SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING SERVERS OF A DATA CENTER

• US 20090070697A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: LaForest, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring devices such as servers in one or more data centers. In one embodiment of the method a first graphical user interface is displayed on a computer system such as a desktop computer system. The first graphical user interface may include first and second graphical elements corresponding to first and second system racks, respectively, within a data center. The first system rack may include a plurality of computer systems such as servers. The second system rack may also include a plurality of computer systems such as servers. The first graphical element may include first visual information identifying a location of the first system rack on a floor within the data center, and the second graphical element may include second visual information identifying a location of the second system rack on the floor within the data center.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first graphical user interface, wherein the first graphical user interface comprises first and second graphical elements corresponding to first and second system racks, respectively, within a data center;

wherein the first system rack comprises a plurality of computer systems;

wherein the second system rack comprises a plurality of computer systems;

wherein the first graphical element comprises first visual information identifying a location of the first system rack on a floor within the data center, and;

wherein the second graphical element comprises second visual information identifying a location of the second system rack on the floor within the data center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual information comprises first coordinates of a grid, wherein the second visual information comprises second coordinates of the grid, and wherein the grid corresponds to the floor within the data center.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending a plurality of first messages to the plurality of computer systems, respectively, in the first system rack;

sending a plurality of second messages to the plurality of computer systems, respectively, in the second system rack.

4. The method of claim 3:

wherein the first graphical element comprises a first visual indication if the plurality of computer systems in the first system rack generate a plurality of first replies, respectively, in response to receiving the plurality of first messages, respectively;

wherein the first graphical element comprises a second visual indication if any of the computer systems in the first system rack do not generate a reply in response to receiving a first message;

wherein the second graphical element comprises the first visual indication if the plurality of computer systems in the second system rack generate a plurality of second replies, respectively, in response to receiving the plurality of second messages, respectively;

wherein the second graphical element comprises the second visual indication if any of the computer systems in the second system rack do not generate a reply in response to receiving a second message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first graphical user interface corresponds to a data object stored in memory, wherein the first and second graphical elements correspond to first and second data elements, respectively, of the data object, and wherein the first and second data elements comprise first and second links, respectively, to first and second data objects, respectively, stored in memory.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data object comprises a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) table, wherein the first and second elements comprise first and second table elements, respectively, of the HTML table, and wherein the first and second table elements comprise the first and second links, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising an act of displaying a second graphical user interface, wherein the second user interface corresponds to the second data object stored in memory, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises first and second graphical elements corresponding to first and second computer systems, respectively, contained within the second system rack.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the method further comprises:

sending first and second messages to the first and second computer systems, respectively, contained within the second system rack;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises a first visual indication if the first computer system in the second system rack replies to the first message;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises a second visual indication if the first computer system in the second system rack does not reply to the first message;

wherein the second graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises the first visual indication if the second computer system in the second system rack replies to the second message;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises the second visual indication if the second computer system in the second system rack does not reply to second message.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the second data object comprises an HTML table, wherein the first and second graphical elements of the second graphical user interface correspond to first and second table elements, respectively, of the HTML object within the second data object, and wherein the first and second table elements of the HTML table of the second data object comprise third and fourth links, respectively, to third and fourth data objects, respectively, stored in memory.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising an act of displaying a third graphical user interface, wherein the third graphical user interface corresponds to the third data object stored in memory, wherein the third graphical interface displays information stored in the third data object that is related to the first computer system in the second system rack.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises an act of displaying a second graphical user interface, wherein the second user interface corresponds to the second data object stored in memory, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises first and second graphical elements corresponding to first and second computer systems, respectively, contained within the second system rack.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

sending first and second messages to the first and second computer systems, respectively, contained within the second system rack;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises a first visual indication if the first computer system in the second system rack replies to the first message;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises a second visual indication if the first computer system in the second system rack does not reply to the first message;

wherein the second graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises the first visual indication if the second computer system in the second system rack replies to the second message;

wherein the first graphical element of the second graphical user interface comprises the second visual indication if the second computer system in the second system rack does not reply to second message.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the second data object comprises an HTML table, wherein the first and second graphical elements of the second graphical user interface correspond to first and second table elements, respectively, of the HTML object within the second data object, and wherein the first and second table elements of the HTML table of the second data object comprise third and fourth links, respectively, to third and fourth data objects, respectively, stored in memory.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises an act of displaying a third graphical user interface, wherein the third graphical user interface corresponds to the third data object stored in memory, wherein the third graphical interface displays information stored in the third data object that is related to the first computer system in the second system rack.

11. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, where a method is performed in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising:

displaying a first graphical user interface, wherein the first graphical user interface comprises first and second graphical elements corresponding to first and second system racks, respectively, within a data center;

wherein the first system rack comprises a plurality of computer systems;

wherein the second system rack comprises a plurality of computer systems;

wherein the first graphical element comprises first visual information identifying a location of the first system rack on a floor within the data center, and;

wherein the second graphical element comprises second visual information identifying a location of the second system rack on the floor within the data center.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the first visual information comprises first coordinates of a grid, wherein the second visual information comprises second coordinates of the grid, and wherein the grid corresponds to the floor within the data center.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a plurality of first messages to the plurality of computer systems, respectively, in the first system rack;

sending a plurality of second messages to the plurality of computer systems, respectively, in the second system rack.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13:

wherein the first graphical element comprises a first visual indication if the plurality of computer systems in the first system rack generate a plurality of first replies, respectively, in response to receiving the plurality of first messages, respectively;

wherein the first graphical element comprises a second visual indication if any of the computer systems in the first system rack do not generate a reply in response to receiving a first message;

wherein the second graphical element comprises the first visual indication if the plurality of computer systems in the second system rack generate a plurality of second replies, respectively, in response to receiving the plurality of second messages, respectively;

wherein the second graphical element comprises the second visual indication if any of the computer systems in the second system rack do not generate a reply in response to receiving a second message.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the first graphical user interface corresponds to a data object stored in memory, wherein the first and second graphical elements correspond to first and second data elements, respectively, of the data object, and wherein the first and second data elements comprise first and second links, respectively, to first and second data objects, respectively, stored in memory.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the data object comprises a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) table, wherein the first and second elements comprise first and second table elements, respectively, of the HTML table, and wherein the first and second table elements comprise the first and second links, respectively.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a data center monitor coupled to a plurality of computer systems contained in a first system rack and a plurality of computer system contained in a second system rack, wherein the first and second system racks are contained in a data center;

wherein the data center monitor comprises a memory for storing computer executable instructions, where a method is performed in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising;

displaying a first graphical user interface, wherein the first graphical user interface comprises first and second graphical elements corresponding to the first and second system racks, respectively;

wherein the first graphical element comprises first visual information identifying a location of the first system rack on a floor within the data center, and;

wherein the second graphical element comprises second visual information identifying a location of the second system rack on the floor within the data center