AT&T Labs Research — Leading Invention, Driving Innovation

A system and method for identifying computer system performance signatures and for identifying the cause of undesirable performance signatures, particularly with respect to both application-based and computer system-based parameters. Respective parametric information data is matched with corresponding parameters found in a stored plurality of reference signatures. If a match is found between the behavior of a computer system under study and a reference signature, the present invention provides information about the cause(s) of the reference signature, such that appropriate remedial measures can be taken. If a match is not found (according to predetermined matching rules), then the present invention may provide additional prompts to request additional information or test data such that the signature of computer system being tested can be further refined so that the signature of the target computer system might more closely match a reference signature