Method for implementing device operations based on device status information stored in a central location

• US 20040015241A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, William A., Muirhead, Richard William, Reddington, Francis Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23443 Upon detected function changes of remote device, activate proper local program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25209 Device status answer, response, acknowledge
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that can operate and transmit current device status information to a storage location. In this system, there is a can be a central storage location of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. The storage location can also be distributed and in one or more remote locations. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. This status change will be recorded in the location storage. The present invention provides for the creation of sets of instructions to enable the initiation of operations by devices in response to a set of current statuses of one or more devices. Each workflow routine will be based on a set device statuses. This set of device statuses can be referred as a device scenario. When a status of a device changes, there will be check of the statuses of the devices in the scenario to determine if the scenario conditions for the workflow have been met. When the conditions have been met, the workflow routine will be initiated and perform a set of instructions which could lead to the initiating of some activity by one or more devices in the network.

Claims

1. A method for initiating routines that control device activities on a system based on device status information stored in a central location comprising the steps of:

defining a condition in which the operation of a device is to be automatically controlled;

defining a set of one or more devices that will have status data that will impact the defined condition;

defining a set of attributes for each of the set of defined devices that will be used to impact the defined condition;

determining when the defining condition has been met; and

initializing one or more routines to effect the operation of one or devices in the network.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the step of determining when the defining condition has been met further comprises the steps of:

detecting a change in the status of one of the devices in the defined set of devices; and

determining whether the status change of device creates a set of device statuses that match the defined set of devices statuses.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising before the step of determining when the defining condition has been met, the step of recording each status change of a defined device.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the status changes are based on the set of defined device attributes.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said routine initializing step comprises initializing a set of instructions that controls the operations of a defined device on the system.

6. The method as described in claim 3 wherein said status recording step further comprises the steps of:

installing a device on a monitoring system that has a centralized status manager and storage location, said device being one of a plurality of devices on the monitoring system;

receiving at the centralized manager a status change notification from one of the devices on the system;

identifying the specific device on the system that transmitted the status change notification; and

storing the status change information in the storage location for that specific device.

7. The method as described in claim 6 wherein said installation step further comprises the steps of identifying device attributes that will impact a change in the status of the device and creating a storage record for the device based on the identified device attributes.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein a status change notification step further comprises the step of compiling the status change notification message, which will include the current status of each designated device attribute.

9. The method as described in claim 6 further comprising after said storing step, the step of updating the presently stored status information for the device transmitting the status change notification.

10. The method as described in claim 9 wherein said stored status information comprises the past statuses of the device.

11. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for initiating routines that control device activities on a system based on device status information stored in a central location comprising:

instructions for defining a condition in which the operation of a device is to be automatically controlled;

instructions for defining a set of one or more devices that will have status data that will impact the defined condition;

instructions for defining a set of attributes for each of the set of defined devices that will be used to impact the defined condition;

instructions for determining when the defining condition has been met; and

instructions for initializing one or more routines to effect the operation of one or devices in the network.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the step of determining when the defining condition has been met further comprises instructions for:

detecting a change in the status of one of the devices in the defined set of devices; and

determining whether the status change of device creates a set of device statuses that match the defined set of devices statuses.

13. The computer program product as described in claim 11 further comprising before the instructions for determining when the defining condition has been met, instructions for recording each status change of a defined device.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein said routine initializing instructions for comprise instructions for initializing a set of instructions that controls the operations of a defined device on the system.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein said status recording instructions further comprise:

instructions for installing a device on a monitoring system that has a centralized status manager and storage location, said device being one of a plurality of devices on the monitoring system;

instructions for receiving at the centralized manager a status change notification from one of the devices on the system;

instructions for identifying the specific device on the system that transmitted the status change notification; and

instructions for storing the status change information in the storage location for that specific device.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein said installation instructions further comprise the instructions for identifying device attributes that will impact a change in the status of the device and creating a storage record for the device based on the identified device attributes.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 16 wherein a status change notification step further comprises instructions for compiling the status change notification message, which will include the current status of each designated device attribute.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising after said storing instructions, the instructions for updating the presently stored status information for the device transmitting the status change notification.

19. A method for initiating routines that control device activities on a system based on device status information stored in a central location comprising the steps of:

defining a condition in which the operation of a device is to be automatically controlled;

defining a set of one or more devices that will have status data that will impact the defined condition;

defining a set of attributes for each of the set of defined devices that will be used to impact the defined condition;

determining when the defining condition has been met; and

initializing one or more routines to affect the operational activities on a system wherein the operational history of a device on the system is recorded.

20. The method as described in claim 19 wherein the step of determining when the defining condition has been met further comprises the steps of:

detecting a change in the status of one of the devices in the defined set of devices; and

determining whether the status change of device creates a set of device statuses that match the defined set of devices statuses.

21. The method as described in claim 19 further comprising before the step of determining when the defining condition has been met, the step of recording each status change of a defined device.

22. The method as described in claim 21 wherein the status changes are based on the set of defined device attributes.

23. The method as described in claim 19 wherein said routine initializing step comprises initializing a set of instructions that controls the operations of a defined device on the system.

24. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said status recording step further comprises the steps of:

installing a device on a monitoring system that has a centralized status manager and storage location, said device being one of a plurality of devices on the monitoring system;

receiving at the centralized manager a status change notification from one of the devices on the system;

identifying the specific device on the system that transmitted the status change notification; and

storing the status change information in the storage location for that specific device.

25. The method as described in claim 24 wherein said installation step further comprises the steps of identifying device attributes that will impact a change in the status of the device and creating a storage record for the device based on the identified device attributes.

26. The method as described in claim 25 wherein a status change notification step further comprises the step of compiling the status change notification message, which will include the current status of each designated device attribute.

27. The method as described in claim 24 further comprising after said storing step, the step of updating the presently stored status information for the device transmitting the status change notification.

28. The method as described in claim 27 wherein said stored status information comprises the past statuses of the device.