Method and apparatus for proactive fault monitoring in interconnects

• US 20060282705A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gross, Kenny C., Lopez, Leoncio D., Vacar, Dan, McElfresh, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31717 Interconnect testing by scan techniques see G01R31/31855
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/70 Testing of connections between components and printed circuit boards G01R31/68 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0721 within a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold

Abstract

A system that detects the onset of degradation for interconnections in a component within a computer system. During operation, the system monitors inferential variables associated with the interconnections during operation of the computer system. Next, the system determines a present state of the component from the monitored inferential variables. The system then compares the present state of the component with an initial state of the component. If the comparison indicates that the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach a limited operating state (LOS), the system performs a remedial action.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the onset of degradation for interconnections in a component within a computer system, comprising:

monitoring inferential variables associated with the interconnections within the computer system during operation of the computer system;

determining a present state of the component from the monitored inferential variables;

comparing the present state of the component with an initial state of the component; and

if the comparison indicates that the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach a limited operating state (LOS), performing a remedial action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the remedial action involves servicing or replacing the component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach the LOS involves:

determining an operational trend for the state of the component based on data gathered during the monitoring process; and

using the operational trend to estimate when the interconnections in the component will reach the LOS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to monitoring the inferential variables, the method further comprises determining the initial state of component system by:

monitoring the inferential variables during an initial period of normal operation; and

determining the initial state from the monitored inferential variables.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the LOS is a state wherein the amount of degradation that has occurred since the initial state makes further operation of the component unacceptable.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating a remaining life for the component by:

calculating an amount of degradation which has occurred in the interconnections in the component since the initial state; and

normalizing the amount of degradation to a range between the initial state and the LOS to generate an estimate for the remaining life of the component.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating a remaining life for the component by using a model of a degradation mechanism for the interconnections.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inferential variables can include:

voltage;

current;

resistance;

capacitance;

inductance;

a signal-to-noise ratio;

a bit-error rate;

the number of times an operation in the component is retried; and

the size of an eye-diagram opening.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a state of an inferential variable can include:

a present value of the inferential variable;

a mean of the inferential variable;

a variance of the inferential variable;

a skewness of the inferential variable;

a kurtosis of the inferential variable; and

a derivative of the inferential variable.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for detecting the onset of degradation for interconnections in a component within a computer system, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring inferential variables associated with the interconnections within the computer system during operation of the computer system;

determining a present state of the component from the monitored inferential variables;

comparing the present state of the component with an initial state of the component; and

if the comparison indicates that the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach a limited operating state (LOS), performing a remedial action.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein performing the remedial action involves servicing or replacing the component.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein determining if the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach the LOS involves:

determining an operational trend for the state of the component based on data gathered during the monitoring process; and

using the operational trend to estimate when the interconnections in the component will reach the LOS.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein prior to monitoring the inferential variables, the method further comprises determining the initial state of the component by:

monitoring the inferential variables during an initial period of normal operation; and

determining the initial state from the monitored inferential variables.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the LOS is a state wherein the amount of degradation that has occurred since the initial state makes further operation of the component unacceptable.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises calculating a remaining life for the component by:

calculating an amount of degradation which has occurred in the interconnections in the component since the initial state; and

normalizing the amount of degradation to a range between the initial state and the LOS to generate an estimate for the remaining life of the component.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises calculating a remaining life for the component by using a model of a degradation mechanism for the interconnections

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the inferential variables can include:

voltage;

current;

resistance;

capacitance;

inductance;

a signal-to-noise ratio;

a bit-error rate;

the number of times an operation in the component is retried; and

the size of an eye-diagram opening.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a state of an inferential variable can include:

a present value of the inferential variable;

a mean of the inferential variable;

a variance of the inferential variable;

a skewness of the inferential variable;

a kurtosis of the inferential variable; and

a derivative of the inferential variable.

19. An apparatus that detects the onset of degradation for interconnections in a component within a computer system, comprising:

a monitoring mechanism configured to monitor inferential variables associated with the interconnections within the computer system during operation of the computer system;

a degradation-detection mechanism configured to;

determine a present state of the component from the monitored inferential variables;

compare the present state of the component with an initial state of the component; and

if the comparison indicates that the interconnections in the component have reached or will reach a limited operating state (LOS), to perform a remedial action.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a service mechanism wherein while performing the remedial action, the service mechanism is configured to service or to replace the component.