System, Method, Computer Program Product And Article Of Manufacture For Remote Fault Diagnosis And Correction In A Computer System

• US 20070277061A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: George Ashe
• Original Assignee: George Ashe
• Inventors: Ashe, George
• Application Number:
  US11/683,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277061A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/57
• 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 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence

Abstract

A method for fault diagnosis in a computer system comprises producing a log file of a user'"'"'s interaction with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a user computer, omitting from the log file any text entered by the user during the interaction, and diagnosing the fault by reviewing the log file. The log file may be transmitted over a computer network for reviewing at a remote computer. The log file of GUI activity is small and does not occupy much storage space on a computer. The recordal of the user'"'"'s interaction with the computer'"'"'s Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a relatively straightforward process which utilises a minimal amount of the computer'"'"'s processor and memory resources. The log which describes the user'"'"'s interaction with the operating system'"'"'s user interface and each application'"'"'s user interface, captures the exact context of each interaction and enables a rapid fault diagnosis to be made by a technician.

Claims

1. ) A method for fault diagnosis in a computer system;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) producing a log of a user'"'"'s interaction with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a user computer;

b) omitting from said log any data text entered by said user during said interaction; and

c) storing said log in a log file for diagnosing said fault.

2. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising making a local diagnosis of the fault directly on said user'"'"'s computer.

3. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising producing, from said log file, a solution to the fault in the form of at least one action to be performed on said user computer and performing, on said user computer, the action(s) to implement a solution to said fault.

4. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising making a remote diagnosis of the fault over a computer network on a support computer.

5. ) A method as claimed in claim 4, comprising transmitting said log file to said support computer over said computer network in the event of a fault.

6. ) A method as claimed in claim 5, comprising producing, from said log file, a solution to the fault in the form of at least one action to be performed on said user computer and performing, on said user computer, the or each action to implement a solution to said fault.

7. ) A method as claimed in claim 5, comprising transmitting a file containing said action(s) from said support computer to said user computer over said network.

8. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the text entered by the user is omitted from the log file by deletion.

9. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the text entered by the user is omitted from the log file by changing any alpha-numeric characters to null or different characters to render the text unreadable.

10. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which data in said log is securely deleted after a user-specified period.

11. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said storing step further comprises storing in said log file, one or more screen shots captured by the user upon occurrence of the fault.

12. ) A method as claimed in claim 11, in which said storing step comprises storing said one or more screen shots in said log file.

13. ) A method as claimed in claim 11, in which selected areas of the screen are deleted from said screen shots prior to storage to enable any sensitive data on the screen to be omitted.

14. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said storing step further comprises recording and storing details of hardware and/or software associated with said user computer.

15. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said details of said hardware and/or software associated with said user computer are stored in said log file.

16. ) A method as claimed in claim 4, in which a request file is compiled at said support computer in response to said log file, said request file comprising one or more requests for information about hardware and/or software on said user computer, the request file then being transmitted over the network to said user computer.

17. ) A method as claimed in claim 16, in which a question to the user is also added to said request file.

18. ) A method as claimed in claim 16, in which the request(s) are displayed to the user at said user computer, the user being able to approve or disapprove any request, in order to preserve sensitive information.

19. ) A method as claimed in claim 16, in which a response file is compiled at said user computer in response to said request file, said response file comprising requested information about hardware and/or software on said user computer, the response file then being transmitted over the network to said support computer.

20. ) A method as claimed in claim 19, in which said solution to the fault, in the form of said at least one action to be performed on said user computer, is produced in response to information contained in said log and said response files from the user computer.

21. ) A method as claimed in claim 20, in which said solution comprises transmitting a solution file to the user computer over the network, the solution file comprising a script which is executable on the user computer to perform each action.

22. ) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said solution to the fault, in the form of said at least one action to be performed on said user computer, is produced in response to information contained in said log.

23. ) A method as claimed in claim 22, in which the or each actions is are displayed to the user at said user computer, the user being able to approve or disapprove any action prior to performing the action on the user computer.

24. ) A computer program product, comprising program code portions for performing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1.

26. ) An article of manufacture with a computer usable medium having computer readable instructions embodied therein for providing access to resources available on that computer, the computer readable instructions comprising instructions to cause the computer to perform the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1.

27. ) A computer network comprising at least one user computer and at least one support computer, each computer being configured to implement the relevant steps of the method as claimed in claim 4.

25. ) A computer program product as claimed in claim 25, comprising a first portion for performing said steps on said user computer and a second portion for performing steps on a support computer.