Automated Diagnosis for Electronic Systems

• US 20080288821A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US12/139,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288821A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• 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 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

Systems for providing automated diagnosis of problems for an electronic network include a central diagnosis engine configured to include modules that rank identified policy/configuration changes into potential causes, verify the ranked potential causes and determine whether any of the ranked potential causes is a likely cause or contributor to the problem. An estimator module is configured to calculate distances associated with the ranked potential causes such that a list of potential causes of the problem can be presented in order of likelihood. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for providing automated diagnosis of problems for an electronic system, comprising:

identifying recent configuration changes made to the electronic system that fall within pre-established parameters;

ranking the identified changes into potential causes;

verifying ranked potential causes to determine whether any of the ranked potential causes may be an actual cause or contributor to the problem; and

calculating distances associated with the ranked potential causes that correspond to a relative likelihood that potential causes may be a true cause.