Modeling, Monitoring, and Analysis of Computer Services

• US 20080301574A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sanghvi, Ashvinkumar J., Theiner, Thomas F., Duque, Baelson B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 40/00 ICT specially adapted for biostatistics; ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related machine learning or data mining, e.g. knowledge discovery or pattern finding
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 45/00 ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related data visualisation, e.g. displaying of maps or networks

Abstract

Computer services and other computer entities may be monitored and evaluated by using a model that defines the services and relationships between the services. The model may be used during discovery for finding entities and creating instances of the entities and instances of the relationships between entities. After discovery, data may be collected and stored in a database by monitoring or instrumenting the entity. Analysis of the data may include tracking performance and monitoring the health of a service or other entity. The relationships may be used to graphically display various entities in many useful manners, including graphical representations of the health of various entities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

searching a computer network to discover a first entity instance of a first entity, said entity being defined in a model comprising entities and relationships between said entities;

traversing said model to discover a second entity instance of a second entity and a relationship instance of a first relationship between said first entity instance and said second entity instance;

monitoring entity instances for activities;

storing said activities in a database;

displaying a graphical representation of said first entity instance, said second entity instance, and said relationship instance, said graphical representation being based on said model.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing said activities to create summary data; and

displaying said summary data in said graphical representation.

3. The method of claim 2, said summary data comprising a health status.

4. The method of claim 3, said health status for said first entity instance comprising a health status for said second entity instance.

5. The method of claim 1, said entity comprising at least one of a group composed of:

a computer service;

a computer device;

a component of a computer device;

a network component;

an interface;

a subnet;

a group of said entities; and

a cluster of said computer devices.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising instrumenting said first entity instance.

7. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A system comprising:

a database adapted to store entity instances, relationship instances, and activity information about said entity instances, said entity instances and said relationship instances being based on a model of entities and relationships between said entities, said entities comprising computer services;

a discoverer adapted to search a computer device to discover a first of said instances and traverse said model to discover said relationship instances and said entity instances;

a monitor adapted to collect said activity information; and

a display adapted to show a plurality of said entity instances and said relationship instances.

9. The system of claim 8, said entities further comprising at least one of a group composed of:

a computer service;

a computer device;

a component of a computer device;

a network component;

an interface;

a subnet;

a group of said entities; and

a cluster of said computer devices.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

an analyzer adapted to analyze said activities.

11. The system of claim 10, said analyzer adapted to determine a health status for at least one of said entities.

12. The system of claim 11, said display adapted to show said health status.

13. The system of claim 11, said health status being an aggregation of health status of a plurality of said entities.

14. A method comprising:

collecting data relating to a first entity instance and a second entity instance, said first entity instance being related to said second entity instance to form a relationship instance;

said first entity instance, said second entity instance, and said relationship instance being defined by a model having entities and relationships between entities, said entities comprising computer services;

storing said data in a database; and

displaying said first entity instance, said second entity instance, and said relationship instance in a graphical representation.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

analyzing said data to create summary data; and

displaying said summary data in said graphical representation.

16. The method of claim 15, said summary data comprising a health status.

17. The method of claim 16, said health status for said first entity instance comprising a health status for said second entity instance.

18. The method of claim 14, said entity further comprising at least one of a group composed of:

a computer service;

a computer device;

a component of a computer device;

a network component;

an interface;

a subnet;

a group of said entities; and

a cluster of said computer devices.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising instrumenting said first entity instance.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 14.