Stability Index Display

• US 20080027680A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Peng, Ni, Mingtian, Garzia, Mario R., Jivakov, Todor Ivanov
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

The stability index objectively reflects system reliability and yet intuitively reflects the user experience on the system while also providing an understanding of how/when/why problems began.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for displaying on a display device a stability index, the method comprising:

collecting user disruption data for a time period;

adjusting the user disruption data to create adjusted user disruption data;

calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data; and

displaying the stability index value for a plurality of time periods.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the selection of a stability index value and displaying additional detail regarding the calculated stability index value, the additional detail comprising the user disruption data for the selected period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the user disruption data further comprises applying weights to the adjusted user disruptions data to create weighted adjusted user disruption data such that user disruptions that occurred more recently are given a greater weight than user disruptions that occurred further in the past.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data further comprises using the user disruption data for the time period to calculate a scaled value.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data further comprises using the weighted adjusted user disruption data for the time period to calculate a scaled value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stability index is a calculated scaled value that can be used to objectively compare performance for at least one of software and hardware.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising giving a greater weight to user disruptions that are more intrusive than user disruptions that are less intrusive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a single event that causes multiple failures is counted as a single failure event.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein user disruptions further comprise planned user disruptions and unplanned user disruptions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an artificially extended or shortened time interval is adjusted to reflect the actual time period of user disruptions.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the amount of use a computer system receives and adjusting the stability to take into account the amount of use a computer system receives.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a warning if the stability index fall below a floor.

13. A computer storage medium comprising computer executable instruction for displaying on a display device a stability index, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

collecting user disruption data for a time period, wherein user disruption data comprises an event that disrupts a user'"'"'s intended activities on a computer system;

adjusting the user disruption data to create adjusted user disruption data;

calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data; and

displaying the stability index value for a plurality of time periods.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the computer executable instructions further comprising instructions for calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data further comprises using the user disruption data for the time period to calculate a scaled value.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data further comprises using the weighted adjusted user disruption data for the time period to calculate a scaled value.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the stability index is a calculated scaled value that can be used to objectively compare performance for at least one of software and hardware.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein an artificially extended or shortened time interval is adjusted to reflect the actual time period of user disruptions.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the computer executable instructions further comprising instructions for determining the amount a use a computer system receives and adjusting the stability to take into account the amount of use a computer system receives.

19. A computer system comprising a processor, a memory in communication with the processor and an input/output circuit, the processor being configured in accordance with computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions comprising instruction for:

collecting user disruption data for a time period, wherein user disruption data comprises an event that disrupts a user'"'"'s intended activities on a computer system;

adjusting the user disruption data to create adjusted user disruption data wherein adjusting the user disruption data further comprises applying weights to the adjusted user disruptions data to create weighted adjusted user disruption data such that user disruptions that occurred more recently are given a greater weight than user disruptions that occurred further in the past;

calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data;

displaying the stability index value for a plurality of time periods; and

displaying a warning if the stability index fall below a floor.

20. The computer system of claim 19, the computer instructions further comprising instructions for calculating the stability index value using the adjusted user disruption data further comprises using the weighted adjusted user disruption data for the time period to calculate a scaled value.