Systems and Methods for Managing Multi-Component Systems in an Infrastructure

• US 20090249129A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. (Stratus Technologies Bermuda Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. (Stratus Technologies Bermuda Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Femia, David
• Application Number:
  US12/241,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks

Abstract

The present invention discloses systems and methods to maintain a multi-component system. The methods include defining a performance factor to be maintained in a given system, and collecting by agents associated with a given container in the system data associated with the performance factor. The collected data is then used to generate a statistical model that describes the normal operating condition of a given system corresponding to the desired performance factor to be monitored. The method also includes collecting real time data corresponding to the desired performance factor, and finding deviations between the real time data and parameters in the statistical model in a given time range. If a deviation is found, an alert is sent to the user to notify the user of such a deviation. The method may further include a rules engine that launches a series of workflow steps after the user alert is triggered to provide mitigating steps for the users to perform to reduce any problem in the system before such deviation causes failure of the system.

Claims

1. A method of predicting an event of interest in a system having a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting data about a first component of the system;

generating a model of the system in response to the collected data, the model comprising a plurality of parameters, each having a predetermined value;

defining an event in response to the model;

collecting real time data about the system; and

notifying that an event will occur when real time data acquired about the system changes relative to a predetermined value of a parameter in the model.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the model is a statistical model generated in response to historic data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined value is one of a plurality of thresholds and the parameter is one of a plurality of critical performance factors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first component is associated with a first agent, the first agent collecting the real time data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first component is a container, wherein the container comprises at least one server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of informing at least one user of the potential occurrence of the event and providing a sequence of workflow steps to mitigate the event.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a sequence of workflow steps using a rules engine and at least one rule, the workflow steps selected to substantially keep the system in a normal operational state.

8. A method of maintaining a system having a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one performance factor associated with the system;

selecting a time period associated with the one performance factor, the time period spanning at least operational cycle of the system;

identifying two relative extrema that bound changes in the one performance factor;

generating a plurality of sub-ranges of the performance factor using the time period and the two relative extrema;

generating a model of the system in response to historic behavior of the system during each of the plurality of sub-ranges;

acquiring real time data about the system; and

notifying that an event of interest will occur when real time data acquired about the system signals a deviation from the historic behavior of the system during one of the plurality of sub-ranges.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the model is a statistical model generated in response to historic data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one component is associated with a first agent, the first agent collecting the real time data.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one component is a container, wherein the container comprises at least one server.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of informing at least one user of the potential occurrence of the event by providing a sequence of workflow steps to mitigate the event and maintain substantially continuous availability for the system.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating a sequence of workflow steps using a rules engine and at least one rule, the workflow steps selected to substantially maintain the system at a normal operational state.

14. A monitoring subsystem adapted to maintain a system having a plurality of components, the subsystem comprising:

a plurality of data collecting agents adapted to transmit information, each agent associated with one or more components of the system, the agents adapted to collect real time data associated with the system, the real time data comprising a plurality of datum, each datum having a range and a sub-range;

a memory element adapted to track changes in historic information associated with sub-ranges of data;

the sub-ranges of data corresponding to different operational states of the system; and

a processing unit adapted to receive the information from the plurality of agents, the processing unit further adapted to generate alerts in response to deviations in one or more sub-ranges of data as a forecast of a failure in one or more components of the system.