System and method of automatic information collection and problem solution generation for computer storage devices

• US 20030005362A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Jennifer J., Lenart, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing

Abstract

The present invention includes a system for and a method of a support system which includes an information manager to gather performance information and error condition-related information from a computer product which is sent by the information manager electronically to a support server. The support server, working with an associated database, attempts to solve the underlying error present in the computer product by analyzing the information received, comparing the information to a database containing previously reported error related information and identification of a proposed solution or corrective action from the database. This proposed solution, or corrective action is then sent to the information manager.

Claims

1. A support system comprising:

an information manager within a storage device configured to collect performance information and embed said performance information of said storage device into an error message;

a support server configured to receive said error message from said information manager and analyze said performance information; and

a database configured to maintain a history of previous performance information and at least one corresponding corrective solution wherein said support server uses said history to identify a proposed one of said at least one solution and communicates said proposed solution to said information manager.

2. The support system of claim 1 wherein said information manager is a remote management card within said storage device.

3. The support system of claim 1 wherein said error message is written in Extensible Markup Language.

5. The support system of claim 1 wherein said support server is configured to search said database to identify matching performance information and send said solution associated to said performance information to said information manager as said proposed solution.

6. The support system of claim 1 wherein said support server is configured to send a message to support personnel if said performance information received from said information manager does not correspond to performance information contained in said database.

7. The support system of claim 1 further comprising:

a database update logic configured to update said performance information and said at least one solution in said database to include performance information received from said information manager and corresponding said at least one solution.

4. The support system of claim l wherein said support server receives said error message via the Internet.

8. A method of identifying proposed solutions to correct an error condition within a storage device, said method comprising the steps of:

gathering error condition-related information of said storage device;

embedding said error condition-related information into an electronic message;

transmitting said electronic message to a remote support server; and

identifying at said remote support server a proposed solution to an error that corresponds to said error condition-related information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of gathering error condition-related information further comprises at least one of the group of-.

sensing parameters of said storage device and reading information from an internal log.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of embedding said error condition-related information further comprises formatting said information in an Extensible Markup Language.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of communication further comprises transmitting said electronic message on the Internet.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

communicating identified proposed solutions from said remote server via said Internet to said storage device.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of identifying a proposed solution to said error further comprises a step of comparing said error condition-related information to error information contained in a database.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of:

communicating said proposed solution to a remote management card in said storage device that exhibits an error corresponding to said error condition-related information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of communicating further comprises transmission of an electronic message to said remote management card.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of communicating further comprises providing an electronic message to a user of said computer product.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of automatically recognizing an error condition further comprises sensing parameters with said computer storage device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of gathering error condition-related information further comprises performing at least one of the group of:

sensing parameters of said storage device and reading information from an internal log.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of embedding said error condition-related information uses Extensible Markup Language.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

communicating identified ones of said proposed solutions from said remote location to said computer storage device.

17. A method of automatically identifying a solution to an error condition comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing, without manual intervention, an error condition within a computer storage device;

gathering error condition-related information;

embedding said error condition-related information into an electronic message;

communicating said electronic message to a support server remote from said computer storage device; and

identifying at a remote location a proposed solution to an error which corresponds to said error condition-related information.