Centralized monitoring of activity in a distributed processing system

• US 5,345,589 A
• Filed: 02/02/1993
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: ROLM Co. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Gerald A., King, Rodman, Hamada, Elaine, Strickland, Carl, Jolissaint, Charles H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US08/012,976
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

Method for centralized monitoring of activity in a distributed processing system which permits a monitor to decipher the relative time sequence of events which occur in the distributed processing system. The method includes the step of generating information which can be used to decipher the relative time sequence of events, which information is appended to activity status messages, and the step of transmitting this information, along with the activity status messages, to the monitor.

Claims

1. Method for centralized monitoring and responding to activity in a distributed processing system by a monitor wherein users, referred to as initiator user, interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as initiator processors, in order to interact with other users, referred to as target users and wherein the target users interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as target processors, the method comprising the steps of:

one of the target processors generating information which can be used to determine relative time sequences of events within predetermined classes of events, which information comprises information which identifies the one of the target processors;

the one of the target processors transmitting the information to one of the initiator processors;

the one of the initiator processors appending the information to an activity status message pertaining to one of the predetermined classes of events at the one of the initiator processors;

the one of the initiator processors transmitting the information with the activity status message to the monitor;

the monitor receiving and storing activity status messages and information from initiator processors; and

the monitor analyzing the activity messages and information to determine relative time sequences of events within predetermined classes of events and responding to the activity messages in sequences in accordance with the relative time sequences.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating comprises the one of the target processors generating at least a portion of the information in response to a request from the one of the initiator processors.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of generating comprises the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information as information which identifies the one of the target processors uniquely with respect to the other target processors in the distributed processing system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of generating comprises the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information utilizing information which is maintained by the one of the target processors.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information utilizing information which is maintained by the one of the target processors comprises utilizing information which is maintained independent of any other target processors in the system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating comprises the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information by accessing a counter to obtain the value of the counter.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information by accessing a counter further comprises the step of incrementing the counter by a predetermined amount whenever an event occurs which requires the one of the target processors to take predetermined actions.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of the one of the target processors generating the at least a portion of the information by accessing a counter further comprises the step of recycling the counter after it reaches a predetermined value.

9. Apparatus for use in centralized monitoring and responding to activity in a distributed processing system by a monitor wherein users, referred to as initiator users, interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as initiator processors, in order to interact with other users, referred to as target users and wherein the target users interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as target processors, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating information in response to a request from a target processor, which request is made, in turn, in response to one of a predetermined class of events which occur as a result of a request which is transmitted to the target processor from an initiator processor, which information can be used to determine relative time sequences of events within the predetermined classes of events and which information comprises information which identifies the target processor;

means for transmitting the information to the initiator processor;

means, associated with the initiator processor, for transmitting the information to the monitor along with an activity status message pertaining the event

the monitor comprising means for receiving and storing activity status messages and information from initiator processors; and

the monitor comprising means for analyzing the activity messages and information to determining relative time sequences of events within predetermined classes of events and means for responding to the activity messages in sequences in accordance with the relative time sequences.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for generating information further comprises means for generating a number which indicates a sequence of events at the target processor.

11. Method for centralized monitoring and responding to activity in a distributed processing system by a monitor wherein user, referred to as initiator users, interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as initiator processors, in order to interact with other users, referred to as target users and wherein the target users interact with portions of the distributed processing system which are referred to as target processors, the method comprising the steps of:

one of the target processors generating information which can be used to determine relative time sequences of events within predetermined classes of events, which information comprises information which identifies the one of the target processors and an event sequence at the one of the target processors;

the one of the target processors transmitting the information to one of the initiator processors;

generating an activity status message at the initiator processor pertaining to one of the predetermined classes of events;

the one of the initiator processors transmitting the information with the activity status message to the monitor;

the monitor receiving and storing activity status messages and information from initiator processors; and

the monitor analyzing the activity messages and information to determine relative time sequences of events within predetermined classes of events and responding to the activity messages in sequences in accordance with the relative time sequences.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of the one of the target processors generating information comprises the step of generating event sequence information by accessing a counter which is associated with the target processor to obtain a count thereof.