Dynamic test update in a remote computer monitoring system

• US 6,085,244 A
• Filed: 03/17/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wookey, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Kenneth W
• Application Number:
  US08/819,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.54, 395/183.13, 395/184.01, 395/183.02, 395/200.53, 395/200.32, 709/223, 709/224, 709/202, 714/25, 714/26
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A remote monitoring system automatically communicates system diagnostic information from a monitored computer system to a remote service center at regular intervals. The monitored computer system includes a plurality of monitored computers coupled together by a network. One of the monitored computers is a master and others of the monitored computers are slaves coupled to the master. The monitored computers store system diagnostic information resulting from execution of diagnostic programs. The diagnostic information from the slaves is collected at a memory location accessible by the master before the diagnostic information from all of the monitored computers is communicated to the remote monitoring computer system. The remote monitoring computer system receives the diagnostic information at predetermined intervals and incorporates the diagnostic information into a searchable database. The diagnostic information includes data indicating currently installed hardware and software components on the monitored system. The remote monitoring computer system compares the current diagnostic information with previously received diagnostic information to determine if new components exist in the monitored system. If a new component exists, the remote monitoring computer system provides a new diagnostic test which is automatically incorporated into the diagnostics executed by the monitored system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a first computer system from a second computer system, the first computer system including a plurality of monitored computers linked together by a network, comprising:

executing diagnostics programs on the monitored computers to generate diagnostic results, the diagnostic results including an indication of currently installed components on each of the monitored computers;

communicating the diagnostic results, including the indication of currently installed components to the second computer system, at a programmable periodic interval;

comparing, in the second computer system, the indication of currently installed components on each of the monitored computers with a previously received indication of installed components, to determine if a different component configuration exists on any of the monitored computers;

providing a notification indication if the different component configuration exists;

in response to the notification indication, when the different configuration includes a new component providing a new diagnostic test for the new component to the first computer system from the second computer system;

receiving at one of the monitored computers the new diagnostic test and indicating information of which of the monitored computers require the new test; and

providing the new test to selected ones of the monitored computers according to the indicating information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the components include hardware and software elements.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the notification indication is an email to a designated address.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the new test on the selected ones of the monitored computers to run on the selected ones of the monitored computers, with a default schedule.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the new test is received by the first computer system during a communication between the first and second computer systems at the programmable periodic interval.

6. A method of monitoring a first computer system from a second computer system, the first computer system including a plurality of monitored computers linked together by a network, comprising:

executing diagnostics programs on the monitored computers to generate diagnostic results, the diagnostic results including an indication of currently installed components on each of the monitored computers;

communicating the diagnostic results, including the indication of currently installed components to the second computer system, at a programmable periodic interval;

comparing, in the second computer system, the indication of currently installed components on each of the monitored computers with a previously received indication of installed components, to determine if a different component configuration exists on any of the monitored computers;

providing a notification indication if the different component configuration exists; and

in response to the notification indication of the new component, searching a product database in the second computer system containing existing diagnostic tests for a preexisting diagnostic test for the new component, and sending the preexisting diagnostic test to at least one of the monitored computers if the product database contains the preexisting diagnostic test.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising, creating a new diagnostic test if the product database does not contain an existing diagnostic test for the new component.

8. A method of monitoring a first computer system from a second computer system, comprising:

executing a plurality of diagnostic tests in the first computer system to generate diagnostic test results, the diagnostic tests on the first computer system being programmably scheduled;

receiving the diagnostic test results of the first computer system at the second computer system, at periodic intervals;

comparing in the second computer system, the diagnostic test results with previously received diagnostic results, to determine if a component configuration in the first computer system has changed;

providing a notification indication if the component configuration has changed;

in response to the notification indication, providing a new diagnostic test when the changed component configuration indicates a new component exists, the new diagnostic test being provided to the first computer system from the second computer system;

receiving at the first computer system, the new diagnostic test and indicating information of which of selected computers in the first computer system require the new test; and

providing the new test to selected computers according to the indicating information.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the component configuration includes hardware and software elements.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the notification indication is an email to a designated address.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the new test is received by the first computer system by email.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the diagnostic test results include hardware and software configuration information.

13. A remote monitoring computer system comprising:

a monitoring computer system communicatively coupled to receive diagnostic test results from a plurality of monitored computers at programmable periodic intervals;

storage media in the monitoring computer system storing the diagnostic information communicated from the monitored computers over multiple ones of the programmable periodic intervals in a data base to provide a history of the diagnostic information;

a comparison program stored on computer readable media in the monitoring computer system operable to compare portions of the diagnostic test results indicating currently installed components with previous portions of test results indicating installed components, stored in the data base, and to generate a notification thereof, thereby providing an indication of a change of components in the monitored computers; and

a new diagnostic test program stored on computer readable media in the monitoring computer system, the monitoring computer system operable to provide the new diagnostic program to at least one of the monitored computers in response to the indication of a change of components indicating a new component.

14. The remote monitoring system as recited in claim 13 wherein the installed components include hardware and software elements.

15. The remote monitoring computer system as recited in claim 13 wherein the monitored computers are coupled together in a network.

16. The remote monitoring system as recited in claim 13 wherein the notification includes an email to a designated address.

17. The remote monitoring system as recited in claim 13 wherein the monitoring computer system is communicatively coupled via email to receive diagnostic test results sent from a plurality of monitored computers at the programmable periodic intervals.