METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATED SELF-HEALING VIRTUAL ASSETS

• US 20160034359A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Cabrera, Luis Felipe, Lietz, M. Shannon
• Granted Patent: US 10,102,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/301 where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45591 Monitoring or debugging support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/568 eliminating virus, restoring damaged files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms

Abstract

A method and system for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations from a virtual asset include receiving a first operating policy from an asset management computing environment, according to one embodiment. The method and system includes receiving a library of repairs from the asset management computing environment, according to one embodiment. The method and system includes detecting events, with the virtual asset, at least partially based on operational characteristics of the virtual asset exceeding at least one of the thresholds, according to one embodiment. The method and system includes repairing the virtual asset, with the virtual asset, using the library of repairs to return the virtual asset to the pre-determined state of operation.

Claims

1. A computing system implemented method for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations from a virtual asset, comprising:

receiving, with a computing environment hosting the virtual asset, a first operating policy from an asset management computing environment,

wherein the virtual asset provides one or more computing services to one or more users,

wherein the virtual asset includes an allocation of one or more hardware and software resources from the computing environment,

wherein the asset management computing environment parsed the first operating policy from a second operating policy,

wherein the first operating policy includes thresholds for the virtual asset;

receiving, with the computing environment, a library of repairs from the asset management computing environment;

detecting events, with the virtual asset, at least partially based on operational characteristics of the virtual asset exceeding at least one of the thresholds,

wherein the events represent a deviation of the virtual asset from a pre-determined state of operation; and

repairing the virtual asset, with the virtual asset, using the library of repairs to return the virtual asset to the pre-determined state of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thresholds include at least one of a usage percentage of total computer processing capacity of the virtual asset, a usage percentage of total memory capacity of the virtual asset, a quantity of incoming traffic, a frequency of received requests, a quantity of outgoing traffic, and detection of a signature within incoming traffic that is associated with a potential security threat.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual asset is one of multiple virtual assets and the multiple virtual assets represent a virtual asset container,

wherein each of the multiple virtual assets in the virtual asset container share at least one common characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the common characteristic is at least one of a service provided, a geographic location, and a class of virtual asset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the class of virtual asset includes at least one of a virtual machine class, a virtual server class, a virtual database class, an application development process class, and an application class.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the library of repairs includes one or more settings, files, and properties.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the settings include software settings or default firewall settings.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the files include at least one of an application installation file, and a malware repair file.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the properties include network properties.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the operational characteristics of the virtual asset, with the virtual as set.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the library of repairs is a first library of repairs parsed from a second library of repairs by the asset management computing environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating policy includes rules for the virtual asset, wherein the rules for the virtual asset are specific to characteristics of the virtual asset.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the library of repairs includes excludes repairs that are irrelevant to the virtual asset.

14. A computing system implemented method for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations within a virtual asset container, comprising:

receiving, with a first computing environment, a first operating policy from a second computing environment,

wherein the first computing environment includes the virtual asset container,

wherein the virtual asset container includes a first plurality of virtual assets,

wherein the first plurality of virtual assets share one or more common characteristics,

wherein the virtual asset container excludes a second plurality of virtual assets that lack the one or more common characteristics,

wherein each of the first plurality of virtual assets includes an allocation of one or more hardware and software resources from the first computing environment,

wherein the second computing environment parsed the first operating policy from a second operating policy,

wherein the first operating policy includes thresholds for the first plurality of virtual assets;

receiving, with the first computing environment, a library of repairs from the second computing environment;

detecting events, one of the first plurality of virtual assets, at least partially based on operational characteristics of the one of the first plurality of virtual assets exceeding at least one of the thresholds,

wherein the events represent a deviation of the one of the first plurality of virtual assets from a pre-determined state of operation; and

repairing the one of the first plurality of virtual assets, with the one of the first plurality of virtual assets, using the library of repairs to return the one of the first plurality of virtual assets to the pre-determined state of operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thresholds include at least one of a usage percentage of total computer processing capacity of the first plurality of virtual assets, a usage percentage of total memory capacity of the first plurality of virtual assets, a quantity of incoming traffic, a frequency of received requests, a quantity of outgoing traffic, and detection of a signature within incoming traffic that is associated with a potential security threat.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more common characteristics are at least one of a service provided, a geographic location, and a class of virtual asset.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the class of virtual asset includes at least one of a virtual machine class, a virtual server class, a virtual database class, an application development process class, and an application class.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein first operating policy and the library of repairs is based at least partially on the one or more common characteristics.

19. A system for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations from a virtual asset, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations from the virtual asset, the process including;

receiving, with a computing environment hosting the virtual asset, a first operating policy from an asset management computing environment,

wherein the virtual asset provides one or more computing services to one or more users,

wherein the virtual asset includes an allocation of one or more hardware and software resources from the computing environment,

wherein the asset management computing environment parsed the first operating policy from a second operating policy,

wherein the first operating policy includes thresholds for the virtual asset;

receiving, with the computing environment, a library of repairs from the asset management computing environment;

detecting events, with the virtual asset, at least partially based on operational characteristics of the virtual asset exceeding at least one of the thresholds,

wherein the events represent a deviation of the virtual asset from a pre-determined state of operation; and

repairing the virtual asset, with the virtual asset, using the library of repairs to return the virtual asset to the pre-determined state of operation.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the thresholds include at least one of a usage percentage of total computer processing capacity of the virtual asset, a usage percentage of total memory capacity of the virtual asset, a quantity of incoming traffic, a frequency of received requests, a quantity of outgoing traffic, and detection of a signature within incoming traffic that is associated with a potential security threat.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the virtual asset is one of multiple virtual assets and the multiple virtual assets represent a virtual asset container,

wherein each of the multiple virtual assets in the virtual asset container share at least one common characteristic.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the common characteristic is at least one of a service provided, a geographic location, and a class of virtual asset.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the class of virtual asset includes at least one of a virtual machine class, a virtual server class, a virtual database class, an application development process class, and an application class.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the library of repairs includes one or more settings, files, and properties.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the library of repairs is a first library of repairs parsed from a second library of repairs by the asset management computing environment.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the first operating policy includes rules for the virtual asset, wherein the rules for the virtual asset are specific to characteristics of the virtual asset.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the library of repairs includes excludes repairs that are irrelevant to the virtual asset.

28. A system for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations within a virtual asset container, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for performing self-monitoring and self-healing operations within the virtual asset container, the process including;

receiving, with a first computing environment, a first operating policy from a second computing environment,

wherein the first computing environment includes the virtual asset container,

wherein the virtual asset container includes a first plurality of virtual assets,

wherein the first plurality of virtual assets share one or more common characteristics,

wherein the virtual asset container excludes a second plurality of virtual assets that lack the one or more common characteristics,

wherein each of the first plurality of virtual assets includes an allocation of one or more hardware and software resources from the first computing environment,

wherein the second computing environment parsed the first operating policy from a second operating policy,

wherein the first operating policy includes thresholds for the first plurality of virtual assets;

receiving, with the first computing environment, a library of repairs from the second computing environment;

detecting events, one of the first plurality of virtual assets, at least partially based on operational characteristics of the one of the first plurality of virtual assets exceeding at least one of the thresholds,

wherein the events represent a deviation of the one of the first plurality of virtual assets from a pre-determined state of operation; and

repairing the one of the first plurality of virtual assets, with the one of the first plurality of virtual assets, using the library of repairs to return the one of the first plurality of virtual assets to the pre-determined state of operation.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the thresholds include at least one of a usage percentage of total computer processing capacity of the first plurality of virtual assets, a usage percentage of total memory capacity of the first plurality of virtual assets, a quantity of incoming traffic, a frequency of received requests, a quantity of outgoing traffic, and detection of a signature within incoming traffic that is associated with a potential security threat.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more common characteristics are at least one of a service provided, a geographic location, and a class of virtual asset.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein first operating policy and the library of repairs is based at least partially on the one or more common characteristics.