System and method providing high level network object performance information

• US 20050223264A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sapiro, Lee W., Zahavi, William Z., Arden, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US10/812,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20050223264A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus displays time-based alert information for network objects in a summary view. In another embodiment, a method and apparatus displays time-based alert information in a topographical map display. In a further embodiment, a method and apparatus displays time-based alert information in a graphical display for one or more network objects. In another embodiment, a method and apparatus displays time-based alert information in a graphical display for one or more network objects along with statistical bands. In a further embodiment, a method and apparatus displays time-based alert information in a graphical display with thresholds set with historical data.

Claims

1. A method of displaying alert information for objects in a network, comprising:

storing performance information for the network objects at predetermined time intervals;

determining at least one potential root cause of one or more triggers in the network; and

displaying a topographical network map including network objects associated with at least one of the one or more triggers.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including associating a first visual indicator with one or more of the displayed network objects associated with the at least one potential root cause.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including associating a second visual indicator with one or more objects that are identified as the potential root cause objects.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second visual indicator is associated with objects at a device level.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including displaying a first region for a first type of network object and a second region for a second type of network object.

6. The method according to claim 5, further including selecting the first and second regions from one or more of hosts, connectivity devices, and storage devices.

7. The method according to claim 6, further including visually identifying a first one of the plurality of cells that corresponds to configuration and trigger information for the map.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein certain ones of the displayed network objects are expandable to show devices associated therewith.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including displaying a list of devices associated with a selected one of the displayed network objects.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including displaying performance data for one or more of the listed devices.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including visually identifying a first one of the listed devices as a root cause.

12. The method according to claim 11, further including identifying the first one of the listed devices as the root cause based upon exceeding a threshold for the performance data metric.

13. The method according to claim 9, further including adding a selected one of the listed devices to the map.

14. The method according to claim 1, further including displaying expanded views of selected ones of the displayed objects.

15. The method according to claim 14, further including displaying expanded views of selected ones of the displayed objects including objects not associated with the triggers.

16. The method according to claim 1, further including displaying a hierarchical view of network objects.

17. The method according to claim 1, further including displaying a graph of performance data of a first metric for a first one of the displayed objects.

18. The method according to claim 17, further including displaying a threshold for the first metric.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including adjusting the threshold based upon user instruction via graphical user interaction.

20. The method according to claim 17, further including displaying the performance data over time.

21. The method according to claim 17, further including displaying the performance data for a period of time selected by a user.

22. The method according to claim 17, further including moving a slider to a desired time and synchronizing the map to a configuration at the desired time.

23. The method according to claim 17, further including displaying statistical bands about the performance data.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the statistical bands are defined by a statistical relationship to historical data.

25. The method according to claim 24, further including receiving a user selection of a time period for the historical data.

26. The method according to claim 23, further including defining the statistical bands by using standard deviations from historical data.

27. The method according to claim 26, further including defining the statistical bands as about 1.5 standard deviations from the historical data.

28. The method according to claim 26, further including defining the statistical bands as about 1.5 standard deviations plus or minus about ten percent.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the statistical bands are displayed for performance data of writes per second for a device.

30. The method according to claim 1, further including setting a threshold as a logical combination of a plurality of metrics.

31. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including program instructions for enabling displaying alert information for objects in a network by;

storing performance information for the network objects at predetermined time intervals;

determining at least one potential root cause of one or more alerts in the network; and

displaying a topographical network map including network objects associated with at least one of the one or more alerts.

32. The computer system according to claim 31, further including associating a first visual indicator with one or more of the displayed network objects associated with the at least one potential root cause.

33. The computer system according to claim 31, further including associating a second visual indicator with one or more objects that are identified as the potential root cause objects.

34. The computer system according to claim 33, wherein the second visual indicator is associated with objects at a device level.

35. The computer system according to claim 31, further including displaying a first region for a first type of network object and a second region for a second type of network object.

36. The computer system according to claim 31, further including displaying a plurality of cells corresponding to respective periods of time.

37. The computer system according to claim 36, further including visually identifying a first one of the plurality of cells that corresponds to configuration and alert information for the map.

38. The computer system according to claim 31, wherein certain ones of the displayed network objects are expandable to show devices associated therewith.

39. The computer system according to claim 31, further including displaying a list of devices associated with a selected one of the displayed network objects.

40. The computer system according to claim 39, further including displaying performance data for one or more of the listed devices.

41. The computer system according to claim 40, further including identifying a first one of the listed devices as a root cause.

42. The computer system according to claim 39, further including adding a selected one of the listed devices to the map.

43. The computer system according to claim 31, further including displaying a graph of performance data of a first metric for a first one of the displayed objects.

44. The computer system according to claim 43, further including displaying a threshold for the first metric.

45. The computer system according to claim 44, further including relocating the threshold based upon user instruction via graphical user interaction.

46. The computer system according to claim 43, further including displaying a graph of performance data for a metric selected by a user.

47. The computer system according to claim 46, further including displaying the performance data over time.

48. The computer system according to claim 43, further including displaying the performance data for a period of time selected by a user.

49. The computer system according to claim 43, further including moving a slider to a desired time and synchronizing the map to a configuration at the desired time.

50. The computer system according to claim 43, further including displaying statistical bands about the performance data.

51. The computer system according to claim 50, wherein the statistical bands are defined by a statistical relationship to historical data.

52. The computer system according to claim 50, further including defining the statistical bands by using standard deviations from historical data.

53. The computer system according to claim 50, further including defining the statistical bands as about 1.5 standard deviations plus or minus about ten percent.

54. The computer system according to claim 31, further including setting a threshold as a logical combination of a plurality of metrics.

55. An article, comprising:

a storage medium having stored instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

storing performance information for objects in a network at predetermined time intervals;

determining at least one potential root cause of one or more alerts in the network; and

displaying a topographical network map including network objects associated with the one or more alerts.

56. The article according to claim 55, further including displaying a first region for a first type of network object and a second region for a second type of network object.

57. The article according to claim 55, further including displaying a list of devices associated with a selected one of the displayed network objects.

58. The article according to claim 57, further including displaying performance data for one or more of the listed devices.

59. The article according to claim 58, further including identifying a first one of the listed devices as a root cause.

60. The article according to claim 55, further including displaying a graph of performance data of a first metric for a first one of the displayed objects.

61. The article according to claim 60, further including moving a slider to a desired time and synchronizing the map to a configuration at the desired time.

62. The article according to claim 55, further including displaying statistical bands about the performance data.

63. The article according to claim 55, further including setting a threshold as a logical combination of a plurality of metrics.