Method and system for determining parameter distribution, variance, outliers and trends in computer systems

• US 20080011569A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirba, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cirba, Inc.
• Inventors: Hillier, Andrew D., Yuyitung, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 191/12.2R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method for generating statistical reports showing distribution, variance, outliers and trends for parameters across a set of computer systems is provided. The reports are generated based on audited data for each system that pertains to the parameters. A distribution report assesses the uniformity of the parameters of a population of systems and provides frequency distributions and statistics describing the data values from the analyzed systems. A variance report assesses the conformity of one or more target systems against a reference data set comprised of a set of baseline systems. The report compares each target system individually against the reference data set to measure the consistency of the target'"'"'s parameters. A trend report shows trends in the uniformity and conformity measures of the parameters by comparing the statistical analysis results of sets of systems at two or more points in time or the different systems at the same time.

Claims

1. A method for determining parameter distribution for one or more computer systems comprising:

obtaining data pertaining to said one or more computer systems, said data comprising information pertaining to one or more parameters;

generating a statistical model for said one or more computer systems using said data; and

analyzing each said one or more parameters for each said one or more computer systems to determine the uniformity of respective ones of said parameters among said one or more systems.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising generating a statistical distribution report providing summary information and statistical details for said parameter distribution.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said distribution report is organized into multi-level hyperlinked pages.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said statistical model comprises a uniformity index for each said one or more parameters, said uniformity index being indicative of the homogeneity of each said one or more parameters among said one or more systems.

5. A method for determining parameter variance for a target computer system in relation to one or more baseline computer systems comprising

obtaining a statistical model for said baseline computer systems using data pertaining to said baseline computer systems, said data comprising one or more parameters;

obtaining data pertaining to said target computer system comprising at least one of said one or more parameters; and

analyzing said target computer system with respect to said baseline computer systems using said statistical model and said data pertaining to said target computer system to determine the conformity of said parameters in said target system when compared to said parameters in said baseline systems.

6. A method according to claim 5 repeated for a plurality of target computer systems.

7. A method according to claim 5 further comprising generating a statistical variance report providing summary information and statistical details for said parameter variance.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of analyzing comprises computing a conformity index for a value for each of said one or more parameters, said conformity index being indicative of the degree to which said value for each system is consistent with the others of said one or more computer systems.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising computing a conformity score for said values for each of said one or more parameters according to a corresponding conformity index and a corresponding rule weight.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising combining said conformity scores to obtain overall metadata category conformity scores.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising combining said overall metadata category conformity scores to obtain an overall system conformity score.

12. A method for analyzing trends between a first data set and a second data set pertaining to one or more parameters for one or more computer systems comprising:

generating a first statistical model using said first data set;

generating a second statistical model using said second data set; and

analyzing said first and second statistical models to determine one or more trends according to differences in values of said one or more parameters in said first and second data sets.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said first and second data sets are indicative of values at different times.

14. A method according to claim 12 for a plurality of said computer systems wherein said first data set pertains to at least one of said plurality of computer systems and said second data set pertains to at least one other of said plurality of computer systems.

15. A method according to claim 12 further comprising generating a trend report indicating the convergence or divergence of values in said statistical models and indicating where said values are leading and/or lagging.

16. A computer implemented analysis program for determining at least one of uniformity and conformity of parameters for one or more computer systems comprising.

an audit engine for obtaining audit data pertaining to said one or more computer systems, said data comprising one or more parameters;

and

an analysis engine for determining said at least one of said uniformity and conformity for values of said one or more parameters using said audit data.

17. An analysis program according to claim 16 further comprising a report generator for generating reports comprising statistics related to one or more of said uniformity and conformity.

18. An analysis program according to claim 16 further comprising an audit data repository for storing said audit data.

19. An analysis program according to claim 16 further comprising support for a web client to enable a user to enter settings, and initiate an audit to obtain said audit data.

20. A graphical interface for displaying scores pertaining to the conformity of one or more parameters for a plurality of computer systems comprising a matrix of cells, each row of said matrix indicating one of said plurality of computer systems and each column of said matrix indicating a metadata category pertaining to one of said plurality of parameters, each cell displaying a score indicating the conformity of the respective one of said plurality of systems for a corresponding one of said one or more parameters, said score being computed according to predefined criteria.

21. A graphical interface according to claim 20 further comprising a column comprising overall system scores.

22. A graphical interface according to claim 20 capable of accessing further details pertaining to said scores.