Method and System for Visualizing Distributed Systems

• US 20090089421A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubli, Rolf, Boehm, Max
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user

Abstract

Monitoring distributed systems includes receiving availability parameters for distributed systems. A distributed system corresponds to at least one distributed system group. A status of at least one distributed system is determined according to the availability parameters. Grid map image data is generated that is operable to initiate display of a grid map. The grid map includes one or more areas. An area corresponds to a distributed system group. An area includes one or more cells. A cell has a status indicator indicating the status of at least one distributed system. A cell also has a display size indicating a relative importance of at least one distributed system. The grid map image data is transmitted to a client in order to display the grid map.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring distributed systems, comprising:

receiving a plurality of availability parameters for a plurality of distributed systems, a distributed system of the plurality of distributed systems corresponding to at least one respective distributed system group of a plurality of distributed system groups;

determining a status of at least one distributed system of a respective distributed system group according to the plurality of availability parameters; and

generating grid map image data operable to initiate display of a grid map comprising;

one or more areas, an area corresponding to a respective distributed system group, an area comprising;

one or more cells, a cell having;

a status indicator indicating the status of the at least one distributed system of the respective distributed system group; and

a display size indicating a relative importance of the at least one distributed system of the respective distributed system group; and

transmitting the grid map image data to a client in order to display the grid map.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the one or more areas in the grid map in one or more columns.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of distributed system groups represent a plurality of geographic locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of distributed system groups represent a plurality of distributed system types, the plurality of distributed system types comprising at least one of the following:

a production system type; and

a test system type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a cell of the one or more cells corresponds to a particular distributed system service, the particular distributed system service comprising at least one of the following:

a computing element service; and

a storage element service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator comprises a display color.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request of a particular time period; and

wherein generating the grid map image data further comprises generating the grid map image data for the particular time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the grid map image data further comprises generating the grid map image data for a particular distributed system service, the particular distributed system service comprising at least one of the following:

a computing element service; and

a storage element service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the grid map image data further comprises generating the grid map image data for a virtual organization, the virtual organization comprising a group of users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a grid map cursor location;

determining that a particular cell of the one or more cells is associated with the grid map cursor location; and

generating updated grid map image data operable to initiate display of a context information window for the particular cell.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of availability parameters comprises at least one of the following:

a distributed system name parameter indicating a name for a distributed system;

a distributed system type parameter indicating a type for the distributed system;

a distributed system timestamp parameter indicating a timestamp of the distributed system; and

a distributed system operational parameter indicating whether the distributed system is operational.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the grid map comprises a hierarchical view of the one or more areas and the one or more cells.

13. A system for monitoring distributed systems, comprising:

a grid map server comprising at least one processor, the grid map server operable to;

receive a plurality of availability parameters for a plurality of distributed systems, a distributed system of the plurality of distributed systems corresponding to at least one respective distributed system group of a plurality of distributed system groups;

determine a status of at least one distributed system of a respective distributed system group according to the plurality of availability parameters; and

generate grid map image data operable to initiate display of a grid map comprising;

one or more areas, an area corresponding to a respective distributed system group, an area comprising;

one or more cells, a cell having;

a status indicator indicating the status of the at least one distributed system of the respective distributed system group; and

a display size indicating a relative importance of the at least one distributed system of the respective distributed system group; and

transmit the grid map image data to a client in order to display the grid map.

14. The system of claim 13, the grid map server further operable to arrange the one or more areas in the grid map in one or more columns.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of distributed system groups represent a plurality of geographic locations.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of distributed system groups represent a plurality of distributed system types, the plurality of distributed system types comprising at least one of the following:

a production system type; and

a test system type.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein a cell of the one or more cells corresponds to a particular distributed system service, the particular distributed system service comprising at least one of the following:

a computing element service; and

a storage element service.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the status indicator comprises a display color.

19. The system of claim 13, the grid map server further operable to:

receive a request of a particular time period; and

generate the grid map image data for the particular time period.

20. The system of claim 13, the grid map server further operable to generate the grid map image data for a particular distributed system service, the particular distributed system service comprising at least one of the following:

a computing element service; and

a storage element service.

21. The system of claim 13, the grid map server further operable to generate the grid map image data for a virtual organization, the virtual organization comprising a group of users.

22. The system of claim 13, the grid map server further operable to:

receive a grid map cursor location;

determine that a particular cell of the one or more cells is associated with the grid map cursor location; and

generate updated grid map image data operable to initiate display of a context information window for the particular cell.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of availability parameters comprises at least one of the following:

a distributed system name parameter indicating a name for a distributed system;

a distributed system type parameter indicating a type for the distributed system;

a distributed system timestamp parameter indicating a timestamp of the distributed system; and

a distributed system operational parameter indicating whether the distributed system is operational.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the grid map comprises a hierarchical view of the one or more areas and the one or more cells.