Computer assisted automatic error detection and diagnosis of file servers
First Claim
1. A method, including steps ofrepeatedly reviewing monitoring statistics regarding operation of a file server, said steps of reviewing being performed at least as often as a selected time period;
- and processing said monitoring statistics using a diagnostic software module on said file server, in response to said steps of repeatedly reviewing;
wherein said diagnostic software module diagnoses a behavior of said file server to determine a specific problem or problems by comparing said monitoring statistics to rules or patterns representing abnormal states of operation for said file server; and
wherein said monitoring statistics include information gathered by at least first and second software modules, said first and second software modules being disposed at differing protocol levels within an operating system of said file server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for computer assisted automatic error detection and diagnosis of file servers. Software modules periodically and continuously review monitoring statistics gathered by the file server regarding its operation. The monitoring statistics are processed by a pattern matching system and a rule-based inference system. Software modules augment known network protocols, by manipulating parameters of lower-level protocols using different higher-level protocols. Using the higher-level protocols, software modules determine if the selected parameters for the lower-level protocols are correct. Software modules track hardware and software configuration changes to the file server, and relate changes in known monitoring statistics to timing of those hardware and software configuration changes.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method, including steps of
repeatedly reviewing monitoring statistics regarding operation of a file server, said steps of reviewing being performed at least as often as a selected time period; - and
processing said monitoring statistics using a diagnostic software module on said file server, in response to said steps of repeatedly reviewing;
wherein said diagnostic software module diagnoses a behavior of said file server to determine a specific problem or problems by comparing said monitoring statistics to rules or patterns representing abnormal states of operation for said file server; and
wherein said monitoring statistics include information gathered by at least first and second software modules, said first and second software modules being disposed at differing protocol levels within an operating system of said file server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, including steps of
tracking configuration changes to a file server; -
maintaining monitoring statistics for said file server;
identifying a relationship between changes in said monitoring statistics for said file server and timing of said configuration changes;
identifying possible errors or other faults for said server associated with relating said changes in said monitoring statistics to timing of said configuration changes;
determining, in response to said relationship between said changes in monitoring statistics and said timing of configuration changes, which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely; and
identifying, in response to which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely, one or more of said configuration changes. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A file server comprising:
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an interface to a network;
mass storage accessible through said interface;
a processor that controls access to said mass storage; and
a memory that stores information including instructions executable by said processor, said instructions including steps of (a) repeatedly reviewing monitoring statistics regarding operation of said file server, said steps of reviewing being performed at least as often as a selected time period, and (b) processing said monitoring statistics using a diagnostic software module on said file server, in response to said steps of repeatedly reviewing;
wherein said diagnostic software module diagnoses a behavior of said file server to determine a specific problem or problems by comparing said monitoring statistics to rules or patterns representing abnormal states of operation for said file server; and
wherein said monitoring statistics include information gathered by at least first and second software modules, said first and second software modules being disposed at differing protocol levels within an operating system of said file server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A file server comprising:
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an interface to a network;
mass storage accessible through said interface;
a processor that controls access to said mass storage; and
a memory that stores information including instructions executable by said processor, said instructions including steps of (a) tracking configuration changes to said file server, (b) maintaining monitoring statistics for said file server, (c) identifying a relationship between changes in said monitoring statistics for said file server and timing of said configuration changes, (d) identifying possible errors or other faults for said server associated with said changes in said monitoring statistics, (e) determining, in response to said relationship between said changes in monitoring statistics and said timing of configuration changes, which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely, and (f) identifying, in response to which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely, one or more of said configuration changes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A memory storing information including instructions, the instructions executable by a processor to control a file server, the instructions including steps of
repeatedly reviewing monitoring statistics regarding operation of said file server, said steps of reviewing being performed at least as often as a selected time period; - and
processing said monitoring statistics using a diagnostic software module on said file server, in response to said steps of repeatedly reviewing;
wherein said diagnostic software module diagnoses a behavior of said file server to determine a specific problem or problems by comparing said monitoring statistics to rules or patterns representing abnormal states of operation for said file server; and
wherein said monitoring statistics include information gathered by at least first and second software modules, said first and second software modules being disposed at differing protocol levels within an operating system of said file server. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A memory storing information including instructions, the instructions executable by a processor to control a file server, the instructions including steps of
tracking configuration changes to a file server; -
maintaining monitoring statistics for said file server;
identifying a relationship between changes in said monitoring statistics for said file server and timing of said configuration changes;
identifying possible errors or other faults for said server associated with said changes in said monitoring statistics;
determining in response to said relationship between said changes in monitoring statistics and said timing of configuration changes, which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely; and
identifying, in response to which of said possible errors or other faults is most likely, one or more of said configuration changes. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification