SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING MACHINE FAULTS IN NETWORK USING ACOUSTIC MONITORING

• US 20110055669A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Likins, Adrian Karstan, Vidal, Seth Kelby, DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/799
• 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 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence

Abstract

Embodiments relate systems and methods for detecting machine faults in a network using acoustic monitoring. In embodiments, one or more servers, clients, or other machines in a managed network can have a microphone or other acoustic sensor integrated into motherboard or other hardware. The sensor can sample acoustic signals from inside or near the machine, and can digitize that data. The resulting set of acoustic data can be transmitted to a management server or other destination for analysis of the operating sounds related to that machine. For instance, the acoustic data can be analyzed to detect indications of a failed or failing hard drive, for instance by detecting spindle whine or head movement noises, or a failed or failing power supply based on other sounds. The management server can respond to potential fault events for instance by issuing configuration commands, such as instructions to power down the malfunctioning component.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring machines in a network, comprising:

capturing a set of acoustic data from a set of machines in a managed network; and

performing an event identification analysis on the set of acoustic data to identify one or more conditions in a corresponding machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of acoustic data comprises a set of acoustic signals captured via at least one acoustic sensor in the machine.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising performing an analog to digital conversion of the set of acoustic signals to generate a digital representation of the set of acoustic signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the event identification analysis comprises performing a spectral analysis of the digital representation of the set of acoustic signals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the event identification analysis comprises generating a comparison of the spectral analysis to a set of event signatures stored in a recognition file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of event signatures comprises at least one of an acoustic signature of a malfunctioning disk, an acoustic signature of a malfunctioning power supply, and an acoustic signature of a malfunction machine motherboard.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a configuration command from a management server to a corresponding machine based on results of the event identification analysis.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the configuration command comprises at least a power control command.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the set of acoustic data to at least one of a corresponding machine and a remote management database.

10. A network management system, comprising:

an interface to a set of machines in a network; and

a management server, communicating with the set of machines via the interface, the management server being configured to—

receive a set of acoustic data captured from the set of machines, and

perform an event identification analysis on the set of acoustic data to identify one or more conditions in a corresponding machine.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of acoustic data comprises a set of acoustic signals captured via at least one acoustic sensor in the machine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the management server is further configured to perform an analog to digital conversion of the set of acoustic signals to generate a digital representation of the set of acoustic signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the event identification analysis comprises performing a spectral analysis of the digital representation of the set of acoustic signals.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the event identification analysis comprises generating a comparison of the spectral analysis to a set of event signatures stored in a recognition file.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the set of event signatures comprises at least one of an acoustic signature of a malfunctioning disk, an acoustic signature of a malfunctioning power supply, and an acoustic signature of a malfunction machine motherboard.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the management server is further configured to issue a configuration command to a corresponding machine based on results of the event identification analysis.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration command comprises at least a power control command.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the management server is further configured to store the set of acoustic data to at least one of a corresponding machine and a management database.

19. A machine in a managed network, comprising:

an interface to a remote management server;

a sensor; and

a processor, communicating with the sensor and the remote management server via the interface, the processor being configured to—

receive a set of acoustic data captured via the sensor, and

transmit the set of acoustic data to a remote management server to perform event identification analysis on the set of acoustic data to identify one or more conditions in the machine.

20. The machine of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to received a set of configuration commands from the remote management server based on the event identification analysis.