Model-based system monitoring

• US 7,802,144 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Voloshin, Vitaly, Rajarajan, Vij, Mensching, Rob, Sanghvi, Ashvinkumar J., Outhred, Geoffrey, Hunt, Galen C., Lakshminarayanan, Anand, Grealish, Kevin, Welland, Robert V., Vinberg, Anders B., Hydrie, Aamer
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo; Bryce P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arcos; Jeison C
• Application Number:
  US11/107,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47, 714/48, 455/423
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

Model-based system monitoring includes identifying multiple monitors configured to monitor multiple components in a system, and accessing multiple health models associated with the multiple monitors. A monitoring policy is generated to monitor the system. The monitoring policy is derived, at least in part, from the multiple health models.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

storing, in a memory, instructions for performing the method;

executing the instructions on a processor;

according to the instructions being executed;

identifying a plurality of health monitors configured to monitor a plurality of components in a system, wherein the plurality of health monitors are defined by a common system definition model that describes the system and wherein each of the monitored components includes an associated plurality of pages of data associated with each monitored component, the plurality of pages comprising;

an installation page, wherein the installation page comprises data describing how to install the associated monitored component onto another monitored component;

a constraints page, wherein the constraints page comprises data describing constraints imposed on the associated monitored component, constraints to be imposed on the system in which the associated monitored component is being utilized and a description of how the associated monitored component is to be discovered;

a monitoring page, wherein the monitoring page comprises rules describing how the associated monitored component is to be monitored and actions to take when a particular rule is satisfied;

a service level agreement page, wherein the service level agreement page defines a service level agreement between a purchaser of the monitored component and a party associated with the sale of the monitored component; and

a description page, wherein the description page comprises data describing characteristics of the associated monitored component, wherein the characteristics comprise;

name of the associated monitored component;

manufacturer of the associated monitored component;

installation date of the associated monitored component; and

performance characteristics of the associated monitored component;

accessing a plurality of health models associated with the plurality of monitors;

generating a monitoring policy to monitor the system, the monitoring policy being derived at least in part from the plurality of health models;

identifying a service level agreement associated with the system, wherein identifying a service level agreement associated with the system comprises utilizing the service level agreement page associated with each component;

determining relationships between the plurality of components, wherein determining relationships between the plurality of components comprises utilizing data contained within the plurality of pages;

determining an aggregate performance of a plurality of components in the system; and

determining whether the aggregate performance of the plurality of components satisfies the service level agreement associated with the system and whether each of the plurality of components satisfies its associated service level agreement.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein accessing a plurality of health models includes accessing a plurality of health models from a plurality of different sources.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating a monitoring policy includes:

generating a monitoring policy to monitor a first health condition and

a second health condition.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of health monitors are defined during development of the system definition model.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each health model includes a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions between the plurality of states, and wherein the plurality of states represent different health conditions that can be associated with a particular component.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining a health of the system by monitoring the health of each of the plurality of components in the system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a performance of the system; and

determining whether the performance of the system satisfies a service level agreement associated with the system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising suppressing error notices generated by a particular component if the particular component is not the cause of the error.

9. A computer implemented method comprising:

storing, in a memory, instructions for performing the method;

executing the instructions on a processor;

according to the instructions being executed;

identifying a plurality of components in a system, wherein each of the plurality of components is defined by a model that includes an associated plurality of pages of data associated with each component, the plurality of pages comprising;

an installation page;

a constraints page;

a monitoring page;

a service level agreement page, wherein the service level agreement page defines a service level agreement between a purchaser of the component and a party associated with the sale of the component; and

a description page;

identifying a plurality of monitors associated with, and configured to monitor, the plurality of components;

identifying a plurality of health models associated with the plurality of monitors;

determining relationships between the plurality of components, wherein determining relationships between the plurality of components comprises utilizing data contained within the plurality of pages;

generating a monitoring policy to monitor the system, the monitoring policy being derived at least in part from the plurality of health models and the relationships between the plurality of components;

monitoring a health associated with the system;

determining a performance of the system; and

determining whether the performance of the system satisfies a service level agreement associated with the system and whether each of the plurality of components satisfies its associated service level agreement.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of components is defined by a model that includes an associated page of data that defines an operation of the component.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein monitoring a health associated with the system includes monitoring a health of each of the plurality of components in the system.

12. A method comprising:

establishing, by a computing device configured to provide model-based policy functionality, a plurality parts of a model of a system,

the establishing including associating, by the computing device, a type, an instance, and one or more configurations with components of the system, each type, instance, and configuration having its own information page corresponding to a particular component, wherein;

the type is a general template having a corresponding information page that describes the type to which the particular component corresponds;

the configuration is a specific template including specific information for a particular class of the type;

the instance is a specific occurrence of the type or the configuration and corresponds to the particular component;

information contained in an information page associated with the instance is more specific or restrictive than the information contained in an information page associated with the configuration, unless instructed otherwise by a user; and

information contained in the information page associated with the configuration is more specific or restrictive than the information contained in the information pages associated with the type, unless instructed otherwise by the user;

each respective information page includes one or more policies;

receiving, by the computing device, multiple policies for the model of the system;

for a first policy of the multiple policies;

identifying, by the computing device, a first part of the model of the system to which the first policy applies;

associating, by the computing device, the first policy with the identified first part of the model of the system; and

invoking, by the computing device, a deployment agent to apply the first policy to components of the system corresponding to the identified first part of the model of the system; and

for a second policy of the multiple policies;

identifying, by the computing device, a second part of the model of the system to which the second policy applies;

associating, by the computing device, the second policy with the identified second part of the model of the system; and

invoking, by the computing device, the deployment agent to apply the second policy to components of the system corresponding to the identified second part of the model of the system, wherein;

the first policy is different from the second policy; and

the first part of the model of the system is different from the second part of the model of the system.