Alert processing

• US 20040246120A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Dyer, Daniel J., Benner, Bradley A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,980,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A system for processing alerts receives alerts from managed elements on different specific transport mechanisms. An interpreter converts alerts in different specific formats to a system format. A notifier notifies a user about the alert in a user identified manner. The system is modular in that functions may be added as components which are available to multiple modules. Managed elements may be queried to determine new types of alerts, and the state of an element. Further, multiple events may be correlated to determine the state of an element.

Claims

1. A method of processing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving an alert;

translating the alert to a system format; and

notifying a user about the alert in a user identified manner.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising correlating alerts to determine the meaning of unknown states alerts.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the alert is received from a managed element, and further comprising querying the managed element.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the managed element is queried to determine the alerts supported.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the managed element is queried to determine its state.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising interpreting the alert.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identified manner is email or pager.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identified manner comprises a format.

9. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to perform a method of processing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving an alert;

translating the alert to a standard format;

interpreting the alert; and

notifying a user about the alert in a user identified manner.

10. A system for processing alerts, the system comprising:

a receiver that provides the ability to receive alerts on different specific transport mechanisms;

an interpreter that converts alerts received in different specific formats to a system format; and

a notifier that notifies a user about the alert in a user identified manner.

11. A modular system for processing alerts, the system comprising:

a receiver interface designed for coupling to multiple receiver plug-ins that provide the ability to receive alerts on different specific transport mechanisms;

an interpreter interface designed for coupling to multiple interpreter plug-ins that convert received alerts in different specific formats to a system format; and

a delivery interface designed for coupling to multiple delivery plug-ins that deliver alerts to a user in a user identified manner.

12. The modular system of claim 11 and further comprising:

an action interface designed for coupling to multiple action plug-ins for providing knowledge of specific operations and how to invoke them.

13. The modular system of claim 11 and further comprising an alert discovery and signature correlation component that queries devices coupled to the modular system.

14. The modular system of claim 11 and further comprising a format interface designed for coupling to multiple format plug-ins to customize alerts prior to delivery to users.

15. The modular system of claim 11 and further comprising an alert processor router coupled to the interfaces.

16. The modular system of claim 15 and further comprising a repository coupled to the alert processor router.

17. A method of modifying a modular alert processor, the method comprising:

registering a new component with its associated functional interface;

passing registration information from the functional interface to a component registration module; and

storing the extension information in a repository to facilitate association of the components with received alerts.

18. A method of processing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving an alert from a managed device representative of an event;

passing the alert from a receiver interface to an interpreter interface;

translating the passed alert into a common internal alert format;

passing the translated alert to a policy manager;

inspecting the alert to determine if rules are associated with the translated alert;

if an action is selected for the alert, passing alert and action information to an action interface for invocation of a component to perform the action; and

if a user has subscribed for notification of events, determining a preferred notification method and format and invoking notification format and delivery interfaces.

19. A method of processing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving an alert from a managed device representative of an event;

passing the alert from a receiver interface to an interpreter interface;

passing an unrecognized alert to an alert signature correlation module;

querying the managed device to match its state with a known event category;

passing an internal system alert to the interpreter;

inspecting the alert to determine if rules are associated with the translated alert;

if an action is selected for the alert, passing alert and action information to an action interface for invocation of a component to perform the action; and

if a user has subscribed for notification of events, determining a preferred notification method and format and invoking notification format and delivery interfaces.

20. The method of claim 19 and further comprising updating a repository.

21. A method of processing alerts in an alert processing system, the method comprising:

discovering a new device coupled to the alert processing system;

determining that an event model on the new device is not currently known by the alert processing system;

querying the new device for supported alerts; and

updating an alert processing system repository with the supported alerts.

22. The method of claim 21 and further comprising notifying users of the newly discovered alerts.

23. A method of processing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving an alert from a managed device representative of an event;

passing the alert from a receiver interface to an interpreter interface;

translating the passed alert into a common internal alert format;

passing the translated alert to a policy manager;

inspecting the alert to determine if rules associated with the translated alert requires event correlation;

considering the current alert as well as previously received alerts; and

if a pattern of alerts matches some known correlated event, generating a new consolidated event.

24. The method of claim 23 and further comprising passing the new consolidated event to a policy manager.

25. The method of claim 24 and further comprising:

inspecting the alert to determine if rules are associated with the translated alert;

if an action is selected for the alert, passing alert and action information to an action interface for invocation of a component to perform the action; and

if a user has subscribed for notification of events, determining a preferred notification method and format and invoking notification format and delivery interfaces.