Computer operation management system

• US 6,170,010 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirata, Toshiaki, Urano, Akihiro, Fujino, Shuji, Matsumura, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/188,263
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/208, 709/223, 709/224, 709/100, 709/101, 714/4, 714/15, 714/57, 714/805, 705/8, 705/11, 706/47, 345/331
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2273 Test methods
• 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 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• 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 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

In a computer system to which a plurality of computers are connected, a managing computer manages operations performed in the respective computers in an integrated manner, or manages the operations in relation to the computers themselves. As a result, problems occurring in the processes can be easily solved, and furthermore a load on a network is reduced. The managing computer manages a series of operations in an integrated manner in which when an operation is executed by each of the plurality of computers, or by the respective computers in combination with each other, the managing computer performs an operation designated when a specific event happens to occur on a computer. The managing computer displays each of the operations executed on the computers by a symbol; displays an execution sequence of the operations by a link with a direction among symbols; and further displays an execution condition of the computer by a color of a symbol. As a consequence, both an operation monitor screen and a computer monitor screen are mutually switched to display the switched monitor screen while setting a relationship between the computers and the operations, and the relationship between the operations and the computers are clearly represented.

Claims

1. In a computer operation management system in which a plurality of computers are connected via a network to a managing computer, said managing computer comprising:

means for managing a series of operations collectively said series of operations including an on-off operation of a power supply, a job performing operation, an execution result output operation and a designated operation to be performed when a specific event happens to occur with respect to the respective computers and combination thereof;

operation monitoring means for representing the respective operation performed on the computers by symbols, for representing an execution order of the respective operation by links with directions among the symbols, and further for representing execution conditions of the respective operation by colors of the symbols;

computer monitoring means for representing a connection relationship among the computers by links among symbols, and furthermore for representing operation conditions of the computers by colors of symbols; and

means for mutually switching a monitor screen displayed by said operation monitoring means and a monitor screen displayed by said computer monitoring means to display the switched monitor screen, while making a relationship between the computers and the operation executed on the computers, and manifesting the relationship among the operation and the computers.

2. A computer operation managing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying the computer symbols of said computer monitoring means in a plurality of colors in accordance with conditions of the computers; and

means for displaying the operation symbols of said operation monitoring means in a plurality of colors in accordance with conditions of the operation.

3. A computer operation managing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying thereon a message in which a change in the operation and the condition of the computer is notified as an event on the managing computer; and

means for changing a display color of the message in accordance with an importance degree of the event.

4. A computer operation managing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for instructing a previously designated computer to perform an operation of a previously designated operation when a specific event is received.

5. A computer operation managing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for referring to conditions of the respective computers managed by said computer monitoring means when an operation cannot be completed under normal condition due to a cause of computers, or an application program, and for instructing the computers operated under normal condition to retry the operations by back tracking to a time instant when the operation can be retried.

6. A computer operation managing system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

means for regularly acquiring load conditions of the respective computers whose operation should be executed;

means for monitoring a time instant of an execution result with respect to a scheduled execution time instant of an operation; and

means for interrupting the execution of operation on said computer at an execution point of a switchable operation when said execution result time instant executes a predesignated time range, and for instructing such a computer whose load is lower than a predetermined load to execute an operation from a next execution point.

7. A computer operation management method for a system in which a plurality of computers are connected via a network to a managing computer, comprising the steps:

managing a series of operations collectively said series of operations including an on-off operation of a power supply, a job performing operation, an execution result output operation and a designated operation to be performed when a specific event happens to occur with respect to the respective computers and combination thereof;

representing the respective operation performed on the computers by symbols, for representing an execution order of the respective operation by links with directions among the symbols, and further for representing execution conditions of the respective operation by colors of the symbols;

representing a connection relationship among the computers by links among symbols, and furthermore for representing operation conditions of the computers by colors of symbols; and

mutually switching a monitor screen displayed by said operation monitoring means and a monitor screen displayed by said computer monitoring means to display the switched monitor screen, while making a relationship between the computers and the operation executed on the computers, and manifesting the relationship among the operation and the computers.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon for implementing the operation of a computer operation management using a processor in a system in which a plurality of computers are connected via a network to a managing computer, said computer program comprising:

means enabling the processor to manage a series of operations collectively, said series of operations including an on-off operation of a power supply, a job performing operation, an execution result output operation and a designated operation to be performed when a specific event happens to occur with respect to the respective computers and combination thereof;

application monitoring means for enabling the processor to represent the respective operation performed on the computers by symbols, for representing an execution order of the respective applications by links with directions among the symbols, and further to represent execution conditions of the respective applications by colors of the symbols;

computer monitoring means for enabling the processor to represent a connection relationship among the computers by links among symbols, and furthermore to represent operation conditions of the computers by colors of symbols; and

means for enabling the processor to mutually switch a monitor screen displayed by said operation monitoring means and a monitor screen displayed by said computer monitoring means to display the switched monitor screen, while making a relationship between the computers and the applications executed on the computers, and to manifest the relationship among the application and computers.