Determining configuration parameter dependencies via analysis of configuration data from multi-tiered enterprise applications

• US 8,214,372 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Manish, Ramachandran, Vinod, Sethi, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, III, ALBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/465,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 707/748, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Configuration parameter name-value pairs are obtained for each of a plurality of component instances in a deployed software solution. A candidate set of configuration dependencies between different ones of the plurality of component instances in the deployed software solution is identified, based on the configuration parameter name-value pairs. The candidate set of configuration dependencies includes true dependencies and false dependencies. The candidate set of configuration dependencies is rank-ordered to obtain a rank-ordered list, such that a probability of the true dependencies getting a higher rank is greater than a probability of the false dependencies getting a higher rank.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining configuration parameter name-value pairs for each of a plurality of component instances, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters are obtained from a deployed software solution;

identifying a candidate set of configuration dependencies between different ones of the plurality of component instances in the deployed software solution, based on the configuration parameter name-value pairs obtained, wherein the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprise true dependencies and false dependencies;

rank-ordering the candidate set of configuration dependencies to obtain a rank-ordered list, wherein the true dependencies get a higher rank than the false dependencies in the rank-ordered list; and

conducting web queries using pairs of the parameter names to compute at least one of a weight and a strength of dependency between members of a given one of the pairs of the parameter names, wherein the rank-ordering step takes into account the computed one of a weight and a strength of dependency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises accessing the configuration parameter name-value pairs via vendor-specific configuration parameter access application program interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprises a plurality of parameter and value strings; and

the rank-ordering step comprises;

analyzing the plurality of parameter and value strings, to estimate weighting statistics;

computing weights for each of the configuration dependencies in the candidate set, based on the weighting statistics; and

sorting the configuration dependencies in the candidate set in descending order of the weights to obtain the rank-ordered list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, in the step of analyzing the plurality of parameter and value strings using heuristics comprising:

a different-valued dependency rank component;

an infrequently-valued dependency rank component; and

a parameter semantic distance rank component;

wherein the steps of computing weights and sorting the configuration dependencies are carried out by aggregating the different-valued dependency rank component, the infrequently-valued dependency rank component, and the parameter semantic distance rank component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the rank-ordered list to an administrator.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reconfiguring a deployed physical information technology system in accordance with the displayed rank-ordered list.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a configuration extractor module, a candidate set generator module, and a rank producer module;

wherein;

the obtaining of the configuration parameter name-value pairs is carried out by the configuration extractor module executing on at least one hardware processor;

the identifying of the candidate set of configuration dependencies is carried out by the candidate set generator module executing on the at least one hardware processor; and

the rank-ordering of the candidate set of configuration dependencies is carried out at least by the rank producer module executing on the at least one hardware processor.

8. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including computer usable program code, the computer program product including:

computer usable program code for obtaining configuration parameter name-value pairs for each of a plurality of component instances, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters are obtained from a deployed software solution;

computer usable program code for identifying a candidate set of configuration dependencies between different ones of the plurality of component instances in the deployed software solution, based on the configuration parameter name-value pairs obtained, wherein the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprise true dependencies and false dependencies;

computer usable program code for rank-ordering the candidate set of configuration dependencies to obtain a rank-ordered list, wherein the true dependencies get a higher rank than the false dependencies in the rank-ordered list; and

computer usable program code for conducting web queries using pairs of the parameter names to compute at least one of a weight and a strength of dependency between members of a given one of the pairs of the parameter names, wherein the rank-ordering step takes into account the computed one of a weight and a strength of dependency.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying comprises computer usable program code for accessing the configuration parameter name-value pairs via vendor-specific configuration parameter access application program interfaces.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein:

the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprises a plurality of parameter and value strings; and

the computer usable program code for rank-ordering comprises;

computer usable program code for analyzing the plurality of parameter and value strings, to estimate weighting statistics;

computer usable program code for computing weights for each of the configuration dependencies in the candidate set, based on the weighting statistics; and

computer usable program code for sorting the configuration dependencies in the candidate set in descending order of the weights to obtain the rank-ordered list.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein:

the computer usable program code for analyzing the plurality of parameter and value strings comprises computer usable program code for using heuristics comprising;

a different-valued dependency rank component;

an infrequently-valued dependency rank component; and

a parameter semantic distance rank component; and

the computer usable program code for computing weights and sorting the configuration dependencies comprises computer usable program code for aggregating the different-valued dependency rank component, the infrequently-valued dependency rank component, and the parameter semantic distance rank component.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on the tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, the distinct software modules comprising a configuration extractor module, a candidate set generator module, and a rank producer module;

wherein;

the configuration extractor module comprises the computer usable program code for obtaining the configuration parameter name-value pairs;

the candidate set generator module comprises the computer usable program code for identifying the candidate set; and

the rank producer module comprises the computer usable program code for rank-ordering the candidate set of configuration dependencies.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, and operative to;

obtain configuration parameter name-value pairs for each of a plurality of component instances, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters are obtained from a deployed software solution;

identify a candidate set of configuration dependencies between different ones of the plurality of component instances in the deployed software solution, based on the configuration parameter name-value pairs obtained, wherein the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprise true dependencies and false dependencies;

rank-order the candidate set of configuration dependencies to obtain a rank-ordered list, wherein the true dependencies get a higher rank than the false dependencies; and

conduct web queries using pairs of the parameter names to compute at least one of a weight and a strength of dependency between members of a given one of the pairs of the parameter names, wherein the rank-ordering step takes into account the computed one of a weight and a strength of dependency.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is operative to identify by accessing the configuration parameter name-value pairs via vendor-specific configuration parameter access application program interfaces.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprises a plurality of parameter and value strings; and

the at least one processor is operative to rank-order by;

analyzing the plurality of parameter and value strings, to estimate weighting statistics;

computing weights for each of the configuration dependencies in the candidate set, based on the weighting statistics; and

sorting the configuration dependencies in the candidate set in descending order of the weights to obtain the rank-ordered list.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one processor is operative to analyze the plurality of parameter and value strings using heuristics comprising;

a different-valued dependency rank component;

an infrequently-valued dependency rank component; and

a parameter semantic distance rank component; and

the at least one processor is operative to compute weights and sort the configuration dependencies by aggregating the different-valued dependency rank component, the infrequently-valued dependency rank component, and the parameter semantic distance rank component.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium having distinct software modules embodied thereon, wherein the distinct software modules comprise a configuration extractor module, a candidate set generator module, and a rank producer module;

wherein;

the obtaining of the configuration parameter name-value pairs is carried out by the configuration extractor module executing on the at least one processor;

the identifying of the candidate set of configuration dependencies is carried out by the candidate set generator module executing on the at least one processor; and

the rank-ordering of the candidate set of configuration dependencies is carried out at least by the rank producer module executing on the at least one processor.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining configuration parameter name-value pairs for each of a plurality of component instances, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters are obtained from a deployed software solution;

means for identifying a candidate set of configuration dependencies between different ones of the plurality of component instances in the deployed software solution, based on the configuration parameter name-value pairs obtained, the candidate set of configuration dependencies comprising true dependencies and false dependencies;

means for rank-ordering the candidate set of configuration dependencies to obtain a rank-ordered list, wherein the true dependencies get a higher rank than the false dependencies; and

means for conducting web queries using pairs of the parameter names to compute at least one of a weight and a strength of dependency between members of a given one of the pairs of the parameter names, wherein the rank-ordering step takes into account the computed one of a weight and a strength of dependency.