Reporting of abnormal computer resource utilization data

• US 20050120111A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peter M.W. Poortman, Philip G. Bailey
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Philip G., Poortman, Peter M.W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence

Abstract

Identifying computer resource utilization issues includes accessing resource utilization data for a computer system for a particular period of time. The resource utilization data for the particular period of time is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on the computer system. The resource utilization data for the particular period of time includes measurements of a metric of operation of a component of the computer system. Each measurement is associated with a period of time. Statistical analysis is performed on the resource utilization data to identify a range of normal measurements for the metric for the particular period of time included in the resource utilization data. Measurements of the metric of the resource utilization data for the particular period of time are compared with the identified range of normal measurements to identify measurements that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying computer resource utilization issues, the method comprising:

accessing resource utilization data for a computer system for a particular period of time wherein;

the resource utilization data for the particular period of time is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on the computer system, and

the resource utilization data for the particular period of time includes measurements of a metric of operation of a component of the computer system, with each measurement being associated with a period of time;

performing statistical analysis on the resource utilization data to identify a range of normal measurements for the metric for the particular period of time included in the resource utilization data; and

comparing measurements of the metric of the resource utilization data for the particular period of time with the identified range of normal measurements to identify measurements that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a report that identifies measurements of the metric that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein generating a report comprises generating one or more charts that include indications of the identified range of normal measurements for the metric and the measurements of the metric.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing resource utilization data comprises accessing resource utilization data that is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on one or more computer systems and aggregated to produce resource utilization data for the one or more computer systems.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the report that identifies measurements of the metric that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements comprises generating reports indicating measurements that are outside of the corresponding ranges of normal measurements for only the computer systems on which those measurements occurred.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one measurement that is outside of the identified range of normal measurements represents failure of one or more computer applications running on the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing historical resource utilization data for a computer system wherein:

the historical resource utilization data is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on the computer system, and

the historical resource utilization data includes measurements of the metric, with each measurement being associated with a period of time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises performing statistical analysis on the historical resource utilization data to identify the range of normal measurements.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises identifying a range of measurements within a predetermined number of standard deviations from an average measurement of the metric for the particular period of time as the range of normal measurements for the metric for the particular period of time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises:

calculating predicted values of future measurements of the metric based on the historical resource utilization data; and

using the predicted values to identify the range of normal measurements of the metric for the particular period of time.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the resource utilization data comprises accessing the resource utilization data from a central server.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the resource utilization data comprises accessing the resource utilization data from the computer system.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the statistical analysis comprises performing the statistical analysis on a computer system that is separate from the computer system for which the resource utilization data is accessed.

14. A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon instructions for identifying computer resource utilization issues, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to:

access resource utilization data for a computer system for a particular period of time wherein;

the resource utilization data for the particular period of time is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on the computer system, and

the resource utilization data for the particular period of time includes measurements of a metric of operation of a component of the computer system, with each measurement being associated with a period of time;

perform statistical analysis on the resource utilization data to identify a range of normal measurements for the metric for the particular period of time included in the resource utilization data; and

compare measurements of the metric of the resource utilization data for the particular period of time with the identified range of normal measurements to identify measurements that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a report that identifies measurements of the metric that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein generating a report comprises generating one or more charts that include indications of the identified range of normal measurements for the metric and the measurements of the metric.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein accessing resource utilization data comprises accessing resource utilization data that is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on one or more computer systems and aggregated to produce resource utilization data for the one or more computer systems.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein generating the report that identifies measurements of the metric that are outside of the identified range of normal measurements comprises generating reports indicating measurements that are outside of the corresponding ranges of normal measurements for only the computer systems on which those measurements occurred.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein at least one measurement that is outside of the identified range of normal measurements represents failure of one or more computer applications running on the computer system.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to access historical resource utilization data for a computer system wherein:

the historical resource utilization data is based on resource utilization data collected while processes were running on the computer system, and

the historical resource utilization data includes measurements of the metric, with each measurement being associated with a period of time.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises performing statistical analysis on the historical resource utilization data to identify the range of normal measurements.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises identifying a range of measurements within a predetermined number of standard deviations from an average measurement of the metric for the particular period of time as the range of normal measurements for the metric for the particular period of time.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein performing statistical analysis comprises:

calculating predicted values of future measurements of the metric based on the historical resource utilization data; and

using the predicted values to identify the range of normal measurements of the metric for the particular period of time.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein accessing the resource utilization data comprises accessing the resource utilization data from a central server.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein accessing the resource utilization data comprises accessing the resource utilization data from the computer system.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein performing the statistical analysis comprises performing the statistical analysis on a computer system that is separate from the computer system for which the resource utilization data is accessed.