counting concurrent users...need advice.

[Fairlight]

Need advice on something.

Basically, I need a way to chart usage of fP in a concurrent user count
sense.  That's the short story.

It comes down to evaluating need for user licenses and how high a count one
should really have on a given server based on use.  Someone with multiple
load-balanced web servers running fP would very much like to know how
heavily they're getting used so they can accurately guage their needs.

Apache's logs are useless in this regard.  You know the start time, and
that's that.  You have no idea if the operation took 5 seconds or 50
seconds.  You also have no idea if the session used multiple concurrent
instances (SYSTEM from a table calling another fP program that uses a
seat).

I'm not a big fan of simply tossing money at things to ensure one never
comes up short.  Neither are most businesspeople.  

So, is there at least a moderately reasonable way to evaluate this issue?
Graphing should be easy if necessary...libgd is your friend.  The issue
is obtaining the data in the first place.  Is there -any- mechanism for
obtaining this data, actually?  Basically what's needed is a global user
count that's accessible externally, and can be polled.  Even better would
be some mechanism whereby fP could write out the latest maximum concurrent
user count with a date and time stamp whenever it exceeds its last maximum.
Just to toss out a couple ideas.

I'm open to suggestions that don't include, "Just buy the 128 user runtime
for each system and have done."

mark->
-- 
Fairlight->   ||| "Something has to change /         | Fairlight Consulting
  __/\__      ||| Undeniable dilemma / Boredom's not |
 <__<>__>     ||| a burden anyone should bear" --    | http://www.fairlite.com
    \/        ||| Tool                               | info at fairlite.com