Apparatus, system, and method for analyzing the association of a resource to a business process

• US 7,630,955 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Klingenberg, Bernhard Julius, Hillsberg, Bruce Light, Byrd, Stephen A., Fox, J. Kristofer, Czerwinski, Steven, Krishnan, Rajesh Francisco, Thirumalai, Balaji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US10/915,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 7, 705/7, 713/182, 711/170, 717/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for analyzing the association of a resource to a business process. The invention includes an origination module, an evaluation module, and an identification module. The origination module receives an identifier and derives a seed resource associated with the identifier. The evaluation module applies heuristic routines to trace data and derives a set of candidate resources, and each heuristic routine assigns each candidate resource a probability value. The evaluation module further combines the probabilities for each candidate resource into a combined probability. The identification module identifies a resource associated to a business process by examining the combined probability of a candidate resource with a threshold value. The heuristic routines, thresholds, techniques for combining probabilities and the like are modifiable to accommodate user needs and system changes over time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying resources associated with a computer process, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing executable code;

a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising;

an origination module that derives an initial member of a logical application that implements a business process from a business process identifier received by the origination module, wherein the business process identifier is provided by a user and is a file name for an executable file;

a monitoring module that collects trace data, the trace data comprising a port number for a port and a process that opened the port;

a determination module that stores the candidate resources in an eXtended Markup Language (XML) file, the XML file comprising a logical name for the business process and each candidate resource, a frequency rating indicating how often each candidate resource is employed by the business process, and a confidence value comprising a combined probability;

an evaluation module that applies one or more heuristic routines to the trace data associated with the logical application, each heuristic routine deriving a set of candidate resources and assigning a plurality of probabilities to each candidate resource of the set indicating a likelihood that the candidate resource is a file used to implement the business process, a first heuristic routine assigning a high probability value to a first probability for each candidate resource that is used within a selected time interval after an initial execution of the logical application, a second heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a second probability for each candidate resource within all directories owned by the initial member, a third heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a third probability for each candidate resource within each parent directory of each resource used by the initial member, and a fourth heuristic routine assigning the high probability to a fourth probability for each candidate resource within directories owned by the initial member, the evaluation module combining the probability values assigned to the candidate resource by each heuristic routine by calculating a product of the probability values to define the combined probability for the candidate resource;

an identification module that identifies the candidate resource as a member of the logical application in response to the combined probability satisfying a threshold value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the business process identifier is selected from tie group consisting of a network socket, a process name, a process identifier, a universal resource locator (URL), and a file.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one heuristic routine derives the set of candidate resources comprising resources matching a user-defined criterion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaluation module is further configured to remove a candidate resource from the set of candidate resources in response to a result from the heuristic routine.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, the evaluation module further applying a fifth heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a fifth probability for each candidate resource used within a specified time period.

5. A system for analyzing the association of a resource to a business process, comprising:

a storage device storing executable code;

a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising;

an operating system managing execution of processes;

a process manager providing information on running processes;

an Input/Output (I/O) module providing file activity information;

a file system managing files stored in storage and providing metadata about the files;

a monitoring module collecting trace data during execution of at least one software process within the operating system, the monitoring module interacting with at least one of the process manager, the I/O module, and the file system to collect trace data directly related to operation of a software application, the trace data comprising a port number for a port and a process that opened the port;

a determination module storing the candidate resources in an XML file, the XML file comprising a logical name for the business process and each candidate resource, a frequency rating indicating how often each candidate resource is employed by the business process, and a confidence value comprising a combined probability;

an analysis module comprising;

an origination module that derives an initial member of a logical application that implements a business process from a business process identifier received by the origination module, wherein the business process identifier is provided by a user and is a file name for an executable file,

an evaluation module that applies one or more heuristic routines to the trace data associated with the logical application, each heuristic routine deriving a set of candidate resources and assigning a plurality of probabilities to each candidate resource of the set indicating a likelihood that the candidate resource is a file used to implement the business process, a first heuristic routine assigning a high probability value to a first probability for each candidate resource that is used within a selected time interval after an initial execution of the logical application, a second heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a second probability for each candidate resource within all directories owned by the initial member, a third heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a third probability for each candidate resource within each parent directory of each resource used by the initial member, and a fourth heuristic routine assigning the high probability to a fourth probability for each candidate resource within directories owned by the initial member, the evaluation module combining the probability values assigned to the candidate resource by each heuristic routine by calculating a product of the probability values to define the combined probability for the candidate resource, and

an identification module that identifies the candidate resource as a member of the logical application in response to the combined probability satisfying a threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the analysis module is further configured to add a candidate resource in response to a result from a heuristic routine.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring module interacts with a plurality of file systems.

20. The system of claim 5, the evaluation module further applying a fifth heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a fifth probability for each candidate resource used within a specified time period.

8. A storage device storing executable code executed by a processor to perform operations for analyzing the association of a software resource to a business process comprising:

deriving an initial member of a logical application that implements a business process from a business process identifier, wherein the business process identifier is provided by a user and is a file name for an executable file;

collecting trace data, the trace data comprising a port number for a port and a process that opened the port;

storing the candidate resources in an XML file, the XML file comprising a logical name for the business process and each candidate resource, a frequency rating indicating how often each candidate resource is employed by the business process, and a confidence value comprising a combined probability;

applying at least one heuristic routine to the trace data associated with the logical application, each heuristic routine deriving a set of candidate resources and assigning a plurality of probabilities to each candidate resource of the set indicating a likelihood that the candidate resource is a file used to implement the business process, a first heuristic routine assigning a high probability value to a first probability for each candidate resource that is used within a selected time interval after an initial execution of the logical application, a second heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a second probability for each candidate resource within all directories owned by the initial member, a third heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a third probability for each candidate resource within each parent directory of each resource used by the initial member, and a fourth heuristic routine assigning the high probability to a fourth probability for each candidate resource within directories owned by the initial member;

combining the probability assigned to the candidate resource by each heuristic routine by calculating a product of the probability values to define the combined probability for the candidate resource; and

identifying the candidate resource as a member of the logical application in response to the combined probability satisfying a threshold value.

9. The storage device of claim 8, wherein the business process identifier is selected from the group consisting of a network socket, a process name, a process identifier, a universal resource locator (URL), and a file.

10. The storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising searching system information in order to determine the resource related to the business process identifier.

11. The storage device of claim 8, wherein one heuristic routine derives the set of candidate resources comprising resources accessed by the initial member.

12. The storage device of claim 8, wherein one heuristic routine comprises derives the set of candidate resources comprising all resources within each parent director of each resource used by the initial member.

13. The storage device of claim 8, wherein a third heuristic routine derives a third set of candidate resources comprising resources within a parent directory of each resource used by the initial member.

14. The storage device of claim 8, wherein one heuristic routine derives the set of candidate resources comprising all resources in a package manager group that includes the initial member.

15. The storage device of claim 8, wherein one heuristic routine derives the set of candidate resources comprising resources matching a user-defined criterion.

16. The storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising removing a candidate resource from the set of candidate resources if the candidate resource is of a temporary nature.

21. The storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising applying a fifth heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a fifth probability for each candidate resource used within a specified time period.

17. A method for identifying resources associated with a business process, the method comprising:

deriving, by use of processor, an initial member of a logical application that implements a business process from a business process identifier provided by a user, wherein the business process identifier is provided by a user and is a file name for an executable file;

collecting trace data, the trace data comprising a port number for a port and a process that opened the port;

storing the candidate resources in an XML file, the XML file comprising a logical name for the business process and each candidate resource, a frequency rating indicating how often each candidate resource is employed by the business process, and a confidence value comprising a combined probability;

applying at least one heuristic routine to the trace data associated with the logical application, each heuristic routine deriving a set of candidate resources and assigning a plurality of probabilities to each candidate resource of the set indicating a likelihood that the candidate resource is a file used to implement the business process, a first heuristic routine assigning a high probability value to a first probability for each candidate resource that is used within a selected time interval after an initial execution of the logical application, a second heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a second probability for each candidate resource within all directories owned by the initial member, a third heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a third probability for each candidate resource within each parent directory of each resource used by the initial member, and a fourth heuristic routine assigning the high probability to a fourth probability for each candidate resource within directories owned by the initial member;

combining the probability values assigned to the candidate resource by each heuristic routine as a product of the probability values to define the combined probability for the candidate resource; and

identifying the candidate resource as a member of the logical application in response to the combined probability satisfying a threshold value.

22. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising applying a fifth heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a fifth probability for each candidate resource used within a specified time period.

18. A storage device storing executable code executed by a processor to perform operations for analyzing the association of a software resource to a business process-comprising:

providing a means for deriving an initial member of a logical application that implements a business process from a business process identifier provided by a user, wherein the business process identifier is provided by a user and is a file name for an executable file;

providing a means for collecting trace data, the trace data comprising a port number for a port and a process that opened the port;

providing a means for storing the candidate resources in an XML file, the XML file comprising a logical name for the business process and each candidate resource, a frequency rating indicating how often each candidate resource is employed by the business process, and a confidence value comprising a combined probability;

providing a means for applying at least one heuristic routine to the trace data associated with the logical application, each heuristic routine deriving a set of candidate resources and assigning a plurality of probabilities to each candidate resource of the set indicating a likelihood that the candidate resource is a file used to implement the business process, a first heuristic routine assigning a high probability value to a first probability for each candidate resource that is used within a selected time interval after execution of the logical application, a second heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a second probability for each candidate resource within all directories owned by the initial member, a third heuristic routine assigning the high probability value to a third probability for each candidate resource within each parent directory of each resource used by the initial member, and a fourth heuristic routine assigning the high probability to a fourth probability for each candidate resource within directories owned by the initial member;

providing a means for combining the probability assigned to the candidate resource by each heuristic routine as a product of the probability values to define the combined probability for the candidate resource; and

providing a means for identifying the candidate resource associated with the logical application in response to the combined probability satisfying a threshold value.