Method, apparatus and program storage device for extending dispersion frame technique behavior using dynamic rule sets

• US 20050278570A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yardley, Brent W., Jastad, Michael A., Phelan, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing control of statistical processing of error data over a multitude of sources using a dynamically modifiable DFT rule set is disclosed. The dispersion frame technique is extended in the present invention to provide dispersion frame rules with user-defined parameters thereby creating a dynamically modifiable rule set.

Claims

1. A method for providing error data processing having user-defined parameters, comprising:

applying user-defined error thresholds to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules;

processing error events;

storing information related to the processed error events; and

determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing error events comprises:

detecting a plurality of errors from a source; and

calculating a time period between the plurality of errors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the storing information related to the processed error events further comprises storing information related to the plurality of errors and the time periods between the plurality of errors.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied further comprises comparing a number of detected errors and the time period between the plurality of errors to the user-definable error threshold rules.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information comprises determining that the detected plurality of errors satisfies a user-defined error dispersion index number, wherein the error dispersion index is the number of errors in half of the time period between errors of the same type.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising reaching the user-defined error dispersion index number a user-defined number times consecutively in the same period of time between errors of the same type.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising satisfying the user-defined error dispersion index number a user-defined number of times consecutively in two successive dispersion frames.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the plurality of errors comprises processing errors occurring within a user-defined time frame and identifying the errors as one error when an error rate based on the calculated time period between the plurality of errors satisfies a user-definable error threshold rule.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a warning when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the warning is of a particular type based on the one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing user-defined error thresholds for modifying the user-definable error threshold rules.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information comprises determining that the period of time between detected errors is less than a user-defined time frame.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information comprises determining that a user-defined number of detected errors occur within a user-defined time frame.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information comprises determining that a user-defined number of periods of time between errors occurs at a non-increasing rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein errors occurring at a non-increasing rate further comprises a user-defined number of errors occurring within half of the previous period of time between errors.

16. A computing device for use in an error data processing system, comprising:

a memory for storing error information; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, for applying user defined error threshold data to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules and determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored error information.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the error information comprises information related to error interarrival time.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor sends a warning when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the warning comprises a particular warning type based on the one of the plurality of error thresholds satisfied.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the stored error information comprises error events representing detected errors and interarrival times associated with the detected errors.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the processor determines when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied by comparing a number of detected errors and the time period between the plurality of errors to the user-definable error threshold rules.

22. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor modifies the user-definable error threshold rules based on received user-defined error thresholds.

23. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor determines when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied by detecting errors occurring within a user-defined time frame and identifying the errors as one error when an error rate based on a calculated time period between the plurality of errors satisfies a user-definable error threshold rule.

24. The computing device of claim 23, wherein the processor determines that the detected plurality of errors satisfies a user-defined error dispersion index number, wherein the error dispersion index is the number of errors in half of the time period between errors of the same type.

25. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor determines when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information by determining that the period of time between detected errors is less than a user-defined time frame.

26. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor determines when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information by determining that a user-defined number of detected errors occur within a user-defined time frame.

27. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor determines when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information by determining that a user-defined number of periods of time between errors occurs at a non-increasing rate.

28. A method for providing error data processing having user-defined parameters, comprising:

applying user-defined error thresholds to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules;

detecting a plurality of errors from a source;

calculating a time period between the plurality of errors;

storing information related to the plurality of errors and the time periods between the plurality of errors; and

determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information.

29. A computing device for use in an error data processing system, comprising:

a memory for storing error information, the error information related to error source and error interarrival time; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, for applying user defined error threshold data to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules, determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored error source and error interarrival time.

30. A program storage device, comprising:

program instructions executable by a processing device to perform operations for providing error data processing having user-defined parameters, the operations comprising;

applying user-defined error thresholds to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules;

processing error events;

storing information related to the processed error events; and

determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information.

31. A program storage device, comprising:

program instructions executable by a processing device to perform operations for providing error data processing having user-defined parameters, the operations comprising;

applying user-defined error thresholds to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules;

detecting a plurality of errors from a source;

calculating a time period between the plurality of errors;

storing information related to the plurality of errors and the time periods between the plurality of errors; and

determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored information.

32. A computing device for use in an error data processing system, comprising:

means for storing error information; and

means, coupled to the means for storing, for applying user defined error threshold data to a plurality of user-definable error threshold rules and determining when one of the plurality of user-definable error threshold rules has been satisfied based on the stored error information.