Monitoring Several Distributed Resource Elements as a Resource Pool

• US 20060265353A1
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ProactiveNet, Inc. (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: GANAPATHY, Bopana, NAZARE, Krishna Murthy, HANUMAPPA, Anil Kumar Sondekoppa, RAO, Dasari Subramanyeswara, RAGHAVAN, Girish Narasimha, GARG, Atul, SCARPELLI, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A monitoring system provided according to an aspect of the present invention enables a user to specify multiple resource elements as a resource pool, and view various aggregate information (e.g., sum, average) for attributes of interest for all the resource elements together. Such a feature is particularly useful in distributed environments where multiple independent resource elements need to be viewed as a single resource pool. The user is provided the flexibility to select the specific resource elements to be included in the resource pool.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a plurality of resource elements of a same type, said method comprising:

enabling an user to specify said plurality of resource elements as a resource pool, and an attribute of interest related to said resource pool;

monitoring each of said plurality of resource elements to determine a plurality of sample values corresponding to said attribute of interest for each of said plurality of resource elements at different time points; and

displaying an aggregated information for said attribute of interest based on said plurality of sample values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said aggregated information comprises one of sum, mean, median, and variance computed from said plurality of sample values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises:

indicating to said user that an element monitor type is available for said same type of resource elements, wherein said element monitor type is associated with a plurality of attributes related to said same type, wherein said plurality of attributes includes said attribute of interest;

facilitating said user to select said attribute of interest and said plurality of resource elements; and

instantiating a monitor instance, wherein said monitor instance causes said monitoring of said plurality of resource elements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said enabling further comprises generating a pool monitor type in response to said user selecting said attribute of interest.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said enabling further comprises:

facilitating said user to specify said plurality of resources as said resource pool; and

facilitating said user to associate said resource pool to said pool monitor type prior to said instantiating.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said pool monitor type is represented in the form of data stored in a file on a secondary storage, said data indicating that said attribute of interest is to be monitored.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving an input from said user that said aggregated information is to be displayed for said attribute of interest, wherein said displaying displays said aggregated information due to said input.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of resource pools including said resource pool;

facilitating said user to select said resource pool from said plurality of resource pools; and

displaying attributes of interest specified in said pool monitor type,

wherein said aggregated information is displayed for said attribute of interest after said user selects said attribute of interest from said displayed attributes.

9. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing a network monitoring system to monitor several distributed resource elements of a same type as a resource pool, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said network monitoring system causes said one or more processors to perform the actions of:

enabling an user to specify said plurality of resource elements as a resource pool, and an attribute of interest related to said resource pool;

monitoring each of said plurality of resource elements to determine a plurality of sample values corresponding to said attribute of interest for each of said plurality of resource elements at different time points; and

displaying an aggregated information for said attribute of interest based on said plurality of sample values.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said aggregated information comprises one of sum, mean, median, and variance computed from said plurality of sample values.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said enabling comprises:

indicating to said user that an element monitor type is available for said same type of resource elements, wherein said element monitor type is associated with a plurality of attributes related to said same type, wherein said plurality of attributes includes said attribute of interest;

facilitating said user to select said attribute of interest and said plurality of resource elements; and

instantiating a monitor instance, wherein said monitor instance causes said monitoring of said plurality of resource elements.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein said enabling further comprises generating a pool monitor type in response to said user selecting said attribute of interest.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said enabling further comprises:

facilitating said user to specify said plurality of resources as said resource pool; and

facilitating said user to associate said resource pool to said pool monitor type prior to said instantiating.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said pool monitor type is represented in the form of data stored in a file on a secondary storage, said data indicating that said attribute of interest is to be monitored.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising receiving an input from said user that said aggregated information is to be displayed for said attribute of interest, wherein said displaying displays said aggregated information due to said input.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of resource pools including said resource pool;

facilitating said user to select said resource pool from said plurality of resource pools; and

displaying attributes of interest specified in said pool monitor type,

wherein said aggregated information is displayed for said attribute of interest after said user selects said attribute of interest from said displayed attributes.

17. A system for monitoring a plurality of resource elements of a same type, said system comprising:

means for enabling an user to specify said plurality of resource elements as a resource pool, and an attribute of interest related to said resource pool;

means for monitoring each of said plurality of resource elements to determine a plurality of sample values corresponding to said attribute of interest for each of said plurality of resource elements at different time points; and

means for displaying an aggregated information for said attribute of interest based on said plurality of sample values.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said means for enabling is operable to:

indicate to said user that an element monitor type is available for said same type of resource elements, wherein said element monitor type is associated with a plurality of attributes related to said same type, wherein said plurality of attributes includes said attribute of interest;

facilitate said user to select said attribute of interest and said plurality of resource elements; and

instantiate a monitor instance, wherein said monitor instance causes said monitoring of said plurality of resource elements.