EARLY COLLECTION OF DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION

• US 20120179936A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: REED, DAVID C., MASSER, JOEL L., SMITH, MAX D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38.11
• 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 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0778 Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level

Abstract

Generation of diagnostic information of a computer-implemented system is made early so that the data is closer to the causation of errors or for performance analysis. At least one selected activity of the system is monitored from initiation of the activity, and the monitoring is for successful completion. Early collection of diagnostic information is provided by comparing the time of the activity without successful completion to an initial trigger, where the initial trigger is less than the time period for a time-out for the activity. If the time of the activity without successful completion exceeds the initial trigger, diagnostic information is collected and an initial dump of the diagnostic information is taken. In one example, a notification that the dump of diagnostic information has been taken is directed to the host or diagnostic terminal.

Claims

1. In a computer-implemented system, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one selected activity of said computer-implemented system from initiation for successful completion;

comparing time of said activity without said successful completion to an initial trigger, said initial trigger less than time period for time-out for said activity; and

if said time of said activity without said successful completion exceeds said initial trigger, collecting and taking an initial dump of diagnostic information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if said activity fails to complete successfully by said time-out period, providing a notification that said initial dump of diagnostic information has been taken.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, if said initial trigger is exceeded but said activity completes successfully by said time-out period, said initial dump of diagnostic information is deleted, and the occurrence of said initial dump is logged.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, if said initial trigger is exceeded but said activity completes successfully by said time-out period, said initial dump of diagnostic information is retained and an alternate notification is provided.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial trigger comprises a multiple of a measured standard deviation of times for successful completion of said activity.

6. The method of claim 5, additionally comprising initially analyzing said selected activity to ascertain a statistical basis for determining said standard deviation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein false positive activation of said initial trigger comprises successful completion of activity subsequent to said initial trigger;

missed activation of said initial trigger comprises indication of an error related to said activity without activation of said initial trigger; and

said initial trigger is adjustable in response to said false positive activation and said missed activation.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising:

subsequent to said initial trigger and said initial dump, collecting and taking successive dumps of diagnostic information with respect to said activity so long as said activity fails to complete successively and before said time-out period is exceeded.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said initial trigger comprises a multiple of a measured standard deviation of times for successful completion of said activity, and wherein each said successive dump is collected and taken at a timing having an exponential increase over said initial trigger, such that fewer dumps are taken as said activity proceeds.

10. A computer program product to generate diagnostic information of a computer-implemented system, comprising computer-usable storage medium having non-transient computer-usable program code embodied therein, said computer-usable program code comprising:

computer-usable program code to monitor at least one selected activity of said computer-implemented system from initiation for successful completion;

computer-usable program code to compare time of said activity without said successful completion to an initial trigger, said initial trigger less than time period for time-out for said activity; and

computer-usable program code to, if said time of said activity without said successful completion exceeds said initial trigger, collect and take an initial dump of diagnostic information.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, comprising computer-usable program code to, if said activity fails to complete successfully by said time-out period, provide a notification that said initial dump of diagnostic information has been taken.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, comprising computer-usable program code to, if said initial trigger is exceeded but said activity completes successfully by said time-out period, delete said initial dump of diagnostic information, and log the occurrence of said initial dump.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, comprising computer-usable program code to, if said initial trigger is exceeded but said activity completes successfully by said time-out period, retain said initial dump of diagnostic information and provide an alternate notification.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said initial trigger comprises a multiple of a measured standard deviation of times for successful completion of said activity.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, additionally comprising computer-usable program code to initially analyze said selected activity to ascertain a statistical basis for determining said standard deviation.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein false positive activation of said initial trigger comprises successful completion of activity subsequent to said initial trigger;

missed activation of said initial trigger comprises indication of an error related to said activity without activation of said initial trigger; and

said initial trigger is adjustable in response to said false positive activation and said missed activation.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, comprising computer-usable program code to:

subsequent to said initial trigger and said initial dump, collect and take successive dumps of diagnostic information with respect to said activity so long as said activity fails to complete successively and before said time-out period is exceeded.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said initial trigger comprises a multiple of a measured standard deviation of times for successful completion of said activity, and wherein each said successive dump is collected and taken at a timing having an exponential increase over said initial trigger, such that fewer dumps are taken as said activity proceeds.

19. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

at least one computer system comprising;

at least one computer-usable storage medium having non-transient computer-usable program code embodied therein; and

at least one computer processor implementing said computer-usable program code to;

monitor at least one selected activity of said computer-implemented system from initiation for successful completion;

compare time of said activity without said successful completion to an initial trigger, said initial trigger less than time period for time-out for said activity; and

if said time of said activity without said successful completion exceeds said initial trigger, collect and take an initial dump of diagnostic information.

20. The computer-implemented system of claim 19, wherein said at least one computer system additionally implements said computer-usable program code to, if said activity fails to complete successfully by said time-out period, provide a notification that said initial dump of diagnostic information has been taken.