Reducing Redundant Error Messages In A Computing System

• US 20120124195A1
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bird, John J.
• Application Number:
  US12/946,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

Reducing redundant error messages in a computing system, including: determining whether an endpoint in the computing system is being monitored by two or more management systems; selecting, from among the two or more management systems, a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint; and assigning the primary management system to monitor the endpoint.

Claims

1. A method of reducing redundant error messages in a computing system, the method comprising:

determining whether an endpoint in the computing system is being monitored by two or more management systems;

selecting in dependence upon a negotiation algorithm, from among the two or more management systems, a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint; and

assigning the primary management system to monitor the endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising disabling all management systems other than the primary management system from monitoring the endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

identifying, by a management system, that the management system is monitoring the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

receiving, by a management system, an error from the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint includes negotiating, by each of the management systems that is monitoring the endpoint, which management system is to be selected as the primary management system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the primary management system, an error condition from the endpoint; and

reporting, by the primary management system, those error conditions for the endpoint.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the endpoint includes monitoring errors reported by the endpoint.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the endpoint includes monitoring performance conditions at the endpoint.

9. Apparatus for reducing redundant error messages in a computing system, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

determining whether an endpoint in the computing system is being monitored by two or more management systems;

selecting in dependence upon a negotiation algorithm, from among the two or more management systems, a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint; and

assigning the primary management system to monitor the endpoint.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of disabling all management systems other than the primary management system from monitoring the endpoint.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

identifying, by a management system, that the management system is monitoring the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

receiving, by a management system, an error from the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint includes negotiating, by each of the management systems that is monitoring the endpoint, which management system is to be selected as the primary management system.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by the primary management system, an error condition from the endpoint; and

reporting, by the primary management system, those error conditions for the endpoint.

15. A computer program product for reducing redundant error messages in a computing system, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

determining whether an endpoint in the computing system is being monitored by two or more management systems;

selecting in dependence upon a negotiation algorithm, from among the two or more management systems, a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint; and

assigning the primary management system to monitor the endpoint.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the step of disabling all management systems other than the primary management system from monitoring the endpoint.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

identifying, by a management system, that the management system is monitoring the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein determining whether an endpoint is being monitored by two or more management systems includes:

receiving, by a management system, an error from the endpoint; and

polling all other management systems to determine whether another management system is monitoring the endpoint.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein selecting a primary management system that is responsible for monitoring the endpoint includes negotiating, by each of the management systems that is monitoring the endpoint, which management system is to be selected as the primary management system.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by the primary management system, an error condition from the endpoint; and

reporting, by the primary management system, those error conditions for the endpoint.