Dynamic agent formation for efficient data provisioning

• US 7,882,210 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bozak, Erol, Gebhart, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/833,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for monitoring one or more computers in a distributed computing system. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include determining, at a node, a first quantity of first agents reporting to the node and limiting the quantity of first agents to not exceed a predetermined threshold. The first agents configured to directly report to the node a first information corresponding to systems being monitored by the first agents. A second quantity of second agents may also be determined. The second agents report to the node through the first agents. The second agents report a second information corresponding to systems being monitored by the second agents. The first agents may be notified to report to the node the first information corresponding to systems being monitored by the first agents. The second agents may be notified to report to at least one of the first agents the second information corresponding to systems being monitored by the second agents. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring a distributed computing system comprising:

determining, at an agent formation node of the distributed computing system, a first quantity of first agents reporting to the agent formation node and limiting the first quantity of first agents to not exceed a first predetermined threshold, the first agents configured to directly report to the agent formation node a first information corresponding to management of a first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents, the agent formation node and the first agents forming a first hierarchy;

determining a second quantity of second agents reporting to the agent formation node through one of the first agents, the second agents reporting a second information corresponding to management of a second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents, wherein when the second quantity of second agents exceeds a second predetermined threshold, dynamically forming a second hierarchy of agents;

notifying the first agents to report to the agent formation node the first information corresponding to the management of the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents; and

notifying the second agents to report to the one of first agents the second information corresponding to the management of the second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

implementing the centralized agent formation node as a system manager of the distributed computing system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the first information by sending a first message to the centralized agent formation node.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the first information by sending a first message to the centralized agent formation node, the first information including performance information at the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the second information by sending a second message to at least one of the first agents.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining another predetermined threshold for another agent, the other predetermined threshold determined based on capabilities of the other agent.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are performance values.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

implementing the first performance value to include at least one of the following;

a processing speed, an amount of memory, a storage capacity, and a network bandwidth.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

assigning other agents to a hierarchy based on a performance value of each of the other agents.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a performance characteristic of an agent and a performance threshold of another agent to determine whether to assign the agent to the other agent.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining, at an agent formation node of the distributed computing system, a first quantity of first agents reporting to the agent formation node and limiting the first quantity of first agents to not exceed a first predetermined threshold, the first agents configured to directly report to the agent formation node a first information corresponding to management of a first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents, the agent formation node and the first agents forming a first hierarchy;

determining a second quantity of second agents reporting to the agent formation node through one of the first agents, the second agents reporting a second information corresponding to management of a second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents, wherein when the second quantity of second agents exceeds a second predetermined threshold, dynamically forming a second hierarchy of agents;

notifying the first agents to report to the agent formation node the first information corresponding to the management of the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents; and

notifying the second agents to report to the one of first agents the second information corresponding to the management of the second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

implementing the centralized agent formation node as a system manager of the distributed computing system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the first information by sending a first message to the centralized agent formation node.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the first information by sending a first message to the centralized agent formation node, the first information including performance information at the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the second information by sending a second message to at least one of the first agents.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

defining another predetermined threshold for another agent, the other predetermined threshold determined based on capabilities of the other agent.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11

wherein dynamically forming further comprises defining the first predetermined threshold adaptively based on the processing capabilities at any given time at the system being monitored.

18. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to perform a method comprising;

determining, at an agent formation node of the distributed computing system, a first quantity of first agents reporting to the agent formation node and limiting the first quantity of first agents to not exceed a first predetermined threshold, the first agents configured to directly report to the agent formation node a first information corresponding to management of a first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents, the agent formation node and the first agents forming a first hierarchy;

determining a second quantity of second agents reporting to the agent formation node through one of the first agents, the second agents reporting a second information corresponding to management of a second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents, wherein when the second quantity of second agents exceeds a second predetermined threshold, dynamically forming a second hierarchy of agents;

notifying the first agents to report to the agent formation node the first information corresponding to the management of the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents; and

notifying the second agents to report to the one of first agents the second information corresponding to the management of the second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

implementing the centralized agent formation node as a system manager of the distributed computing system.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein determining, at the centralized agent formation node, further comprises:

reporting the first information by sending a first message to the centralized agent formation node.