Remote monitoring

• US 20020169871A1
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Automatos, Inc. (Automatos Participações SA)
• Original Assignee: Automatos, Inc. (Automatos Participações SA)
• Inventors: Filho, Nelson Alves da Silva, Cravo de Almeida, Marcio, Villela, Agostinho de Arruda, Araujo da Fosenca, Andre, Salim da Silva, Marcelo
• Application Number:
  US09/853,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks

Abstract

A method includes automatically and repeatedly collecting data indicative of an operating state of a machine and automatically transmitting information related to the collected data to a location remote from the machine. The information is transmitted in the form of electronic mail messages complying with a standard electronic mail messaging protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) automatically and repeatedly collecting data indicative of an operating state of a machine, and

(b) automatically transmitting information related to the collected data to a location remote from the computer in the form of electronic mail messages complying with a standard electronic mail messaging protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 also including:

(a) receiving the electronic mail messages at computer, and

(b) analyzing the information at the computer to derive performance measures.

3. The method of claim 2 also including

(a) generating a report embodying the performance measures, and

(b) making the report available electronically.

4. The method of claim 3 in which

(a) the report comprises a natural language document expressed in a natural language format.

5. The method of claim 3 in which the report is made available on a web site.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the machine comprises a network server, desktop computer, or an intelligent appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the standard electronic mail messaging protocol comprises a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the collected data includes a time-ordered sequence of performance measurements taken at fixed time intervals.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the collected data includes measurements of at least one of CPU usage, process queue length, memory usage, memory paging rate, disk usage, network usage, paging space occupancy, file system occupancy, and process resource usage.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the information related to the collected data is compressed and encrypted for inclusion in the electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the collected data is collected from at least one of:

a registry, a system call, a virtual file system, a virtual device, and an input/output control call to a device.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 in which the computer comprises a network server.

14. The article of claim 12, in which the standard electronic mail messaging protocol comprises a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

15. The article of claim 12, in which the collected data includes a time-ordered sequence of performance measurements taken at fixed time intervals.

16. The article of claim 12, in which the collected data includes measurements of at least one of CPU usage, process queue length, memory usage, memory paging rate, disk usage, network usage, paging space occupancy, file system occupancy, and process resource usage.

17. The article of claim 12, in which the information related to the collected data is compressed and encrypted for inclusion in the electronic mail message.

18. The article of claim 12, in which the collected data is collected from at least one of:

a registry, a system call, a virtual file system, a virtual device, and an input/output control call to a device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

(a) extracting the information from the electronic mail messages.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising generating a natural language report based on the analysis.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating an electronic mail message that includes the report; and

transmitting the electronic mail message over a network.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the collected data includes at least one time ordered sequence of performance measurements and wherein:

analyzing the collected data includes comparing at least some of the collected data with a corresponding threshold value to determine whether the performance measurements are within a range of acceptable values.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the performance report includes:

selecting an information item based on the comparison of the performance measurement; and

adding the selected information item to the performance report.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein:

analyzing the collected data includes determining the number of performance measurements that are within the range of acceptable values; and

selecting the information item is further based on the number of performance measurements that are within the range of acceptable values.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the item of information includes a natural language sentence.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the item of information includes at least one of a measurement value or the threshold value.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein at least part of the natural language sentence is enhanced to draw attention to the sentence.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the part of the natural language sentence is enhanced by at least one of bold typeface, italicized typeface, colored typeface, underlining, and a different font size.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the item of information includes a graphical display.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein at least part of the natural language sentence is a hyperlink to more detailed information about a section of the sequence of performance measurements.

12. An article comprising a machine readable medium on which are tangibly stored machine-executable instructions for monitoring a machine, the instructions being operable to cause a machine to:

(a) automatically and repeatedly collect data indicative of an operating state of the machine, and

(b) automatically transmit information related to the collected data to a location remote from the machine in the form of electronic mail messages complying with a standard electronic mail messaging protocol.

19. A method comprising

(a) automatically and repeatedly receiving electronic mail messages that include information related to remotely collected data indicative of a performance of a machine, the electronic mail messages complying with a standard electronic mail messaging protocol, and

(b) automatically analyzing the information to determine the performance of the machine.

32. An article comprising a machine readable medium on which are tangibly stored machine-executable instructions for monitoring a remote machine, the instructions being operable to cause a machine to:

(a) automatically and repeatedly receive electronic mail messages that include information related to remotely collected data indicative of a performance of the remote machine, the electronic mail messages complying with a standard electronic mail messaging protocol, and

(b) automatically analyze the information to determine the performance of the remote machine.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

(a) extract the information from the electronic mail messages.

34. The article of claim 33 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a natural language report based on the analysis.

35. The article of claim 32, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

generate an electronic mail message that includes the report; and

transmit the electronic mail message over a network.

36. The article of claim 32, wherein the collected data includes at least one time ordered sequence of performance measurements and wherein:

analyzing the collected data includes comparing at least some of the performance measurements with a corresponding threshold value to determine whether the performance measurements are within a range of acceptable values.

37. The article of claim 36, wherein generating the performance report includes:

selecting an information item based on the comparison of the performance measurement; and

adding the selected information item to the performance report.

38. The article of claim 36 wherein:

analyzing the collected data includes determining the number of performance measurements that are within the range of acceptable values; and

selecting the information item is further based on the number of performance measurements that are within the range of acceptable values.

39. The article of claim 36 wherein the item of information includes a natural language sentence.

40. The article of claim 39 wherein the item of information includes at least one of a measurement value or the threshold value.

41. The article of claim 39 wherein at least part of the natural language sentence is enhanced to draw attention to the sentence.

42. The article of claim 41 wherein the part of the natural language sentence is enhanced by at least one of bold typeface, italicized typeface, colored typeface, underlining, and a different font size.

43. The article of claim 36 wherein the item of information includes a graphical display.

44. The article of claim 39 wherein at least part of the natural language sentence is a hyperlink to more detailed information about a section of the sequence of performance measurements.