SBHttpStat: Http Statistics

(c) 2005 Scott M Baker, smbaker@sb-software.com


What does it do?

SBHttpStat is designed to repeatedly poll a http server and calculate latency and throughput statistics. It's primary use is to determine how fast a given server responds to requests and/or how quickly it can send out the data.

How do I use it?

All you need to do is enter in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator, i.e. a http address) and press the <Run> button. Everything should be automatic from there. Make sure the URL you enter is fully qualified -- it must start with HTTP://. A good example is http:/.www.google.com/index.html -- this is the address of my web site.

For reasonably accurate throughput statistics, you need to enter the URL for a large file (i.e. 64K or greater). You can use any file on the web site, i.e. a large image or a zip file will work just as well as an html document.

How do I interpret the results?

SBHttpStat will repeatedly request the file you entered, and will calculate latency and throughput. These statistics are defined as follows:

Latency: The amount of time it takes your machine to send the request, the server to acknowledge and send a response, and the response to reach your computer. This is also referred to as Round Trip Time (RTT). Lower values are better.

Throughput: The number of bytes that can be transmitted per second. Higher values are better.

It should be noted that in any case, the link between you and the server may be a limiting factor. For example, if you're on a 33.6kbaud modem link, then you're probably going to get around 3000Bps for binary data. This mainly affects the throughput statistics; Latency should be fairly reliable.

I have included a file called NULLFILE.DAT. It is 256k in size and is composed entirely of NULLs (i.e. "0" bytes). Since this file can be very highly compressed, it can be transmitted across a modem link very quickly. Thus, you can upload NULLFILE.DAT to your http site, and by using it as your URL, you can factor out some of the limits of your modem connection and get more accurate results.

Is this program Shareware? How do I register?

This program is free for all noncommercial use. For commercial use, please contact me at smbaker@sb-software.com, or write me at the following address:

Scott Baker
2241 W Labriego
Tucson, Az 85741

If you do find this program useful, then please do consider sending me a donation to help me continue my efforts.

Where can I get a new version?

You can find it on the sbhttpstat web page at:

http://www.sb-software.com/sbhttp/sbhttp.html

 

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