Distributed computing environment with remote data collection management

• US 20060277283A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, David B., Brown, Rodney H., SCHREIBER, Celia A., Fox, Thomas J., Harper, Richard E., Shah, Ketan K., Bower, Fred A. III, Fadale, Tushar D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• 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 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Aspects of a distributed computing environment with remote data collection management include a management server, and a plurality of computer systems networked to and managed by the management server. Each of the plurality of computer systems includes a listening agent to receive process code from a management server and to control the periodic execution of the process code to collect data from the plurality of computer systems. The periodic execution occurs without requiring a connection to be maintained between the plurality of computer systems and the management server. Further, the data collected includes data collected from problem determination activities.

Claims

1. A method for managing data collection remotely in a distributed computing environment, the method comprising:

providing a listening agent in each of a plurality of computer systems to receive process code from a management server networked to the plurality of computer systems; and

controlling the periodic execution of the process code with the listening agent to collect data from the plurality of computer systems, wherein the periodic execution occurs without requiring a connection to be maintained between the plurality of computer systems and the management server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data collected further comprises data collected from problem determination activities.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the problem determination activities further comprise receiving a request for problem determination data in at least one computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising discovering problem determination tools installed within the at least one computer system and selecting one or more of the installed problem determination tools relevant to the request.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising installing any needed additional tools and remotely updating the selected one or more installed problem determination tools as necessary.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising configuring the selected problem determination tools based on a rule set and correlating data from the selected problem determination tools.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transporting the correlated data to a remote system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising utilizing the transported data for analysis and creation of action plans.

9. The method of claim 8 applying the action plans via hardware and software deployment.

10. A distributed computing environment with remote data collection management, the environment comprising:

a management server; and

a plurality of computer systems networked to and managed by the management server, each of the plurality of computer systems including a listening agent to receive process code from a management server and to control the periodic execution of the process code to collect data from the plurality of computer systems, wherein the periodic execution occurs without requiring a connection to be maintained between the plurality of computer systems and the management server.

11. The environment of claim 10 wherein the data collected further comprises data collected from problem determination activities.

12. The environment of claim 11 wherein the problem determination activities further comprise receiving a request for problem determination data in at least one computer system.

13. The environment of claim 12 wherein the at least one computer system further discovers problem determination tools installed within the at least one computer system and selects one or more of the installed problem determination tools relevant to the request.

14. The environment of claim 13 wherein the management server further installs any needed additional tools and remotely updates the selected one or more installed problem determination tools as necessary.

15. The environment of claim 14 wherein the at least one computer system further configures the selected problem determination tools based on a rule set and correlates data from the selected problem determination tools.

16. The environment of claim 15 wherein the at least one computer system further transports the correlated data to a remote system.

17. The environment of claim 16 wherein the remote system further utilizes the transported data for analysis and creation of action plans.

18. The environment of claim 17 wherein the remote system applies the action plans via hardware and software deployment in the at least one computer system.

19. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for:

a listening agent in each of a plurality of computer systems to receive process code from a management server networked to the plurality of computer systems and to control the periodic execution of the process code to collect data from the plurality of computer systems, wherein the periodic execution occurs without requiring a connection to be maintained between the plurality of computer systems and the management server.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the data collected further comprises data collected from problem determination activities.