System and method for analyzing user-generated event information and message information from network devices

• US 20060087409A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Korzeniowski, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,408,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications

Abstract

A system for analyzing information relating to network devices comprises a computer readable storage medium and computer software stored on the computer readable storage medium. The computer software reviews message information generated by a plurality of network devices, stores first event records associating first events from the message information with the plurality of the network devices, reviews user-reported event information, correlate the user-reported event information with a network device, store a second event record associating a second event from the user-reported event information with the network device correlated with the user-reported event information, calculate a total value for ones of the network devices, and generates a report according to the total values.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing information relating to network devices, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

computer software stored on the computer readable storage medium and operable to;

review message information generated by a plurality of network devices;

store first event records associating first events from the message information with the plurality of the network devices;

review user-reported event information;

correlate the user-reported event information with a network device;

store a second event record associating a second event from the user-reported event information with the network device correlated with the user-reported event information;

calculate a total value for ones of the network devices; and

generate a report according to the total values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-reported event information comprises a textual description of a problem.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-reported event information comprises one of a plurality of predefined problem options.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-reported event information associates a reported event with a data network address and the software uses the data network address to correlate the user-reported event information with the network device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the software is further operable to:

retrieve device information about the network device correlated with the user-reported event information; and

associate the device information with the second event in the second event record.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the software is further operable to:

assign a weight value to at least some of the first events and the second event; and

calculate the total value for ones of the network device using the weighting values.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the software is further operable to assign a greater value to the second event if the network device associated with the second event is also associated with a first event.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the software is further operable to assign a greater value to one of the first events if a network device associated with the first event is also associated with the second event.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second event may be associated with more than one network device based on the user-reported event information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the software is further operable to generate an alert if a total value associated with one of the network devices is greater than a threshold value.

11. A method for analyzing information relating to network devices, comprising:

reviewing message information generated by a plurality of network devices;

storing first event records associating first events from the message information with the plurality of the network devices;

reviewing user-reported event information;

correlating the user-reported event information with a network device;

storing a second event record associating a second event from the user-reported event information with the network device correlated with the user-reported event information;

calculating a total value for ones of the network devices; and

generating a report according to the total values.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-reported event information comprises a textual description of a problem.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-reported event information comprises one of a plurality of predefined problem options.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-reported event information associates a reported event with a data network address and the method further comprises using the data network address to correlate the user-reported event information with the network device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving device information about the network device correlated with the user-reported event information; and

associating the device information with the second event in the second event record.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

assigning a weight value to at least some of the first events and the second event; and

calculating the total value for ones of the network device using the weighting values.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning a greater value to the second event if the network device associated with the second event is also associated with a first event.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning a greater value to one of the first events if a network device associated with the first event is also associated with the second event.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second event may be associated with more than one network device based on the user-reported event information.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating an alert if a total value associated with one of the network devices is greater than a threshold value.