System and method for achieving autonomic computing self-healing, utilizing meta level reflection and reasoning

• US 20050188285A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig William, Ibrahim, Mamdouh
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0706 the processing taking place on a specific hardware platform or in a specific software environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises: under control of a base level, detecting an error in a production environment; and providing data about the error to a meta level; under control of the meta level, analyzing the data, using knowledge of base-level computational components; choosing a solution for the error; and implementing the solution at the base level.

Claims

1. A method of handling errors, said method comprising:

under control of a base level,

detecting an error in a production environment; and

providing data about said error to a meta level;

under control of said meta level,

analyzing said data, using knowledge of base-level computational components;

choosing a solution for said error; and

implementing said solution at said base level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing said base level to perform computation in said production environment; and

utilizing said meta level to perform computation concerning behavior of said base-level computational components.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on said choosing, passing a recommendation to said base level;

said recommendation including a signal to implement said solution.

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

applying at least one rule to said data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said analyzing further comprises applying a rule for control of at least one component at said base level; and

said implementing further comprises controlling said at least one component.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing said base level and said meta level on the same computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing said base level and said meta level on separate computers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing said base level on a plurality of computers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing said solution further comprises one or more actions chosen from

managing memory;

connecting to an alternative database;

terminating an application;

and starting an application.

10. A method of handling errors, said method comprising:

providing a base level for computation in a production environment;

providing a meta level for computation concerning behavior of base-level computational components; and

developing an application having a self-healing capability, employing said base level and said meta level.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting an error in said production environment;

performing reification to said meta level;

performing introspection at said meta level, in response to said reification;

performing reversion to said base level, based upon results of said introspection;

implementing at said base level a solution for said error.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said employing a base level further comprises

detecting an error in said production environment;

and

in response to said error, invoking said self-healing capability.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said employing a meta level further comprises

gathering data concerning an error in said production environment;

choosing a solution for said error; and

implementing said solution by influencing said base-level computational components.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

implementing said base level and said meta level on the same computer;

wherein said meta level is a logical concept.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

implementing said base level and said meta level on separate computers.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

implementing said base level on a plurality of computers.

17. A system of handling errors, said system comprising:

means for detecting an error in a production environment;

means for performing reification to a meta level;

means for performing introspection at said meta level, in response to said reification;

means for performing reversion to a base level, based upon results of said introspection;

means for implementing at said base level a solution for said error.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said means for performing introspection further comprises:

means for applying at least one rule to said data

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

said means for performing introspection further comprises means for applying a rule for control of at least one component at said base level; and

said means for implementing further comprises means for controlling said at least one component.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level and said meta level on the same computer;

wherein said meta level is a logical concept.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level and said meta level on separate computers.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level on a plurality of computers.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said means for implementing further comprises means for performing one or more actions chosen from

managing memory;

connecting to an alternative database;

terminating an application;

and starting an application.

24. A computer-usable medium, having computer-executable instructions for handling errors, said computer-usable medium comprising:

means for detecting an error in a production environment;

means for performing reification to a meta level;

means for performing introspection at said meta level, in response to said reification;

means for performing reversion to a base level, based upon results of said introspection;

means for implementing at said base level a solution for said error.

25. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, wherein said means for performing introspection further comprises:

means for applying at least one rule to said data

26. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, wherein:

said means for performing introspection further comprises means for applying a rule for control of at least one component at said base level; and

said means for implementing further comprises means for controlling said at least one component.

27. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level and said meta level on the same computer;

wherein said meta level is a logical concept.

28. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level and said meta level on separate computers.

29. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

means for implementing said base level on a plurality of computers.

30. The computer-usable medium of claim 24, wherein said means for implementing further comprises means for performing one or more actions chosen from managing memory;

connecting to an alternative database;

terminating an application;

and starting an application.