Method and apparatus for a self healing agent

• US 7,506,241 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mastrianni, Steven J., Chefalas, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai; Rachna S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano; Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US10/687,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 714/37, 714/38, 714/48, 714/774, 714/799, 714/819
• US Class Current: 714/819
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• 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 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing a program. Operation of the program is monitored by an agent process. An observed operation of the program is compared with an expected operation of the program to form a comparison. A determination is made as to whether an error has occurred based on the comparison. In response to an occurrence of the error, a solution for the error is obtained and implemented by the agent process.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing a program, the method comprising:

monitoring operation of the program, wherein monitoring the operation of the program comprises reading ahead of the execution to identify behavior constructs and their identifiers, wherein a profile of behavior constructs is created during compiling source code for the program, and wherein the profile of behavior constructs is stored in association with a unique identifier;

comparing an observed operation of the program with an expected operation of the program to form a comparison, wherein the expected operation is identified during compiling of the program;

determining whether an error has occurred based on the comparison;

responsive to an occurrence of the error, obtaining a solution for the error; and

implementing the solution when the solution is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step comprises:

automatically executing a process to analyze the error to obtain an analysis;

sending the analysis to a remote server with a request for the solution; and

receiving the solution in response the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution is at least one of a replacement executable file, a dynamic link library, a patch, and a script.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expected operation is stored in a database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the database is located on the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step, the comparing step, the determining step, obtaining step, and the implementing step are implemented in an agent process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step is initiated in response to an event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the event is a periodic event.

9. A data processing system for managing a program, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to monitor operation of the program, wherein monitoring the operation of the program comprises reading ahead of the execution to identify behavior constructs and their identifiers, wherein a profile of behavior constructs is created during compiling source code for the program, and wherein the profile of behavior constructs is stored in association with a unique identifier;

compare an observed operation of the program with an expected operation of the program to form a comparison, wherein the expected operation is identified during compiling of the program;

determine whether an error has occurred based on the comparison;

obtain a solution for the error in response to an occurrence of the error; and

implement the solution when the solution is obtained.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions to obtain a solution further comprises:

instructions configured to automatically execute a process to analyze the error to obtain an analysis;

instructions configured to send the analysis to a remote server with a request for the solution; and

instructions configured to receive the solution in response the request.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the solution is at least one of a replacement executable file, a dynamic link library, a patch, and a script.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the expected operation is stored in a database.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the database is located on the data processing system.

14. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions to monitor, compare, determine, obtain, and implement are located in an agent process.

15. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions to monitor is initiated in response to an event.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the event is a periodic event.

17. A computer program product in a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code for managing a program, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for monitoring operation of the program, wherein monitoring the operation of the program comprises reading ahead of the execution to identify behavior constructs and their identifiers, wherein a profile of behavior constructs is created during compiling source code for the program, and wherein the profile of behavior constructs is stored in association with a unique identifier;

instructions for comparing an observed operation of the program with an expected operation of the program to form a comparison, wherein the expected operation is identified during compiling of the program;

instructions for determining whether an error has occurred based on the comparison;

instructions, responsive to an occurrence of the error, for obtaining a solution for the error; and

instructions for implementing the solution when the solution is obtained.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for obtaining a solution further comprises:

instructions for automatically executing a process to analyze the error to obtain an analysis;

instructions for sending the analysis to a remote server with a request for the solution; and

instructions for receiving the solution in response the request.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the solution is at least one of a replacement executable file, a dynamic link library, a patch, and a script.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the expected operation is stored in a database.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the database is located on the data processing system.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions are located in an agent process.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for monitoring operation of the program are initiated in response to an event.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the event is a periodic event.