End to end component mapping and problem - solving in a network environment

• US 20030195961A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vijayan, Geetha, Olsson, Stig Arne, Breese, Stephen S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises providing input from probes, with the input including events generated by an application probe, and events generated by a component probe, and correlating the events. Another example of the solutions provided comprises representing components and events with structured identifiers, each having a limited number of parameters. Methods for end to end component mapping and problem—solving in a network environment, systems for executing such methods, and instructions on a computer-usable medium, for executing such methods, are provided.

Claims

1. A method for mapping, said method comprising:

identifying transaction steps involving at least one client—

server application;

identifying components associated with said steps;

providing input associated with said steps, from a plurality of probes, said input including;

at least one event generated by an application probe; and

at least one event generated by a component probe; and

correlating said events.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing problem—

solving efforts.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an opportunity to improve the performance of said at least one client—

server application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying components further comprises:

identifying application components; and

identifying infrastructure components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing input further comprises:

determining specifications to support the deployment of said probes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining specifications further comprises determining a plurality of specifications chosen from:

a resource specification;

a threshold value specification;

an event severity specification; and

an event class specification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

representing each of said components and each of said events with a structured identifier;

wherein each of said identifiers has a limited number of parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said representing further comprises employing a plurality of parameters chosen from:

depth;

component name;

parent component;

business process name;

criticality;

problem determination;

destination; and

service level agreement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately five parameters.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately six to eight parameters.

11. A method for mapping, said method comprising:

providing input from a plurality of probes, said input including;

at least one event generated by an application probe; and

at least one event generated by a component probe; and

correlating said events.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a component problem affecting a component, wherein;

said component problem is a cause of a performance problem affecting a user of a client—

server application; and

said component problem is associated with said events.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying said component problem'"'"'s impact on a business process that employs said component.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

representing said component and each of said events with a structured identifier;

wherein each of said identifiers has a limited number of parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said representing further comprises employing a plurality of parameters chosen from:

depth;

component name;

parent component;

business process name;

criticality;

problem determination;

destination; and

service level agreement.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately five parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately six to eight parameters.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

employing said identifiers to do one or more tasks chosen from;

inputting data;

storing data;

outputting data; and

relating an event to a corrective action.

19. A system for mapping, said system comprising:

means for providing input from a plurality of probes, said input including;

at least one event generated by an application probe; and

at least one event generated by a component probe; and

means for correlating said events.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for identifying a component problem affecting a component, wherein;

said component problem is a cause of a performance problem affecting a user of a client—

server application; and

said component problem is associated with said events.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for identifying said component problem'"'"'s impact on a business process that employs said component.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for representing said component and each of said events with a structured identifier;

wherein each of said identifiers has a limited number of parameters.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for representing further comprises means for employing a plurality of parameters chosen from:

depth;

component name;

parent component;

business process name;

criticality;

problem determination;

destination; and

service level agreement.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately five parameters.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately six to eight parameters.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for employing said identifiers to do one or more tasks chosen from;

inputting data;

storing data;

outputting data; and

relating an event to a corrective action.

27. A computer-usable medium having computer-executable instructions for mapping, said computer-executable instructions comprising:

means for providing input from a plurality of probes, said input including

at least one event generated by an application probe; and

at least one event generated by a component probe; and

means for correlating said events.

28. The computer-usable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

means for identifying a component problem affecting a component, wherein;

said component problem is a cause of a performance problem

affecting a user of a client—

server application; and

said component problem is associated with said events.

29. The computer-usable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

means for identifying said component problem'"'"'s impact on a business process that employs said component.

30. The computer-usable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

means for representing said component and each of said events with a structured identifier;

wherein each of said identifiers has a limited number of parameters.

31. The computer-usable medium of claim 30, wherein said means for representing further comprises means for employing a plurality of parameters chosen from:

depth;

component name;

parent component;

business process name;

criticality;

problem determination;

destination; and

service level agreement.

32. The computer-usable medium of claim 31, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately five parameters.

33. The computer-usable medium of claim 31, wherein each of said identifiers includes approximately six to eight parameters.

34. The computer-usable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

means for employing said identifiers to do one or more tasks chosen from;

inputting data;

storing data;

outputting data; and

relating an event to a corrective action.