Statistical identification of instances during reconciliation process

• US 10,198,476 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Morozov, Vitaly, Humphrey, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen T
• Application Number:
  US15/072,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2462 Approximate or statistical queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions

Abstract

A system for reconciling object for a configuration management databases employs statistical rules to reduce the amount of manual identification required by conventional reconciliation techniques. As users manually identify matches between source and target datasets, statistical rules are developed based on the criteria used for matching. Those statistical rules are then used for future matching. A threshold value is adjusted as the statistical rules are used, incrementing the threshold value when the rule successfully matches source and target objects. If the threshold value exceeds a predetermined acceptance value, the system may automatically accept a match made by a statistical rule. Otherwise, suggestions of possibly applicable rules may be presented to a user, who may use the suggested rules to match objects, causing adjustment of the threshold value associated with the suggested rules used.

Claims

1. A method for reconciling a configuration management database comprising:

receiving a first configuration item from a source dataset, the first configuration item not comprising a new configuration item;

determining whether the first configuration item matches a second configuration item of a target dataset of the configuration management database based on application of a plurality of predefined rules;

responsive to a successful match based on application of the plurality of predefined rules, automatically marking the first configuration item as identified with the second configuration item; and

responsive to an unsuccessful match based on application of the plurality of predefined rules, marking the first configuration item for manual identification and generating a hint list, the hint list for display to a user to assist the user in a manual identification process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined rules are arranged in a priority order.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of predefined rules is a statistical rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hint list is ordered by a probability measure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hint list for display to a user includes the display of the probability measure.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating at least one of the plurality of predefined rules based on a user selection made during the manual identification process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in the absence of the step of updating, a third configuration item is marked for manual configuration, and in the presence of the step of updating, the third configuration item is automatically matched.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third configuration item is automatically matched due to a change in an identification probability threshold associated with one of the predefined rules.

9. A method comprising:

selecting a first configuration item from a source dataset in a configuration management database system;

determining that the first configuration item fails to match any configuration item contained in the configuration management database using identification rules,

determining whether the first configuration item matches a second configuration item of a target dataset of a configuration management database based on application of statistical rules; and

when no statistical rules exist or responsive to failure to match the first configuration item based on the application of the statistical rules;

receiving a manual identification of an item contained in the configuration management database from a user, and

generating a new statistical rule responsive to receiving the manual identification, the new statistical rule having a default threshold value that is below a predetermined acceptance value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the manual identification includes:

initiating display of configuration items in the configuration management database,

wherein manual identification occurs when the user selects one of the configuration items in the configuration management displayed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the new statistical rule includes:

comparing properties of the first configuration item and the item contained in the configuration management database,

determining which properties match; and

generating the rule based on the matching properties.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the new statistical rule further includes:

obtaining confirmation from the user that the matching properties were used in the manual identification.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a configuration management database having at least one target dataset of configuration items; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations including;

selecting a first configuration item from a source dataset,

determining whether the first configuration item matches a second configuration item of the target dataset of the configuration management database based on application of statistical rules relevant to the first configuration item,

responsive to a successful match based on the application of a statistical rule of the statistical rules, determining whether a threshold value associated with the statistical rule meets a predetermined acceptance value, and

responsive to determining the threshold value fails to meet the predetermined acceptance value;

receiving a manual identification from a user, and

adjusting the threshold value of the statistical rule responsive to receiving the manual identification.

14. The system of claim 13, the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to perform operations including:

initiating display of a hint list for the user for assisting the user in the manual identification.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the hint list includes statistical rules relevant to the first configuration item.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the hint list includes statistical rules relevant to the first configuration item ordered by respective threshold values.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein adjusting the threshold value responsive to receiving the manual identification includes:

incrementing the threshold value when the user uses the statistical rule to match the first configuration item with the second configuration item.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein adjusting the threshold value responsive to receiving the manual identification includes:

decrementing the threshold value when the user does not use the statistical rule to match the first configuration item with the second configuration item.

19. The system of claim 13, the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to perform operations including displaying a plurality of rules for the user in an order determined by respective associated threshold values for the plurality of rules.

20. The system of claim 13, the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to perform operations including:

responsive to determining that the threshold value meets a predetermined acceptance value, marking the first configuration item as identified with the second configuration item; and

incrementing the threshold value.