Systems and methods for controlling error reporting and resolution

• US 20060242286A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Flocken, Phil A., Hawkins, Joshua, Brothers, William, Tripp, Travis Scott, Shaughnessy, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,069,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

Various system and method embodiments are disclosed that include using a first node to receive messages including error information from a plurality of client computers via a computer network. Recommendations for resolving errors associated with the error information are made available to the client computers via the computer network.

Claims

1. A computer product comprising:

first logic instructions operable in a first node to;

receive first messages including error information from a plurality of client computers via a computer network; and

transmit second messages to the client computers via the computer network, wherein the second messages indicate availability of recommendations for resolving errors reported with the error information.

2. The computer product of claim 1, wherein:

the first logic instructions are further operable to;

count the number of the first messages received from the client computers within a specified time period.

3. The computer product of claim 2, wherein:

the first logic instructions are further operable to;

transmit the second messages to a diagnostic computer.

4. The computer product of claim 3, wherein:

the first logic instructions are further operable to;

discontinue transmitting the second messages to the diagnostic computer when the number of messages received from at least one of the client computers exceeds a limit within the specified time period.

5. The computer product of claim 1, wherein:

the first logic instructions are further operable to;

discontinue accepting the first messages when the number of the first messages received from at least one of the client computers exceeds a limit within a specified time period.

6. The computer product of claim 5, wherein:

the first logic instructions are further operable to;

communicate to a second node that the computer has discontinued accepting the first messages from the at least one of the client computers.

7. The computer product of claim 1, further comprising:

second logic instructions operable to;

receive messages indicating that a first server has discontinued accepting the first messages from at least one of the client computers; and

notify the client computers other than the at least one of the client computers that the at least one of the client computers has discontinued accepting the first messages.

8. The computer product of claim 7, wherein:

the second logic instructions are further operable to;

receive messages indicating that a first server has discontinued accepting the messages from at least one of the client computers; and

notify the other of the client computers that the at least one of the client computers has discontinued accepting the messages.

9. The computer product of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor configured to execute the first logic instructions.

10. A method comprising:

transmitting fault data from at least one computer system executing an application program to a diagnostic node;

determining whether a number of fault events detected by a first node exceeds a limit;

transmitting an event storm message to a second node when the number of fault events exceeds the limit, and

broadcasting the event storm message from the second node to computer systems other than the at least one computer system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the fault data to a diagnostic server when the number of fault events is within the limit; and

discontinuing transmitting the fault data to the diagnostic server when the number of fault events exceeds the limit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting a message indicating an event storm is over to the second node.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the message indicating the event storm is over from the second node to the to computer systems other than the at least one computer system.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

analyzing the fault data in the diagnostic server;

generating recommendations to resolve a fault associated with the fault data; and

posting the recommendations in a location accessible by a user of the at least one computer system.

15. A computer product comprising:

logic instructions operable to;

collect fault data when faults occur in application programs executing on a first computer system;

determine when an event storm occurs based on the number of faults in a specified time period;

transmit the fault data to a diagnostic server until the event storm occurs;

transmit a message indicating the occurrence of the event storm to a first node;

notify a second node of the event storm from the first node; and

notify other computer systems executing application programs of the event storm from the second node.

16. The computer product of claim 15, wherein:

the other computer systems discontinue transmitting fault data upon being notified of the event storm.

17. The computer product of claim 15, further comprising:

second logic instructions operable to;

receive recommendations for resolving the fault via a client interface.

18. The computer product of claim 15, further comprising:

second logic instructions operable to;

notify the other computer systems when the event storm is over, wherein the first computer system and the other computer systems resume transmitting the fault data when the event storm is over.

19. The computer product of claim 15, wherein:

the first node is configured to receive messages indicating the occurrence of event storms from the other computer systems as well as the first computer system.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for communicating fault data from at least one computer system executing an application program to a diagnostic node;

means for communicating an event storm message to a second node when a number of fault events exceeds a limit, and

means for broadcasting the event storm message from the second node to other computer systems executing application programs.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for discontinuing transmitting the fault data to the diagnostic server when the number of fault events exceeds the limit.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for indicating an event storm is over from the diagnostic node to the second node.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

means for indicating the event storm is over.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

means for analyzing the fault data in the diagnostic server;

means for generating recommendations to resolve a fault associated with the fault data; and

means for communicating the recommendations to a user.