Distributed applications monitoring at system and network level

Most distributed applications are based on architectural models that do not involve real-time knowledge of network status and of their network usage. Moreover the new "network aware" architectures are still under development and their design is not yet complete. We considered, as a use case, an application using ODBMS (Objectivity /DB) for the distributed analysis of experimental data. The dynamic usage of system and network resources at host and application levels has been measured in different client/server configurations, and on several LAN and WAN layouts. The aim was to study the application efficiency and behavior versus the network characteristics and conditions. The most interesting results of the LAN and WAN tests are described. System bottlenecks and limitations have been identified, and efficient working conditions in the different scenarios have been defined. The behavior observed when moving away from the optimal working conditions is also described.