Autonomic management of autonomic systems

• US 20050044209A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaminsky, David L., Doyle, Ronald P., Ogle, David M., Telford, Richard Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method for the autonomic management of autonomic systems can include monitoring a managed system and recommending a course of action to be performed in the managed system. It can be determined whether the recommended course of action has been performed by an administrator. Responsive to the determination, it further can be determined whether an outcome from the course of action comports with a predicted outcome. If so, a point count can be changed responsive to a further determination that the outcome from the course of action comports with the predicted outcome. Conversely, the point count can be oppositely changed responsive to a further determination that the outcome from the course of action does not comports with the predicted outcome. In any case, when the point count crosses a threshold value, the management of the managed system can be transitioned to an adaptive component.

Claims

1. A system for the autonomic management of autonomic systems comprising:

a manual management process and an autonomic management process, each of said manual and autonomic management processes having a configuration for recommending courses of action responsive to monitoring the operation of a managed system;

a data structure coupled to said manual and autonomic management processes and configured for storing an indicator reflecting a level of trust of decision making by said manual and autonomic management processes; and

,

a transition process coupled to said data structure and programmed to empower a selected one of said manual and autonomic management process to manage said managed system based upon said data structure containing an indicator which exceeds a threshold level.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hysterisis smoothing function coupled to said transition process and programmed to prevent a hysterisis condition in empowering said selected one of said manual and autonomic management process when said point count remains proximate to said threshold value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said manual management process comprises a predictive level of autonomic management and said autonomic management process comprises an adaptive level of autonomic management.

4. A method for the autonomic management of autonomic systems, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a managed system and recommending a course of action to be performed in said managed system;

determining whether said recommended course of action has been performed by an administrator and responsive to said determination, further determining whether an outcome from said course of action comports with a predicted outcome;

changing a point count responsive to a further determination that said outcome from said course of action comports with said predicted outcome, and oppositely changing said point count responsive to a further determination that said outcome from said course of action does not comports with said predicted outcome; and

,

when said point count crosses a threshold value, transitioning management of said managed system to an adaptive component.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of when said point count re-crosses said threshold value in a direction opposite a direction which gave rise to said transitioning step, returning management of said managed system to a predictive component.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said transitioning step comprises the steps of:

detecting a crossing of said threshold value in a changing of said point count;

smoothing changes in said point count to avoid a hysterisis condition; and

,

permitting said transition step only when said hysterisis condition has been avoided.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of requesting permission from an administrator prior to returning management of said managed system to said predictive component.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of forbidding a transition to said adaptive component by setting said threshold value to a de facto infinite value.

9. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for the autonomic management of autonomic systems, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

monitoring a managed system and recommending a course of action to be performed in said managed system;

determining whether said recommended course of action has been performed by an administrator and responsive to said determination, further determining whether an outcome from said course of action comports with a predicted outcome;

changing a point count responsive to a further determination that said outcome from said course of action comports with said predicted outcome, and oppositely changing said point count responsive to a further determination that said outcome from said course of action does not comports with said predicted outcome; and

,

when said point count crosses a threshold value, transitioning management of said managed system to an adaptive component.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further comprising the step of when said point count re-crosses said threshold value in a direction opposite a direction which gave rise to said transitioning step, returning management of said managed system to a predictive component.

11. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein said transitioning step comprises the steps of:

detecting a crossing of said threshold value in a changing of said point count;

smoothing changes in said point count to avoid a hysteresis condition; and

,

permitting said transition step only when said hysterisis condition has been avoided.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 10, further comprising the step of requesting permission from an administrator prior to returning management of said managed system to said predictive component.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further comprising the step of forbidding a transition to said adaptive component by setting said threshold value to a de facto infinite value.