RISK ASSESSMENT PROGRAM FOR A DIRECTORY SERVICE

• US 20080208958A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, John, Gumenberg, Kip Michael, Wade, Hugh Edward, Huff, Patrick C., Longden, Roger
• Application Number:
  US11/680,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Testing and evaluating a directory service of a distributed computing environment. Information related to the directory service is collected and a ruleset is executed to identify one or more problem issues as a function of the collected information. The identified problem issue includes a corresponding solution that may be applied to the directory service. A report representative of the identified problem issue and corresponding solution is generated and provided to a directory service administrator or a service engineer.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing a directory service, said directory service providing location and administration services for network resources in a distributed computing environment, said system comprising:

a directory service test engine for executing one or more tests to collect data associated with the directory service;

a rules engine for identifying a problem issue of directory service as a function of the collected data; and

a report engine for generating a report representative of the identified problem issue to the directory service.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified problem issue of the directory service includes one or more of the following:

an error condition and a best practice enhancement of the directory service.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rules engine is configured for assessing a risk associated with each identified error condition;

and wherein the generated report includes the assessed risk for each identified error condition.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the identified error condition of the directory service includes one or more predefined solutions corresponding to each identified error condition;

and wherein the generated report includes the predefined solution.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the identified best practice enhancement of the directory service includes one or more implementation plans corresponding to each identified best practice enhancement;

and wherein the generated report includes the implementation plan.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the rules engine executes a predefined ruleset for determining at least one solution corresponding to the identified problem issue of the directory service, and further comprising a feedback interface for modifying the ruleset when the solution is applied to the directory service.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an annotation interface for modifying the determined state of the directory service with expertise specific to the directory service of the distributed computing environment.

8. A method of evaluating a directory service, said directory service providing location and administration services for network resources in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

testing the directory service to collect data associated with a configuration of the directory service;

executing a predefined ruleset against the collected data to identify at least one problem issue with the directory service and a solution corresponding thereto, said identified at least one problem issue and its corresponding solution comprising a result of executing the ruleset against the collected data;

annotating the result with expertise specific to the directory service of the distributed computing environment; and

generating a report representative of the annotated result.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising defining the ruleset for identifying one or more problem issues associated with the directory service based on the collected data and for specifying one or more solutions corresponding to the identified problem issue.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying the corresponding solution to the directory service to resolve the identified problem issue.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

collecting feedback related to the identified problem issue and its corresponding solution; and

refining the ruleset as a function of the collected feedback.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the feedback is collected from one or more of the following:

an administrator of the directory service, a service engineer, and the execution of one or more tests on the directory service.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the problem issue is associated with a priority rank and the corresponding solution is applied to the directory service in order of priority rank.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the directory service includes services related to at least one of the following:

Domain Name Service (DNS), directory service replication, connectivity of directory service servers, subnet information, group policy information, internet address information, operating system information of directory service servers, access control list configuration, user accounts, machine accounts, account lockouts.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising surveying an administrator of the directory service to collect data associated with the configuration of the directory service.

16. One or more computer readable media having computer-executable components for analyzing directory service components within a distributed computing environment, said components comprising:

a directory service testing component for collecting data related to a plurality of directory service components, said testing component comprising;

a directory replication testing component for collecting data related to a directory service replication;

a name resolution testing component for collecting data related to a resolution service;

a master server testing component for collecting data related to a master server, said master server including a database containing information associated with all network users and resources; and

a directory service database testing component for collecting data related to a directory service database;

a ruleset for defining one or more problem issues of the directory service as a function of the collected data;

an analysis engine for executing the ruleset against the collected data to identify at least one problem issue of the directory service; and

a report engine for producing a report identifying the at least one problem issue of directory service.

17. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the ruleset includes a priority indicator for each rule of the ruleset.

18. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the analysis engine specifies at least one solution to the identified problem issue;

and wherein the report includes the solution.

19. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, further comprising a feedback interface for:

collecting feedback information related to the solution specified by the analysis engine when the solution is applied to the directory service; and

updating the ruleset as a function of the collected feedback information.

20. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, further comprising an annotation interface for receiving input from an expert familiar with the directory service and modifying the problem issue or the solution, or both, as a function thereof.