Process for monitoring a plurality of object types of a plurality of nodes from a management node in a data processing system by distributing configured agents

• US 6,122,664 A
• Filed: 06/27/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evidan
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Boukobza, Marcel, Sitbon, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US08/884,093
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/118, 395/117, 395/200.09, 395/700, 709/223, 709/222, 709/224, 709/202, 709/217, 709/220, 709/243
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for monitoring a plurality of object types of a plurality of nodes (N1, N2, . . . , Nn) comprising a management node (MN) in an information system. Monitoring is configured and then distributed in a filtered way from the management node (MN) to autonomous agents (SAA), an autonomous agent being installed in each node to be monitored in order, by providing intertype correlation, either to locally process the different object types or all of the objects of a domain called a global object, defined generically, or to feed back information to be displayed to the graphical interface of the management node, each agent comprising a plurality of specific modules (SM1, SM2, . . . , SMn) specific to the different object types or to a particular domain, each specific module measuring static and dynamic parameters particular to the object type it monitors and collecting said measurements, testing conditions on said parameters relative to predefined thresholds and possibly triggering actions associated with said tested conditions, which parameters, conditions and actions can be modified by the user of the management node.

Claims

1. A process for monitoring from a management node in a data processing system a plurality of object types of a plurality of nodes comprising:

configuring and then distributing monitoring functions in a filtered way from the management node to at least one autonomous agent installed on each node to be monitored, each autonomous agent comprising a plurality of monitoring modules specific to different object types or to a particular domain, wherein after said distributing step said at least one agent operates independently without direct control from the management node

providing intertype correlation to an autonomous agent to locally process the different object types or all of the objects of a domain defined as a global object or to feed back information to be displayed to a graphical interface of the management node,

measuring, by each specific monitoring module, static and dynamic parameters particular to the object type that the specific monitoring module monitors,

collecting the measurements, said collecting being performed by said autonomous agents;

testing conditions on said dynamic parameters relative to predefined thresholds, said testing being performed by said autonomous agents;

initiating actions associated with said tested conditions, which parameters, conditions and actions can be modified by a user of the management node.

3. A monitoring process according to claim 1, for the application of which the autonomous agent installed in each node to be monitored is composed of a generic agent related to a plurality of specific modules, each of which is specific to an object type or to a particular domain, said autonomous agent being composed of files containing the basic functions used so as to avoid loading files after the configuring and then distributing monitoring functions, each node to be monitored also having separately designated files for the respective node, including files of parameters, conditions and associated actions for controlling its own monitoring and for processing of the different object types, the further step of measuring the parameters, evaluating the conditions and initiating the actions linked to the conditions for all the objects described.

6. A monitoring process according to claim 3, for the application of which, when a condition that is not linked to a parameter relates to one or more parameters and thus to one or more objects, processing said condition in the management node by a generic management agent which processes the conditions in a plurality of nodes, the generic management agent initiating the action in the management node.

7. A monitoring process according to claim 6, in which the operation of the generic management agent occurs in the following way:

reading of the generic management agent configuration file, syntactic and semantic analysis,

merging of the configuration file supplied by the management node and the configuration file supplied by the specific modules,

sending the resulting configuration file to each agent, filtering relative to the objects to be monitored in the node and taking into account problems inherent to malfunctioning nodes or to nodes provided for backing up the data of a malfunctioning node in another node.

8. A monitoring process according to claim 6, in which the operation of the generic management agent occurs in the following way:

reading of the generic management agent configuration file, syntactic and semantic analysis,

merging of the configuration file supplied by the management node and the configuration file supplied by the specific modules,

sending the resulting configuration file to each agent, filtering relative to the objects to be monitored in the node and taking into account problems inherent to malfunctioning nodes or to nodes provided for backing up the data of a malfunctioning node in another node.

9. A monitoring process according to claim 7, in which the operation of the generic agent of a node to be monitored occurs in the following way:

reading of the generic management agent configuration file, only the objects local to this node being processed,

constructing an object table,

constructing a parameter configuration table,

constructing a parameter value table;

each parameter of each object having at least one place for storing its value or values, the number of places to be reserved for said parameter of said object having been calculated,

supplying a multiple condition table,

supplying the basic functions for the use of the specific modules for some functions and for external actions for other functions,

starting operation of the specific modules having an object to be monitored,

some specific modules having their own operation, while others being grouped in a single operation,

configuring a file monitoring service so as to allow a log file scanning operation of all objects described,

evaluating of each multiple condition, with its period;

by searching for the values of the parameters in a table of parameter values or via a basic function, and

if the multiple condition is true, initiating the internal or external action, and

verifying the proper functioning of the specific modules, sending of a special parameter and wait for the response.

10. A monitoring process according to claim 8, for which the operation of the generic agent of a node to be monitored occurs in the following way:

reading of the generic management agent configuration file, only the objects local to this node being processed,

constructing an object table,

constructing a parameter configuration table,

constructing a parameter value table;

each parameter of each object having at least one place for storing its value or values, the number of places to be reserved for said parameter of said object having been calculated,

supplying a multiple condition table,

supplying the basic functions for the use of the specific modules for some functions and for external actions for other functions,

starting operation of the specific modules having an object to be monitored,

some specific modules having their own operation, while others being grouped in a single operation,

configuring a file monitoring service so as to allow a log file scanning operation of all objects described,

evaluating of each multiple condition, with its period;

by searching for the values of the parameters in a table of parameter values or via a basic function, and

if the multiple condition is true, initiating the internal or external action, and

verifying the proper functioning of the specific modules, sending of a special parameter and wait for the response.

11. A monitoring process according to claim 9, for which the operation of a specific module occurs in the following way:

scanning of the parameter configuration table, processing only its own objects;

sorting already sorted parameters in increasing period order, and

for each parameter of each object, according to the period performing the measurement using an internal command corresponding to a predefined parameter or external command, placing the measurement in the parameter value table, and

if an analysis is executed, storing the value in the global trace file of the autonomous agent,

if a display is required, displaying the value or the status,

evaluating the single condition, and if the single condition exists, and initiating an internal or external action if the condition is true, and

processing unexpected requests for real-time parameter measurement.

12. A monitoring process according to claim 11, for which the operation of the generic agent of a node to be monitored occurs in the following way:

reading of the generic management agent configuration file, only the objects local to this node being processed,

constructing an object table,

constructing a parameter configuration table,

constructing a parameter value table;

each parameter of each object having at least one place for storing its value or values, the number of places to be reserved for said parameter of said object having been calculated,

supplying a multiple condition table,

supply the basic functions for the use of the specific modules for some functions and for external actions for other functions,

starting operation of the specific modules having an object to be monitored,

some specific modules having their own operation, while others being grouped in a single operation,

configuring a file monitoring service so as to allow a log file scanning operation of all objects described,

evaluating of each multiple condition, with its period;

by searching for the values of the parameters in a table of parameter values or via a basic function, and

if the multiple condition is true, initiating the internal or external action, and

verifying the proper functioning of the specific modules, sending of a special parameter and waiting for the response_--.

13. A monitoring process according to claim 9, in which, when a predefined or external action requests the value of a parameter of an object monitored by a node other than the node in which the action is executed, transferring said request by the basic function which requests the value to the management node and then directing said request to the appropriate node, while the value is returned in-the reverse direction.

14. A monitoring process according to claim 12, in which, when a predefined or external action requests the value of a parameter of an object monitored by a node other than the node in which the action is executed, transferring said request by the basic function which requests the value to the management node and then directing said request to the appropriate node, while the value is returned in the reverse direction.

15. A monitoring process according to claim 13, in which one of the basic functions presented is provided for returning to the management node the parameter log files as well as the action log files of each node monitored, for the independent analysis performed by the management node.

16. A monitoring process according to claim 14, in which one of the basic functions presented is provided for returning to the management node the parameter log files as well as the action log files of each node monitored, for the independent analysis performed by the management node.

17. A monitoring process according to claim 11, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

18. A monitoring process according to claim 12, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

19. A monitoring process according to claim 13, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

20. A monitoring process according to claim 14, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

21. A monitoring process according to claim 15, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

22. A monitoring process according to claim 16, for which the processing of a parameter is carried out as follows:

if the parameter is valid and the period determined, then the measurement is executed,

if a condition on a parameter exists and the parameter is valid, then the condition is evaluated.

23. A monitoring process according to claim 11, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

wherein the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an action is predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

24. A monitoring process according to claim 12, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

wherein the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an action predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

25. A monitoring process according to claim 13, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an action is predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

26. A monitoring process according to claim 14, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

wherein the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an is action predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

27. A monitoring process according to claim 15, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

wherein the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an action is predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

28. A monitoring process according to claim 16, for which the processing of the actions is carried out as follows:

the generic agent and the specific modules request to initiate an action is predefined or supplied from the outside,

any action receives arguments which represent the context that triggers the action, and in the case of a multiple condition, the object identifier, the parameter identifier, the number of the condition, and

in the case of a single condition, the measured value of the parameter, its threshold and its hysteresis, the operator.

2. A monitoring process according to claim for the application of which the management node includes, a graphical user interface for the display of the selected objects and the display of parameter value curves, a configuration file containing all of the configurations of the objects with the description of said objects as well as all of the predefined static or dynamic parameters, further including the steps of analyzing the configuration file and dynamically modifying or adding to status files of the nodes to be monitored and parameter display files, and storing the parameters measured in a trace file for display through the graphical interface.

4. A monitoring process according to claim 2, for the application of which the autonomous agent installed in each node to be monitored is composed of a generic agent related to a plurality of specific modules, each of which is specific to an object type or to a particular domain, and of files containing the basic functions used, each node to be monitored also having its own files of parameters, conditions and associated actions for controlling its own monitoring and for processing of the different object types, the further step of measuring the parameters, evaluating the conditions and initiating the actions linked to the conditions for all the objects described.

5. A monitoring process according to claim 2, for the applicaton of which, when a condition that is not linked to a parameter relates to one or more parameters and thus to one or more objects, processing said condition in the management node by a generic management agent which processes the conditions in a plurality of nodes, the generic management agent initiating the action in the management node.