Centralized Monitoring of Distributed Systems

• US 20080201465A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Voloshin, Vitaly, Rizzi, Lorenzo, Findik, Ferit, Ganesan, Anandha, Pothering, Joel, Oleksy, Jakub, Ersan, Murat, Jones, Dustin, Phadke, Sandy, Ahmed, Nadir, Jirka, Ian, Keane, Tom, Chang, Lee H.
• Application Number:
  US11/675,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/045 comprising client-server management architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A remote server managing multiple client computers at a customer site communicates with a server at a service provider site. A proxy gateway at the remote server allows communications through a network to the server at the service provider site. Remote monitoring of the multiple client computers may be performed at the server at the service provider site through a central monitoring console.

Claims

1. A server computer comprising:

a processor;

a memory controlled by the processor;

a interface controlled by the processor which accesses the memory, wherein the interface communicates with one or more remote client computers, and

a console communicating with the interface, wherein the console remotely manages the one or more remote client servers.

2. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the server computer provides a holistic customer-centric view of the one or more remote client servers.

3. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the one or remote client servers are part of a customer site, and the server computer provides particular services and levels of services to the customer site.

4. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the interface communicates to the one or more client servers through a network using a protocol that is encrypted with certificates.

5. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the console comprises one or more consoles which organize data from the one or more remote client servers.

6. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the server computer sends periodic health reports to a client site of the one or more remote client servers.

7. A server computer comprising:

a processor;

a memory controlled by the processor; and

a gateway proxy stored on the memory, wherein the gateway proxy communicates to a service provider server computer, and wherein the server computer manages one or more client computers and the gateway proxy allows the service provider server computer to monitor the health of the one or more client computers.

8. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the gateway proxy communicates to the service provider server computer using a protocol that is encrypted using certificates.

9. The server computer of claim 8, wherein the certificates are used to authenticate a service provider server computer to a gateway proxy of the service provider server computer.

10. The server computer of claim 8, wherein the certificates allow the service provider server computer to remotely administer the one or more client computers.

11. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the gateway proxy allows the service provider server computer to configure the one or more client computers.

12. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the gateway proxy enables customer-centric reporting by providing data regarding the health status of the one or more client computers.

13. The server computer of claim 7, wherein the health of the one or more client computers is monitored through agents installed in the one or more client computers.

14. A method comprising:

installing a management pack at a service provider site, wherein the management pack provides customer-centric data;

installing a remoting application at a customer site, wherein the remoting application communicates with the service provider site;

synchronizing with a provider by the service provider site, wherein the provider sends update metadata for the service provider site and the customer site.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the customer-centric data includes views, tasks, and reports.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the installing the management pack includes configuring the service provider site and establishing a certificate authority at the service provider site.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein installing a remoting application includes installing a gateway proxy at the customer site, wherein the gateway proxy communicates with the service provider.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending monitoring data from the customer site to the service provider site.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending update metadata from the service provider site to the customer site, and sending a reporting summary from the customer site to the value added provider site.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising downloading binaries at the customer site, wherein the binaries are directed to health status of client computers of the customer site.