1. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services Gerett Commeford & Dariusz Grabka M.Sc. Candidates, University of Guelph Tuesday March 6 th, 2007

2. Web Services Navigator 2 / 22Outline Part 1: PresentationPart 1: Presentation –Purpose –What is Web Service Navigator? Data CollectorData Collector Main ComponentsMain Components ArchitectureArchitecture –The Interactive Viewers –Practical Implications of the Technology –Conclusions Part 2: DiscussionPart 2: Discussion

3. Web Services Navigator 3 / 22Purpose To allow developers and managers to understand, debug, and optimize web servicesTo allow developers and managers to understand, debug, and optimize web services Componentized vs. Service-BasedComponentized vs. Service-Based –Vertical vs. Horizontal How can we deal with this horizontal complexity?How can we deal with this horizontal complexity?

4. Web Services Navigator 4 / 22 Web Services Navigator Relies on Data Collector for IBM Web Services to capture events – –Correlates events – –Models transactions – –Extracts patterns Produces visual abstractions – –More meaningful to humans

5. Web Services Navigator 5 / 22 Data Collector The heart of Web Services NavigatorThe heart of Web Services Navigator –Logs the content and context of SOAP messages sent and received by applications –All logs can then be imported into Web Services Navigator Web services transaction flows are reconstructedWeb services transaction flows are reconstructed –Recurring patterns are identified –Explored using 5 interactive views

6. Web Services Navigator 6 / 22 Web Services Navigator Three main componentsThree main components –The log parser –The event analyzer –The interactive viewers Service topology viewService topology view Transaction flows viewTransaction flows view Flow patterns viewFlow patterns view Statistics table viewStatistics table view Message content viewMessage content view

7. Web Services Navigator 7 / 22Architecture Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

8. Web Services Navigator 8 / 22 Service Topology View Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

9. Web Services Navigator 9 / 22 Transaction Flows View Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

10. Web Services Navigator 10 / 22 Flow Patterns View Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

11. Web Services Navigator 11 / 22 Statistics Table View Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

12. Web Services Navigator 12 / 22 Message Content View Source: De Pauw et al. Web Services Navigator: Visualizing the Execution of Web Services

13. Web Services Navigator 13 / 22 Practical Implications Visualizing problems in business logicVisualizing problems in business logic –Verifying workflow choreography –Detecting incorrect implementation of business rules –Detecting excessively chatty communications –Verifying application cost structure

14. Web Services Navigator 14 / 22 Practical Implications Visualizing problems in IT layersVisualizing problems in IT layers –Semantic errors –Transaction bottlenecks –Unavailable resources –Syntax errors

15. Web Services Navigator 15 / 22Conclusions Bridge conceptual gaps between business and IT specialistsBridge conceptual gaps between business and IT specialists Five linked views cut through horizontal complexityFive linked views cut through horizontal complexity Visualizing without modifyingVisualizing without modifying Improved communication between user groupsImproved communication between user groups

16. Web Services Navigator 16 / 22 Part 2: Discussion The PaperThe Paper The ApplicationThe Application Visualization TechniquesVisualization Techniques Statistical InformationStatistical Information Product TestingProduct Testing

17. Web Services Navigator 17 / 22 Discussion: The Paper Exploratory research based on single toolExploratory research based on single tool –Loose focus of many elements of work –Development, rather than research Structure of paperStructure of paper –No clearly defined hypothesis –Background information too late in paper More information on competing productsMore information on competing products Too light identifying flawsToo light identifying flaws –Diagrams do not focus on a single example

18. Web Services Navigator 18 / 22 Discussion: The Application The application itselfThe application itself –Plug-in for Eclipse A tool for developersA tool for developers –Run time integration not detailed –Support for other development platforms? –Clock skew methods are well-worked –Light on the pattern extraction details Assumptions about execution patterns of WSAssumptions about execution patterns of WS

19. Web Services Navigator 19 / 22 Discussion: Visualizations Visualization techniquesVisualization techniques –Five views seem very complete –Transaction Flows view impractical Further development requiredFurther development required Isolating “exceptions” to patternsIsolating “exceptions” to patterns Execution view that visualizes time informationExecution view that visualizes time information –Time key to identifying performance issues

20. Web Services Navigator 20 / 22 Discussion: Information Statistical informationStatistical information –Visualizing other information: averages, standard deviations, etc. –Function usage, parameter usage Filtering transactions out of viewsFiltering transactions out of views

21. Web Services Navigator 21 / 22 Discussion: Testing Testing techniquesTesting techniques –Usability analysis? –Expert vs. Non-expert Usage –Usability of edge-based view

22. Web Services Navigator 22 / 22References De Pauw, W., Lei, M., Pring, E., Villard, L., Arnold, M., and Morar, J. F. 2005. Web services navigator: visualizing the execution of web services. IBM Syst. J. 44, 4 (Oct. 2005), 821-845. De Pauw, W., Krasikov, S., and Morar, J. F. 2006. Execution patterns for visualizing web services. In Proceedings of the 2006 ACM Symposium on Software Visualization (Brighton, United Kingdom, September 04 - 05, 2006). SoftVis '06. ACM Press, New York, NY, 37-45. DOI= http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1148493.1148499