User programmable computer monitoring system

• US 5,062,147 A
• Filed: 05/30/1990
• Issued: 10/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Votek Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Pickett, Thomas, Larson, Bjorn
• Primary Examiner(s): Hecker, Stuart N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUDOLPH, REBECCA
• Application Number:
  US07/529,710
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/188
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices

Abstract

A computer monitoring system. A serial message from a computer is received and analyzed in a user definable manner. This analysis causes one or more monitoring system activities to occur. These activities include a logging of the message, display of the message, announcement over a loudspeaker, and the placing of a telephone call to one or more people.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a) communications interface means for receiving computer generated digital communications messages caused by an event that has occurred in a computer system including one or more computers, where each communications message comprises a sequence of characters organized in a message format dependent on the computer system that conveys the nature of the event to a user;

b) programmable message action storage means for categorizing monitoring system responses to the events occurring within the computer system as indicated by said digital communications messages;

c) programmable message filtering means for interpreting the content of received messages to categorize each received message based upon a message format dependent user defined classification criteria and to derive a key into the message action storage means corresponding to one or more monitoring system responses;

d) input means for programming the programmable message action storage means and the programmable message filtering means to allow the user to customize a response to incoming messages from the computer system based upon the message format of messages originating from the computer system;

e) visual display means for displaying a sequence of characters based upon said communications messages on a display screen; and

f) alert means for apprising a user that one or more messages satisfying one of the user defined classification criteria have been received at the communications interface by implementing one or more monitoring system responses designated by the key;

said alert means including;

i) voice processor means for generating an audible voice warning message;

ii) means for displaying a visual warning message on the display screen; and

iii) communications means for transmitting a voice warning message to a remote site on a communications path.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising message tally means for storing instances of specific messages and the alert means comprises means for enunciating an audible message when the number of said specific messages exceed a threshold value.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the message filtering means comprises:

a) means for storing one or more criteria for categorizing each message;

b) means for storing the sequence of characters that form a message upon receipt at the communications interface means; and

c) means for examining the sequence of characters that form the message to determine if the criteria has been satisfied.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the visual display means comprises means for displaying a depiction of the computer system and means for updating the depiction based upon responses stored in the message action storage means in response to the receipt of one or more communications messages.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 additionally comprising status storage means for storing status information about the computer system and wherein the alert means additionally comprises means for updating the status storage means upon receipt of a digital communications message and for displaying a depiction of the status of the computer system derived from the status storage means.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 additionally comprising non-volatile storage means for storing voice data corresponding to a plurality of voice messages, said voice data accessed by the alert means to apprise the user concerning the status of the computer system.

7. A method for automated monitoring of messages from a computer system comprising the steps of:

a) receiving computer generated digital communications messages that include a sequence of user recognizable characters organized in a format to convey the status of a computer system from which the message originates and wherein the format of said communications messages is dependent on the computer system;

b) organizing communications message responses on a storage device and making the message responses accessible by a key that can be derived from the communications messages;

c) filtering one, some, or all characters from a received message based upon the format of communications messages received from the computer system to categorize said received message based upon a user defined classification criteria to derive the key into the storage device for determining an appropriate response;

d) storing an indication of the contents of said communications messages; and

e) if one or more messages satisfying the user defined classification criteria have been received then performing one or more of the substeps of;

i) generating an audible voice message;

ii) displaying a visual message; and

iii) transmitting a voice message to a remote site on a communications path.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the storing step stores a tally of instances of specific messages and the method further comprises the step of comparing the tally with a threshold and initiating the apprising step when the tally of said specific messages equals or exceeds the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the displaying step includes the additional substep of displaying a depiction of the status of the computer system on a display based upon messages received from the computer system.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising the additional step of storing an indication of the status of the computer system on a storage device, updating the status of the computer system based upon a key into a communications message response for updating the status of the computer system and displayed an updated depiction of the computer system on a display screen.

11. A monitoring system comprising:

a) a communications interface circuit for receiving computer generated digital communications messages that include a sequence of characters organized in a message format to apprise a user of a status of a computer system wherein the message format is dependent on the computer system;

b) a message action storage device for storing a number of monitoring system responses concerning the status of the computer system as indicated by said digital communications messages;

c) a user interface for entering the monitoring system responses into the message action storage device to customize the monitoring system response to incoming digital communications messages based upon the message format of the computer system;

d) a message processor programmable via the user interface for interpreting a character sequence of each communications message and categorizing said communications message based upon a user defined classification criteria to derive a key into the message action storage device corresponding to one or more monitoring system responses; and

e) circuitry responsive to the message processor for apprising a user that one or more messages satisfying the user defined classification criteria have been received at the communications interface by implementing one or more monitoring system responses designated by the key;

said circuitry including;

i) voice processor circuitry for generating an audible voice message;

ii) visual display circuitry for presenting a display on a visual monitor; and

iii) communications circuitry for transmitting a voice message to a remote site on a voice grade communications path.

12. A method for monitoring messages from a computer system including one or more computers comprising the steps of:

a) receiving computer generated digital communications messages that include a sequence of user recognizable characters organized in a message format to indicate a status of said computer system to the user wherein the message format is dependent on the computer system;

b) organizing responses to receipt of the communications messages on a storage device;

c) causing each received message to be filtered in a manner dependent on the format of the digital communications message to categorize received communications messages based upon a user defined classification criteria that provides a key into the storage device for determining an appropriate response to receipt of a message;

d) apprising a user that one or more messages filtered using the user defined classification criteria have provided a key that matches a response stored on the storage device, said apprising steps including;

i) generating an audible voice warning message;

ii) displaying a visual warning message; and

iii) transmitting a voice warning message to a remote site on a communications path.

13. The method of claim 12 additionally comprising the step of displaying a visual indication of the computer system and the apprising step comprising the substep of updating the visual indication in response to receipt of a computer generated digital communications message.

14. A monitoring system comprising:

a) communications interface means for receiving computer generated digital communications messages indicating a status of a computer system including one or more computers wherein the communications messages are organized in a message format dependent on the computer system;

b) message action storage means for storing a number of monitoring system responses to the status of said computer system as indicated by said digital communications messages;

c) status means for storing a status indication of one or more devices associated with said computer system;

d) processing means for interpreting each received message in a user defined manner based upon the message format to derive a key for identifying one or more responses stored in the message action storage means based upon a current state of the status means and updating a status indication of said one or more devices by means of a monitoring system response; and

e) alert means for apprising a user that one or more device thresholds stored in the status means have been reached by initiating one or more monitoring system responses;

said alert means including;

i) voice processor means for generating an audible voice message;

ii) visual display means for displaying a visual message; and

iii) communications means for transmitting a voice message to a remote site on a communications path.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14 additionally comprising user interface means for changing the contents of the status means to adjust the device thresholds.

16. The monitoring system of claim 14 additionally comprising filter means for storing a criteria which determines the manner in which the processor means analyzes the received messages.

17. The monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the visual display means comprises means for displaying a depiction of components of the computer system and means for updating the depiction of the components in response to the receipt of one or more communications messages.

18. The monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the status means comprises means for storing status information about one or more physical components of the one or more computers.

19. The monitoring system of claim 14 additionally comprising non-volatile storage means for storing voice data corresponding to a plurality of voice warning messages, said voice data accessed by the status alert means to apprise the user concerning the status of the one or more computers.

20. A monitoring system comprising a computer having:

a) a communications interface circuit for receiving computer generated digital communications signals in the form of a sequence of characters originating from one or more additional computers of a computer system;

b) a storage device for storing message action records which indicate a number of responses to the status of the computer system as indicated by said digital communications signals and status records for storing a status of one or more devices within the computer system;

c) a processor for filtering characters from a sequence of characters to form a key into the message action records, comparing the key with keys associated with message action records stored on the storage device and in the event of a match performing a task indicated by the message action record; and

d) user interface means for altering the contents of the message action records stored in the storage device to customize monitoring system response to messages received via the communications interface circuit and for programming responses of the processor to receipt of a sequence of characters;

e) alert circuitry responsive to the processor for apprising a user that one or more conditions satisfying a user defined criteria stored on the storage device have occurred by implementing one or more monitoring system responses;

said status alert circuitry including;

i) voice processor circuitry for generating an audible voice warning message;

ii) visual display circuitry for presenting a display on a visual monitor; and

iii) communications circuitry for transmitting a voice warning message to a remote site on a voice grade communications path.

21. A method for automated monitoring of a status of a computer system having one or more computers comprising the steps of:

a) receiving computer generated digital communications messages indicating a status of said computer system wherein a format of the digital communications messages is dependent on the computer system;

b) organizing status records defining a status of one or more devices associated with the one or more computers on a storage device;

c) organizing message action records indicating responses to received messages on a storage device;

d) filtering each received message in a manner dependent on the format of messages originating from the computer system to derive a key for identifying an appropriate message action record for the received message;

e) if called for by a message action record identified by the key, updating a status record and comparing the contents of the status record with a user defined threshold; and

f) if one or more status record thresholds are reached, apprising a user by performing one or more of the sub-steps of;

i) generating an audible voice warning message;

ii) displaying a visual warning message; and

iii) transmitting a voice warning message to a remote site on a communications path.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising the step of displaying a visual indication of the one or more computers and the apprising step comprising the substep of updating the visual indication in response to receipt of a computer generated digital communications message.