Combined issue identifying analyzer and intelligent report generator

• US 20030154177A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Holland, Paul Edward, McDowell, Mark William, Carr, Adam Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/367,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154177A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/922 Computer program preparation

Abstract

A method is provided for auditing the configuration of an enterprise comprising the steps of: collecting information relating to the configuration of the enterprise, analyzing the configuration information based on expert knowledge; and providing the result of the analysis in the form of reports, and other results of the analyses.

Claims

1. A method of generating a variety of reports descriptive of issues arising in monitored nodes of an enterprise or group of nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

analyzing node-specific information derived from one or more nodes, guided by rules of analysis, to detect the presence of one or more issues;

presenting at least some issue identification information together with node identification information;

providing several report template and/or rule sets each set defining the organization and contents of a class of reports; and

using two or more of these report templates and/or rule sets as a guide, and also guided by enterprise, node group, and/or node information that includes at least some of said issue and node identification information, generating two or more reports that present the information arranged, summarized, and/or supplemented in ways that suit the specialized needs of different audiences.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 which includes the steps of providing at least one master report template and/or rule set directed to a particular audience and business need that includes varying combinations of subsidiary reports defined by other report templates and/or rule sets as well as introductory and explanatory information, and under its guidance generating at least one such master report.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the method includes the steps of

providing at least one management summary report template and/or rule set, and

under its guidance generating one or more management summary reports that indicate, in a readable format, the general state of the enterprise or group of nodes.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the method includes the steps of

providing at least one technical management summary report template and/or rule set, and

under its guidance generating one or more technical reports that list critical points in summary form.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the method includes the step of providing within at least one such technical management summary report, in addition to the list of critical points, statements of their degrees of criticality.

6. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the method includes the step of providing within at least one such technical management summary report, in addition to the list of critical points, cost estimates for their resolution.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the method includes the steps of

providing at least one technical detail report template and/or rule set, and

under its guidance generating one or more technical detail reports that state in detailed form at least some the specific issues for each of the nodes or group of nodes.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the method includes the step of providing within at least one such technical detail report at least some snippets of node-specific information as needed to clarify an issue.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the method includes the step of providing within at least one such technical detail report the motivation and/or the costs to address at least some issues.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the method includes the step of providing within at least one such technical detail report details relating to at least some issues.

11. A system that generates a variety of reports descriptive of issues arising in the monitored nodes of an enterprise or group of nodes, said system comprising:

several analyzers which, when presented with data derived from a node, and when exercised under the guidance of rules of analysis, analyze the node data and generate output data signaling the presence of one or more issues indicated by the analysis;

a harness which exercises at least some the analyzers, providing them during each exercise with data gathered from a different node or group of nodes, and that presents issue data generated by an analyzer together with data identifying the node or group of nodes where the issue originated, to thereby generate an issues database;

report templates and/or rule sets each defining the organization and contents of a class of reports; and

a report generator guided by two or more report templates and/or rule sets and by data retrieved from the issues database through the process of generating two or more reports that present the information arranged, summarized, and/or supplemented in ways that suit the specialized needs of different audiences.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 which further includes at least one master report template and/or rule set directed to a particular audience and business need that includes varying combinations of subsidiary reports defined by other templates and/or rule sets as well as introductory and explanatory information.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11 which further includes at least one management summary report template and/or rule set designed to be readable and to present the general state of the enterprise or group of nodes.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11 which further includes at least one technical management summary report template and/or rule set designed to list critical points in summary form.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14 in which at least one such technical management summary report, in addition to the list of critical points, contains statements of their degrees of criticality.

16. A system in accordance with claim 14 in which at least one such technical management summary report, in addition to the list of critical points, contains cost estimates.

17. A system in accordance with claim 11 which further includes at least one technical detail report template and/or rule set containing one or more technical detail reports capable of stating in detailed form at least some of the specific issues that may arise at each of the different nodes or group of nodes.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17 in which at least one such technical detail report contains at least some snippets of node-specific information as needed to clarify an issue that may arise.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17 in which at least one such technical detail report contains the motivations and/or the costs to address at least some of the issues that may arise.

20. A system in accordance with claim 17 in which at least one such technical detail report contains the details of at least some issues that may arise.

21. A system that generates a variety of reports descriptive of issues arising in the monitored nodes of an enterprise or group of nodes, said system comprising:

several analyzer means, designed to accept data derived from a node, for analyzing the node data, and for generating output data signaling the presence of one or more issues indicated by the analysis;

harness means for exercising at least some the analyzers, for providing them during each exercise with data gathered from a different node or group of nodes, and for presenting issue data generated by an analyzer together with data identifying the node or group of nodes where the issue originated, thereby generating an issues database;

report template and/or rule set means for defining the organization and contents of a class of reports; and

report generator means guided by two or more report templates and/or rule sets and by data retrieved from the issues database for generating two or more reports that present the information arranged, summarized, and/or supplemented in ways that suit the specialized needs of different audiences.