System and method for remotely monitoring a plurality of computer-based systems
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications, the system comprising:
- means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate data records, the information including user and system describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application;
means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data records to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; and
means resident on the server for processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server including the operation of the one or more software applications.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications is provided wherein a separate programmable nub gathers information about the computer-based system to generate black box data, the black box information is communicated over a communications link to a server upon the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event and the black box data is processed to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server. An apparatus residing on a computer-based system for remotely monitoring the computer-based system is also provided.
452 Citations
97 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications, the system comprising:
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means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate data records, the information including user and system describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data records to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; and means resident on the server for processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server including the operation of the one or more software applications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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20. The system of claim I wherein the server is located at the site of a software application developer and said system further comprising a second server computer located at the site of a customer, said second server further comprising means for receiving data records from the gathering means, means for determining whether to filter information out of the data records, and means for communicating the received and any filtered data records to the server at the site of the software application developer.
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40. A method for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications, the method comprising:
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gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate data records, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application; communicating the data records to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; and processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. An apparatus resident on a computer-based system for monitoring the operation of the computer-based system connected to a central server, the computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications, the apparatus comprising:
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means for gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate a data record, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application; means for communicating the data record to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means for receiving configuration information from the server over the communications link to change the information that is going to be gathered by the gathering means; and means for receiving configuration information from the server in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. A system on a central computer for monitoring the operation of a software application being executed on a plurality of remote computer-based systems connected by a communications link to a central computer, the system comprising:
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means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the execution and operation of the software application to generate a data record the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data record to the central computer over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means resident on the server for processing the data records to generate data about the operation and execution of the software application being executed by the plurality of computer-based systems; and means for communicating configuration data from the central computer back to the gathering means in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means.
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92. A system in a central computer for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected by a network to the central computer, the system comprising:
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means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the operation of the particular computer-based system to generate a data record, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with the one or more software application; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data record to the central computer over the network upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means resident on the central computer for processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the network; and means for communicating configuration data from the central computer to the gathering means in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means.
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93. A system for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications and a plurality of hardware components associated therewith, the system comprising:
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means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate data records, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering events the predetermined triggering event including events associated with at least one of the plurality of associated hardware components; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data records to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; and means resident on the server for processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server including the operation of the one or more software applications.
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94. A method for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected to a server, each computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications and a plurality of hardware components associated therewith, the method comprising:
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gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate data records, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with at least one of the associated plurality of hardware components; communicating the data records to the server over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; and processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the server.
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95. An apparatus resident on a computer-based system for monitoring the operation of the computer-based system connected to a central server, the computer-based system having a microprocessor that executes one or more software applications and a plurality of hardware components associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:
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means for gathering information about the operation of the computer-based system including the one or more software applications to generate a data record, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with at least one of the plurality of associated hardware components; means for communicating the data record to the server over a communications link upon tie occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means for receiving configuration information from the server over the communications link to change the information that is going to be gathered by the gathering means; and means for receiving configuration information from the server in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means.
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96. A system on a central computer for monitoring the operation of a software application being executed on a plurality of remote computer-based systems connected by a communications link to a central computer, the system comprising:
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means resident on each compute-based system for gathering information about the execution and operation of the software application to generate a data record, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with at least one of a plurality of hardware components associated with the computer-based system; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data record to the central computer over a communications link upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means resident on the server for processing the data records to generate data about the operation and execution of the software application being executed by the plurality of computer-based systems; and means for communicating configuration data from the central computer back to the gathering means in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means.
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97. A system in a central computer for monitoring the operation of a plurality of computer-based systems connected by a network to the central computer, the system comprising:
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means resident on each computer-based system for gathering information about the operation of the particular computer-based system to generate a data record, the information including user and system data describing an event sequence occurring prior to and after a predetermined triggering event, the predetermined triggering event including events associated with at least one of a plurality of hardware components associated with the computer-based system; means resident on each computer-based system for communicating the data record to the central computer over the network upon the occurrence of the predetermined triggering event; means resident on the central computer for processing the data records to generate data that is used to monitor the operation of the plurality of computer-based systems connected to the network; and means for communicating configuration data from the central computer to the gathering means in order to determine what information is going to be gathered by the gathering means.
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Specification