Computer generated documentation including diagram of computer system

• US 20050278571A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Auvenshine, John Jason, Jacoby, Christopher Joel, Blackburn, Justin Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A system, method and program for troubleshooting a problem with an application. An application server which is supposed to be executing the application and a database or a server which manages the database are identified. The application, when executing, obtains data from the database to respond to a client request. The application server, database or database server, and a connection between the application server and the database or database server are generated and displayed or printed. Also, one or more hyperlinks to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to the application server to test operability of the application server and/or a connection to the application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to the database server to test operability of the database server and/or a connection to the database server are generated and displayed or printed. In accordance with a feature of the present invention, in response to a selection of the one or more hyperlinks, the application server and database server are automatically pinged. The invention also resides in a system and program for automatically identifying the database or database server by querying the application server, and generating and displaying or printing the diagram of the application server, database or database server, and a connection between the application server and the database or database server.

Claims

1. A method for troubleshooting a problem with an application, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying an application server which is supposed to be executing said application and a database or a server which manages said database, said application, when executing, obtaining data from said database to respond to a client request; and

generating and displaying or printing a diagram of (a) said application server, said database or database server, and a connection between said application server and said database or database server and (b) one or more hyperlinks to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said application server to test operability of said application server and/or a connection to said application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said database server.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more hyperlinks comprise a first hyperlink to automatically ping said application server to test operability of said application server and/or a connection to said application server and a second hyperlink to automatically ping said database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said database server.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 where there is one hyperlink to automatically ping said application server to test operability of said application server and/or a connection to said application server and automatically ping said database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said database server.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

in response to a selection of said one or more hyperlinks, automatically pinging said application server and automatically pinging said database server.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying said database server is performed automatically based on user input of an identification of said application and automatically querying said application server.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diagram includes instructions on how to manually logon to said application server.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diagram illustrates (a) another application server that participates with the first said application server in responding to a customer request, and a connection between said other application server and said first application server, (b) another database or another server that manages said other database for said other application and (c) one or more other hyperlinks to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said other application server to test operability of said other application server and/or a connection to said other application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said other database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said other database server.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying an explanation of a failure of the first said hardware, software, or network status inquiry to elicit a response indicating that said application server and/or a connection to said application server are functioning.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying an explanation of a failure of the second said hardware, software, or network status inquiry to elicit a response indicating that said database server and/or a connection to said database server are functioning.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said identifying step and said generating and displaying step are performed by another server remote from said application server and said database server;

and further comprising the step of;

automatically determining from said application server an identity of said database server, and notifying the remote server of said identity of said database server.

11. A method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising the step of automatically determining from said database server an identity of said application server, and notifying the remote server of said identity of said application server.

12. A system for troubleshooting a problem with an application, said system comprising:

means for identifying an application server which is supposed to be executing said application and a database or a server which manages said database, said application, when executing, obtaining data from said database to respond to a client request; and

means for generating and displaying or printing a diagram of (a) said application server, said database or database server, and a connection between said application server and said database or database server and (b) one or more hyperlinks to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said application server to test operability of said application server and/or a connection to said application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said database server.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

in response to a selection of said one or more hyperlinks, means for automatically pinging said application server and automatically pinging said database server.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the means for identifying said database server is automatic based on user input of an identification of said application and a query to said application server.

15. A computer program product for troubleshooting a problem with an application, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to identify an application server which is supposed to be executing said application and a database or a server which manages said database, said application, when executing, obtaining data from said database to respond to a client request; and

second program instructions to generate and display or print a diagram of (a) said application server, said database or database server, and a connection between said application server and said database or database server and (b) one or more hyperlinks to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said application server to test operability of said application server and/or a connection to said application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said database server to test operability of said database server and/or a connection to said database server; and

wherein

said first and second program instructions are recorded on said medium.

16. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 further comprising:

in response to a selection of said one or more hyperlinks, third program instructions to automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said application server and automatically send a hardware, software, or network status inquiry to said database server; and

wherein said third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

17. A computer program product as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first program instructions identify said database server automatically based on user input of an identification of said application and a query to said application server.

18. A system for creating a reference document for an application, said system comprising:

means for identifying an application server which is supposed to be executing said application and querying said application server to identify a database server from which said application obtains data to respond to a client request; and

means for automatically generating and displaying or printing a diagram of said application server, said database server or a database managed by said database server, and a connection between said application server and said database server or managed database.

19. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the identifying means identifies said application server based on user input of an identification of said application.

20. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said diagram also includes a description of a procedure for logging onto said application server.

21. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein

said diagram also illustrates (a) another application server that participates with the first said application server in responding to a customer request, and a connection between said other application server and said first application server, and (b) another database or another server that manages said other database for said other application;

and

the identifying and querying means queries said first application server to identify said other application server.

22. A computer program product for creating a reference document for an application, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to identify an application server which is supposed to be executing said application and query said application server to a database server from which said application obtains data to respond to a client request; and

second program instructions to automatically generate and display or print a diagram of said application server, said database server or a database managed by said database server, and a connection between said application server and said database server or managed database; and

wherein

said first and second program instructions are recorded on said medium.

23. A computer program product as set forth in claim 22 wherein the second program instructions identify said application server based on user input of an identification of said application.

24. A computer program product as set forth in claim 22 wherein diagram also includes a description of a procedure for logging onto said application server.

25. A computer program product as set forth in claim 22 wherein

said diagram also illustrates (a) another application server that participates with the first said application server in responding to a customer request, and a connection between said other application server and said first application server, and (b) another database or another server that manages said other database for said other application;

and

said first program instructions identify and query said first application server to identify said other application server.