Search for a ticket relevant to a current ticket

• US 10,257,055 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Feng, Li, Qi Cheng, Li, Shao Chun, Liu, Rong, Mei, Li Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Binh V
• Application Number:
  US14/876,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20170103128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 707769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 Trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for searching for a ticket relevant to a current ticket describing an incident, a system and a computer program product for the same. The method includes extracting a topology of a first application of a server system, the first application being indicated by the current ticket; selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology; and searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for searching for a ticket relevant to a current ticket describing an incident, comprising:

extracting a topology of a first application of a server system, the first application being indicated by the current ticket;

selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology; and

searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket,

wherein the selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology, comprises;

calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology, wherein the calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology comprises;

determining a corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application for each node in the topology of the first application;

calculating a distance between the each node, except for a node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application; and

calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application according to the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology further comprises:

selecting at least one candidate application, a similarity degree between which and the first application is greater than a first threshold, from the plurality of candidate applications, as the second application relevant to the first application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating a distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application comprises:

determining a first set including tickets related to the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application in tickets associated with the first application, a second set including tickets related to the corresponding node in tickets associated with the candidate application, a third set including tickets unrelated to the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application in tickets associated with the first application, and a fourth set including tickets unrelated to the corresponding node in tickets associated with the candidate application;

determining tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set, and tickets in the fourth set which are relevant to the tickets in the third set; and

calculating the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application according to a number of the tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set and a number of the tickets in the fourth set which are relevant to the tickets in the third set.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set, and tickets in the third set which are relevant to the tickets in the fourth set comprises:

calculating a distance between each ticket in the second set and each ticket in the first set;

determining a ticket in the second set as a ticket which is relevant to a ticket in the first set in response to a distance between the two tickets being less than a second threshold;

calculating a distance between each ticket in the third set and each ticket in the fourth set; and

determining a ticket in the fourth set as a ticket which is relevant to a ticket in the third set in response to a distance between the two tickets being less than a third threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second threshold is greater than the third threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application according to the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application comprises:

multiplying the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application by a weight for the each node, to obtain a weighted distance corresponding to the each node; and

calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application based on a sum of weighted distances corresponding to the respective nodes, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in the topology of the first application, a weight for a node which is indicated by the current ticket is greater than a weight for a node which is not indicated by the current ticket.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket comprising:

generating a replacement ticket by replacing names of at least one component included in the current ticket with names of corresponding components in the second application; and

searching the tickets associated with the second application for a ticket belonging to a same topic as the replacement ticket or a ticket having a similarity degree with the replacement ticket greater than a fourth threshold, as the ticket relevant to the current ticket.

9. A system for searching for a ticket relevant to a current ticket describing an incident, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors; and

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by at least one of the processors, performs the steps of a method comprising;

extracting a topology of a first application of a server system, the first application being indicated by the current ticket;

selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology; and

searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket,

wherein the selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system according to the topology, comprises;

calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology, wherein the calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology, comprises;

determining a corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application for each node in the topology of the first application;

calculating a distance between the each node, except for a node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application; and

calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application according to the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system according to the topology, further comprises:

selecting at least one candidate application, a similarity degree between which and the first application is greater than a first threshold, from the plurality of candidate applications, as the second application relevant to the first application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the calculating a distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application comprises:

determining a first set including tickets related to the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application in tickets associated with the first application, a second set including tickets related to the corresponding node in tickets associated with the candidate application, a third set including tickets unrelated to the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application in tickets associated with the first application, and a fourth set including tickets unrelated to the corresponding node in tickets associated with the candidate application;

determining tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set, and tickets in the fourth set which are relevant to the tickets in the third set; and

calculating the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application according to a number of the tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set and a number of the tickets in the fourth set which are relevant to the tickets in the third set.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining tickets in the second set which are relevant to the tickets in the first set, and tickets in the third set which are relevant to the tickets in the fourth set comprises:

calculating a distance between each ticket in the second set and each ticket in the first set;

determining a ticket in the second set as a ticket which is relevant to a ticket in the first set in response to a distance between the two tickets being less than a second threshold;

calculating a distance between each ticket in the third set and each ticket in the fourth set; and

determining a ticket in the fourth set as a ticket which is relevant to a ticket in the third set in response to a distance between the two tickets being less than a third threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second threshold is greater than the third threshold.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application according to the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application comprises:

multiplying the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application by a weight for the each node, to obtain a weighted distance corresponding to the each node; and

calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application based on a sum of weighted distances corresponding to the respective nodes, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein in the topology of the first application, a weight for a node which is indicated by the current ticket is greater than a weight for a node which is not indicated by the current ticket.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket comprising:

generating a replacement ticket by replacing names of at least one component included in the current ticket with names of corresponding components in the second application; and

searching the tickets associated with the second application for a ticket belonging to a same topic as the replacement ticket or a ticket having a similarity degree with the replacement ticket greater than a fourth threshold, as the ticket relevant to the current ticket.

17. A computer program product for searching for a ticket relevant to a current ticket describing an incident, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having thereon;

first program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to extract a topology of a first application of a server system, the first application being indicated by the current ticket;

second program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to select a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology; and

third program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to search tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket,

wherein executing the second program instructions by the processor to cause the processor to select a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology, comprises;

calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology, wherein the calculating a similarity degree between each candidate application and the first application according to the topology comprises;

determining a corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application for each node in the topology of the first application;

calculating a distance between the each node, except for a node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application; and

calculating the similarity degree between the candidate application and the first application according to the distance between the each node, except for the node corresponding to the first application, in the topology of the first application and the corresponding node in a topology of the candidate application.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology further comprises:

selecting at least one candidate application, a similarity degree between which and the first application is greater than a first threshold, from the plurality of candidate applications, as the second application relevant to the first application.