Method and management system for configuring an information system

• US 7,975,185 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Schmid, Reiner, Kaefer, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lottich; Joshua P
• Application Number:
  US12/107,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/40, 714/47
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1096 Parity calculation or recalculation after configuration or reconfiguration of the system

Abstract

According to the method for configuring an information system (1), components (2) are provided for the information system (1) and component-specific error susceptibility data (3) on the individual components (2). For a given system configuration (5), error susceptibility information (7) is determined for the information system (1) in this given system configuration (5) as a function of the component-specific error susceptibility data (3). The error susceptibility information (7) is evaluated with reference to given evaluation criteria (8). In a subsequent step, the information system (1) is configured in the given system configuration (5) if the error susceptibility information (7) satisfies the given evaluation criteria (8). By means of the method, it is achieved that only system configurations are accepted that satisfy requirements specified by the evaluation criteria (8) with respect to the reliability of the information system (1).

Claims

1. A method for changing a configuration of a dynamic information system, the method comprising:

providing components for the dynamic information system;

providing component-specific error susceptibility data on the individual components, wherein the error susceptibility data indicates how tolerant or immune the components are with respect to errors of other components;

providing a given system configuration for the dynamic information system, the system configuration determining the components supposed to be used;

determining error susceptibility information for the dynamic information system in the given system configuration as a function of the component-specific error susceptibility data;

evaluating the error susceptibility information with reference to given evaluation criteria; and

automatically configuring the dynamic information system in the given system configuration if the error susceptibility information satisfies the given evaluation criteria.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data is provided by a central database.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data is provided by the components themselves.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data includes error likelihood and/or failure likelihood of the components.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the error likelihood and/or the failure likelihood of the components is specified as a function of an operating period of the components.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data includes statistics on previous failures of the components.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data further includes information on expected downtimes for replacing the components.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data includes information on expected downtimes for replacing the components.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data is specified completely or partially as a function of the use of the components.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein use information is provided by the dynamic information system and wherein the error susceptibility information for the dynamic information system is determined as a function of the use information and use-dependent, component-specific error susceptibility data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the provided components, the error estimation data and the given system configuration is tested continuously for changes and the steps of providing components, component-specific error susceptibilities and the given system configuration, and also the steps of determining and evaluating are performed only when such a change is observed.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a new system configuration is provided with reference to the evaluation results of the given system configuration, if in the step of evaluating it is determined that the given system configuration does not satisfy the requirements placed on the reliability of the information system and the steps of providing of determining and evaluating are performed again with based on the new system configuration.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the steps of providing, determining and evaluating a new system configuration are performed iteratively until a suitable new system configuration is found in the step of evaluating and used in the step of configuring.

14. A method for configuring an information system, the method comprising:

providing components for the information system;

providing component-specific error susceptibility data on the individual components;

providing a given system configuration for the information system, the system configuration determining the components to be used;

determining error susceptibility information for the information system in the given system configuration as a function of the component-specific error susceptibility data;

evaluating the error susceptibility information with reference to given evaluation criteria; and

configuring the information system in the given system configuration if the error susceptibility information satisfies the given evaluation criteria;

wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data is provided by the components themselves; and

wherein the component-specific error susceptibility data is stored in a central database and is provided mirrored by the components.

15. A management system for changing a configuration of a dynamic information system, the management system comprising:

an estimation unit designed for determining error susceptibility information for the dynamic information system as a function of component-specific error susceptibility data and a given system configuration for the dynamic information system, wherein the error susceptibility data indicates how tolerant or immune the components are with respect to errors of other components and the given system configuration determines the components supposed to be used;

an evaluation unit designed for evaluating the error susceptibility information with reference to given evaluation criteria; and

a unit for automatic configuration adapted for configuring the dynamic information system in the given system configuration if the error susceptibility information satisfies the given evaluation criteria;

wherein the management system comprises a standalone hardware unit or a unit of an information system that comprises at least one hardware component.

16. The management system according to claim 15, wherein the evaluation unit is designed to provide the system configuration to the estimation unit for determining error susceptibility information.

17. The management system according to claim 15, further comprising a central database for storing component-specific error susceptibility data.

18. The management system according to claim 16, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to select a system configuration from a number of specified system configurations and to provide it to the estimation unit for determining error susceptibility information for the dynamic information system for the provided system configuration;

and, if the first system configuration does not satisfy the set requirements, to iterative select another system configuration from the number of specified system configurations and to provide it to the estimation unit for determining error susceptibility information in order to find a suitable system configuration fulfilling the set requirements or the system configuration best fulfilling the set requirements or at least the system configuration coming closest to the set requirements; and

to instruct the unit for automatic configuration to change the system configuration in the dynamic information system to the found system configuration.

19. The management system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a component database storing the components and error susceptibility data of the components, wherein the components are software components.