Method for multidimensional visual correlation of systems management data displaying orchesteration action threshold

• US 20050198576A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Childress, Rhonda L., Pennell, Neil Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring the performance of a system. The mechanism of the present invention provides an interface in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate multiple layers of system performance data to an operator. An operator monitors this display of information and uses it to determine how to adjust the system to optimize system performance. This mechanism of the present invention provides immediate feedback to an operator by displaying a trail of metric points, wherein the metric points indicate the status of system performance over a period of time. In this manner, the display mechanism of the present invention immediately conveys to an operator whether the system is operating within predefined margins, the results of performance adjustments made to the system, as well as predictions or trends for the system.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring system performance and communicating acceptable parameters of system operation via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

obtaining system performance data to determine the current status of the system;

determining a display graphic;

calculating boundaries of acceptable system operation for the display graphic;

updating system performance status markers, which indicate system performance at particular points in time, based on the current status of the system; and

displaying the updated system performance status markers and the acceptable boundaries of system operation within a target-type management vector display, wherein the display includes regions representing levels of system performance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundaries are calculated using the contractual data in a service level agreement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contractual data is stored in an XML format.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the boundaries represent the service level agreement at a current time.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the boundaries of the service level agreement are changed according to predefined time periods.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the position of a system performance status marker in relation to the service level agreement boundaries indicate whether system performance adheres to the service level agreement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the system performance status markers indicated the status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the status markers includes highlighting a current system performance status marker and fading the remaining system performance status markers by at least one increment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundaries of system operation are based on orchestration action thresholds.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the orchestration action threshold boundaries change according to system resource demand.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein an automatic workflow correction is invoked to adjust system performance if the current system performance status marker is located outside of the orchestration action threshold boundaries.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining system performance data includes polling system data.

13. A system for monitoring system performance and communicating acceptable parameters of system operation via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

a graphical user interface;

a target-type management vector display within the graphical user interface, wherein the display includes regions representing levels of system performance, boundaries indicating acceptable system operation parameters, and system performance status markers identifying the status of system performance at a particular point in time.

14. A data processing system for monitoring system performance and communicating acceptable parameters of system operation via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining system performance data to determine the current status of the system;

determining means for determining a display graphic;

calculating means for calculating boundaries of acceptable system operation for the display graphic;

updating means for updating system performance status markers, which indicate system performance at particular points in time, based on the current status of the system; and

displaying means for displaying the updated system performance status markers and the acceptable boundaries of system operation within a target-type management vector display, wherein the display includes regions representing levels of system performance.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the boundaries are calculated using the contractual data in a service level agreement.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the contractual data is stored in an XML format.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the boundaries represent the service level agreement at a current time.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the boundaries of the service level agreement are changed according to predefined time periods.

19. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the position of a system performance status marker in relation to the service level agreement boundaries indicate whether system performance adheres to the service level agreement.

20. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the system performance status markers indicated the status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

21. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein updating the status markers includes highlighting a current system performance status marker and fading the remaining system performance status markers by at least one increment.

22. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the boundaries of system operation are based on orchestration action thresholds.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the orchestration action threshold boundaries change according to system resource demand.

24. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein an automatic workflow correction is invoked to adjust system performance if the current system performance status marker is located outside of the orchestration action threshold boundaries.

25. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein obtaining system performance data includes polling system data.

26. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for monitoring system performance and communicating acceptable parameters of system operation via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

first instructions for obtaining system performance data to determine the current status of the system;

second instructions for determining a display graphic;

third instructions for calculating boundaries of acceptable system operation for the display graphic;

fourth instructions for updating system performance status markers, which indicate system performance at particular points in time, based on the current status of the system; and

fifth instructions for displaying the updated system performance status markers and the acceptable boundaries of system operation within a target-type management vector display, wherein the display includes regions representing levels of system performance.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the boundaries are calculated using the contractual data in a service level agreement.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the contractual data is stored in an XML format.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the boundaries represent the service level agreement at a current time.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the boundaries of the service level agreement are changed according to predefined time periods.

31. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the position of a system performance status marker in relation to the service level agreement boundaries indicate whether system performance adheres to the service level agreement.

32. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the system performance status markers indicated the status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

33. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein updating the status markers includes highlighting a current system performance status marker and fading the remaining system performance status markers by at least one increment.

34. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the boundaries of system operation are based on orchestration action thresholds.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the orchestration action threshold boundaries change according to system resource demand.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein an automatic workflow correction is invoked to adjust system performance if the current system performance status marker is located outside of the orchestration action threshold boundaries.

37. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein obtaining system performance data includes polling system data.