Schema-based computer system health monitoring

• US 6,754,664 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bush, Eric N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US09/513,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 345/349, 709/223-224, 707/100-105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A hierarchical, object-oriented definition of the health of resources on a machine or network. A schema of objects is defined to represent machine and/or network health. One class of objects defines DataGroups that can be nested to represent machine resources. In addition to DataGroup objects, three other types of objects are defined in the schema, namely DataCollectors, Thresholds and Actions. DataCollectors are objects that when instantiated, collect data by polling or event notification. Threshold class objects as defined in the schema are associated with the DataCollector objects, and each provides the threshold or thresholds against which a DataCollector'"'"'s collected data is evaluated. Action objects specify what happens when a Threshold is violated, such as to send an e-mail, page someone, run a script, execute a command, or send a message alert to a console for an operator to see.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for monitoring a system resource, comprising:

setting collection properties of a collection object associated with the resource, the collection properties specifying information for collecting data from the resource;

setting a threshold in association with the collection object, the threshold including threshold properties specifying information for evaluating the data collected from the resource;

setting action data and throttling data of an action object, the throttling data determining when the action object will perform an action based on the action data in response to a status event provided by a threshold;

collecting the data from the resource via the collection object;

evaluating the data collected from the resource via the threshold properties of the threshold, and generating a status event when the evaluation indicates a threshold violation exists;

receiving the status event at the action object, evaluating the throttling data and performing the action when the evaluation of the throttling data indicates the action is to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection properties include a defined interval for how often to collect that data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection properties include a defined schedule for collecting the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection properties include information as to where to collect the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection properties include information as to how to collect the data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information as to how to collect the data corresponds to collection of data via polling.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information as to how to collect the data corresponds to collection of data via event notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold properties include a threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold properties include information that specifies how to use the collected data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold properties include condition information that specifies a test to apply to the collected data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold properties include duration information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, dynamically discovering the system resource.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource has a data group object associated therewith.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the data group object has another data group object hierarchically above it.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the data includes receiving an event.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the data includes polling for the data.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the data includes receiving information from a provider associated with the resource.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the data is received in an object instance via an object manager communicating with the provider.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein collecting the data includes providing a query to the object manager.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein collecting the data includes calling a method of the object manager.

21. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

22. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a first data field representing a collection object associated with a resource, the collection object including collection properties that specify information for collecting data from the resource;

a second data field representing a threshold object associated with the collection object, the threshold object including threshold properties that specify information for evaluating the data collected from the resource; and

a third data field representing an action object, the action object defining action properties that specify throttling data and at least one action to perform when at least one of the threshold properties is achieved and the throttling data indicates that the action should be performed.

23. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the collection properties include a defined interval for collecting the data.

24. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the collection properties include a defined schedule for collecting the data.

25. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the collection properties include information specifying where to collect the data.

26. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the collection properties include information indicating how to collect the data.

27. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, wherein the information indicating how to collect the data indicates polling.

28. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 26, wherein the information indicating how to collect the data indicates event-based collection.

29. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the threshold properties include information that specifies how to use the collected data.

30. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the threshold properties include information specifying a test or condition to apply to the collected information.

31. The computer-readable medium having stored thereon the data structure of claim 22, wherein the threshold properties include duration information.

32. In a computer system, a method for monitoring a plurality of system resources, comprising:

grouping datagroup objects into a hierarchy, at least some of the datagroup objects representing resources;

attaching at least one action object to the hierarchy, each action object including property information that determines performance of an action when a status event reaches the action object;

associating a collection object with one of the datagroup objects representing a resource, the collection object including information for collecting data from the resource associated with the collection object;

associating a threshold object with the collection object, the threshold object including properties specifying information for evaluating the collected data and for sending a status event to towards the top of the hierarchy when the data evaluation indicates a threshold violation state;

collecting data from the resource via the collection object;

evaluating the data collected from the resource via the threshold object, determining a threshold violation state and sending a status event to towards the top of the hierarchy; and

receiving the status event at an action object, and in response, selectively performing an action based on the property information of the action object.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the action includes sending an e-mail.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the action includes dialing a telephone number.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the action includes writing to a file.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the action includes executing a script.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein the action includes executing a command.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein the property information of the action object includes throttling data, and further comprising, determining whether to perform the action based on the throttling data.

39. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 32.

40. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a plurality of datagroup objects arranged in a hierarchy, at least some of the datagroup objects associated with a computing resource;

a plurality of collection objects, each collection object corresponding to a resource and having code that when executed collects data related to its corresponding resource;

a plurality of threshold objects, each threshold object corresponding to a collection object and having code that when executed evaluates the data collected by its corresponding collection object against threshold property data to determine whether a threshold violation exists, and generates a status event when a threshold violation exists, the status event sent towards the top of the hierarchy; and

a plurality of action objects, each action object placed in the hierarchy to receive status events, each action object having code that when executed determines performance of an action based on action property data in the action object.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein each collection object includes collection properties comprising at least one of:

a defined interval for how often to collect that data, a defined schedule for collecting the data, information as to where to collect the data, or information as to how to collect the data.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the information as to how to collect the data corresponds to collection of data via polling.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the information as to how to collect the data corresponds to collection of data via event notification.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the threshold property data include at least one of:

a threshold value, information that specifies how to use the collected data, condition information that specifies a test to apply to the collected data, or duration information.

45. The system of claim 40, further comprising, dynamically discovering the computing resource.

46. The system of claim 40 wherein the action property data in the action object comprises throttling data that conditionally prevents performance of the action.

47. The system of claim 40 wherein the collection object collects data related to its corresponding resource based on receiving an event.

48. The system of claim 40 wherein the collection object collects data related to its corresponding resource by polling for the data.

49. The system of claim 40 wherein the collection object collects data by receiving information from a provider associated with the resource.

50. The system of claim 40 wherein the collection object collects data by providing a query to an object manager.

51. The system of claim 40 wherein the collection object collects data by calling a system of the object manager.

52. The system of claim 40 wherein the action object performs an action including sending an e-mail.

53. The system of claim 40 wherein the action object performs an action including dialing a telephone number.

54. The system of claim 40 wherein the action object performs an action including writing to a file.

55. The system of claim 40 wherein the action object performs an action including executing a script.

56. The system of claim 40 wherein the action object performs an action including executing a command.