Method and apparatus for time decay monitoring of application, network and system behavior

• US 20020073187A1
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rawson, Freeman Leigh III
• Application Number:
  US09/731,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/26 using dedicated tools for LAN [Local Area Network] management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus for time-decay monitoring of application, network and system behavior is provided. With the method and apparatus, a period at which management requests are sent from a management device to a managed system is varied based on a status of the managed system. While the managed system is operating normally or within specified parameters, the period is time-decayed so that it becomes longer until a maximum period is reached. If the managed system begins to operate irregularly or unexpectedly, the period is decreased so that the period becomes smaller until a minimum period is reached.

Claims

1. A method of managing a system, comprising:

determining a period for sending management information requests to the system;

sending a management information request to the system in accordance with the determined period; and

performing management of the system based on a response received from the system, wherein the period for sending the management information request is determined based on an operating status of the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a period for sending management information requests includes time-decaying the period if the operating status of the system is determined to be normal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a period for sending management information requests includes increasing the period by a decay amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be normal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a period for sending management information requests includes reducing the period by a boost amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be other than normal.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the decay amount is variable.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the boost amount is variable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating status of the system is determined based on a value of a predicate function.

8. The method of claim 8, wherein the steps of determining, sending and performing are performed by a specialized management thin server or server appliance.

9. An apparatus for managing a system, comprising:

determination means for determining a period for sending management information requests to the system;

sending means for sending management information requests to the system in accordance with the determined period; and

management means for performing management of the system based on the responses received from the system, wherein the period for sending the management information requests is determined based on an operating status of the system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determination means determines a period for sending management information requests by periodically increasing the period by a decay amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be normal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determination means determines a period for sending management information requests by periodically reducing the period by a boost amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be other than normal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the decay amount is variable.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the boost amount is variable.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operating status of the system is determined based on a value of a predicate function.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a management server appliance or thin server.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first instructions for determining a period for sending management information requests includes instructions for time-decaying the period if the operating status of the system is determined to be normal.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first instructions for determining a period for sending management information requests includes instructions for periodically increasing the period by a decay amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be normal.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first instructions for determining a period for sending management information requests includes instructions for periodically reducing the period by a boost amount if the operating status of the system is determined to be other than normal.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the decay amount is variable.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the boost amount is variable.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the operating status of the system is determined based on a value of a predicate function.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the system is one or more of a thin server and a server appliance.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program product is implemented in a management server appliance or thin server.

16. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing a system, comprising:

first instructions for determining a period for sending management information requests to the system;

second instructions for sending a management information request to the system in accordance with the determined period; and

third instructions for performing management of the system based on a response received from the system, wherein the period for sending the management information request is determined based on an operating status of the system.