application and network analytics platform can capture comprehensive telemetry from servers and network devices operating within a network. The platform can discover flows running through the network, applications generating the flows, servers hosting the applications, computing resources provisioned and consumed by the applications, and network topology, among other insights. The platform can generate various models relating one set of application and network performance metrics to another. For example, the platform can model application latency as a function of computing resources provisioned to and/or actually used by the application, its host's total resources, and/or the distance of its host relative to other elements of the network. The platform can change the model by moving, removing, or adding elements to predict how the change affects application and network performance. In some situations, the platform can automatically act on predictions to improve application and network performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 analyzing telemetry for a plurality of servers and a plurality of network devices of a network;   generating, based on the analyzed telemetry, a model associating a latency of an application with an amount of computing resources of a server utilized to execute the application;   applying a change to the model to generate an updated model;   running the updated model to simulate how the change to the model affects either or both application performance at the plurality of servers and network performance at the plurality of network devices; and   determining an amount of change to the latency of the application if the change to the model were actually implemented in the network for controlling either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the application executes at a first schedule; and   determining a second schedule for the application that reduces the latency of the application; and   applying the change to the model that includes changing a schedule of the application from the first schedule to the second schedule.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising facilitating implementation of a change in the network that corresponds to the change in the model based on how the change to the model affects either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein facilitating implementation of the change in the network further comprises:
 generating a recommendation for updating the network to a new configuration based on the change in the network; and   presenting the recommendation.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein facilitating implementation of the change in the network further comprises automatically reconfiguring the network based on the change in the network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry to simulate how the change to the model affects either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry by generating data points for the updated model using historical ground truth telemetry included as part of the telemetry. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry by generating data points for the updated model using real time telemetry included as part of the telemetry. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change includes at least one of altering a configuration of a node of the network, adding a new node to the network, removing an existing node of the network, and migrating a node of the network from a first location to a second location. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 analyze telemetry for a plurality of servers and a plurality of network devices of a network; 
 generate, based on the analyzed telemetry, a model associating a latency of an application with an amount of computing resources of a server utilized to execute the application; 
 apply a change to the model to generate an updated model; 
 run the updated model to simulate how the change to the model affects either or both application performance at the plurality of servers and network performance at the plurality of network devices; and 
 determine an amount of change to the latency of the application if the change to the model were actually implemented in the network for controlling either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
 determine that the application executes at a first schedule; and   determine a second schedule for the application that reduces the latency of the application; and   apply the change to the model that includes changing a schedule of the application from the first schedule to the second schedule.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to facilitate implementation of a change in the network that corresponds to the change in the model based on how the change to the model affects either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein facilitating implementation of the change in the network further comprises:
 generating a recommendation for updating the network to a new configuration based on the change in the network; and   presenting the recommendation.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein facilitating implementation of the change in the network further comprises automatically reconfiguring the network based on the change in the network. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry to simulate how the change to the model affects either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry by generating data points for the updated model using historical ground truth telemetry included as part of the telemetry. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the updated model is run against the telemetry by generating data points for the updated model using real time telemetry included as part of the telemetry. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the change includes at least one of altering a configuration of a node of the network, adding a new node to the network, removing an existing node of the network, and migrating a node of the network from a first location to a second location. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 analyze telemetry for a plurality of servers and a plurality of network devices of a network;   generate, based on the analyzed telemetry, a model associating a latency of an application with an amount of computing resources of a server utilized to execute the application;   apply a change to the model to generate an updated model;   run the updated model to simulate how the change to the model affects either or both application performance at the plurality of servers and network performance at the plurality of network devices; and   determine an amount of change to the latency of the application if the change to the model were actually implemented in the network for controlling either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to facilitate implementation of a change in the network that corresponds to the change in the model based on how the change to the model affects either or both the application performance at the plurality of servers and the network performance at the plurality of network devices.