Methods, devices and computer program products for capturing events associated network anomalies

• US 8,279,768 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Thompson, James Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTIS, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US12/115,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20090274053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/400, 370/503
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/064 involving time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

Methods, devices and computer program products are provided for capturing information associated with a triggering event at a network-enabled device. A triggering event is detected at a first network-enabled device. A message is transmitted to at least one other network-enabled device responsive to the detected triggering event. The message includes an indication of a time period associated with the triggering event and a request that the at least one other network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one other network-enabled device during the associated time period as having significance, such that this information is retained rather than discarded.

Claims

1. A method for capturing information associated with a triggering event at a network-enabled device, the method comprising:

detecting a triggering event at a first network-enabled device;

transmitting a message to at least one other network-enabled device responsive to the detected triggering event, the message including an indication of a time period associated with the triggering event and a request that the at least one other network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one other network-enabled device during the associated time period as having significance; and

marking the information with a tag indicating an identity of the first network-enabled device,

wherein the at least one other network-enabled device has a different device type from the first network-enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of a time period comprises a timing signal indicating the time period associated with the triggering event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the timing signal comprises a nearest second at which the triggering event occurred at the first network-enabled device and a number of microseconds from the nearest second at which the triggering event occurred.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining at the at least one other network-enabled device if the at least one other network-enabled device has information that pertains to the time period; and

marking the information pertaining to the time period at the at least one other network-enabled device as having significance if determined to be present such that the information will not be discarded at the at least one other network enabled device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises broadcasting the message to all other network-enabled devices or transmitting the message to a select group of network-enabled devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information marked at the at least one other network-enabled device comprises monitoring at least one of parameters and telemetry data associated with the at least one other network-enabled device during the time period in the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises a detected deviation from normal functionality.

8. A method for capturing information associated with a triggering event at a network-enabled device, the method comprising:

receiving a message at at least one network-enabled device from a requesting device, the message including an indication of a time period associated with a triggering event and a request that the at least one network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one network-enabled device during the associated time period as having significance;

determining at the at least one network-enabled device if the at least one network-enabled device has information that pertains to the time period;

marking the information pertaining to the time period at the at least one network-enabled device as having a significance if determined to be present such that the information will not be discarded at the at least one network enabled device; and

marking the information with an associated tag indicating an identity of the requesting network-enabled device,

wherein the at least one other network-enabled device has a different device type from the requesting device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication of a time period comprises a timing signal indicating the time period associated with the triggering event.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the timing signal comprises a nearest second at which the triggering event occurred and a number of microseconds from the nearest second at which the triggering event occurred.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the marked information at the at least one network-enabled device comprises monitoring parameters and/or telemetry data associated with the at least one network-enabled device during the time period in the message.

12. A network-enabled device configured to capture information associated with a triggering event, the device comprising:

a detection module configured to detect a triggering event; and

a requesting module configured to transmit a message to at least one other network-enabled device responsive to the detected triggering event, the message including an indication of a time period associated with the triggering event and a request that the at least one other network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one other network-enabled device during the associated time period as having significance,

wherein the at least one other network-enabled device has a different device type from the network-enabled device, and wherein marking the information comprises marking the information with an associated tag indicating an identity of the network-enabled device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the indication of a time period comprises a timing signal indicating the time period associated with the triggering event.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the timing signal comprises a nearest second at which the triggering event occurred and a number of microseconds from the nearest second at which the triggering event occurred.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a determination module configured to receive the message and determine if the network-enabled device has information that pertains to the time period; and

a marking module configured to mark the information pertaining to the time period at the network-enabled device if determined to be present such that the marked information is not discarded at the network enabled device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the marking module is further configured to store the associated tag indicating the identity of the network-enabled device.

17. The device of claim 12,

wherein the device comprises one of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), electricity meter, feeder protector, or network attached storage, and

wherein the at least one other network-enabled device comprises a different one of the UPS, the electricity meter, the feeder protector, or the network attached storage.

18. A computer program product for capturing information associated with a triggering event at a network-enabled device, the computer program product comprising:

non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to detect a triggering event at a first network-enabled device;

computer readable program code configured to transmit a message to at least one other network-enabled device responsive to the detected triggering event, the message including an indication of a time period associated with the triggering event and a request that the at least one other network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one other network-enabled device during the associated time period as having significance; and

computer readable program code configured to mark the information with an associated tag indicating an identity of the first network-enabled device,

wherein the at least one other network-enabled device has a different device type from the first network-enabled device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the indication of a time period comprises a timing signal indicating the time period associated with the triggering event.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the timing signal comprises a nearest second at which the triggering event occurred at the first network-enabled device and a number of microseconds from the nearest second at which the triggering event occurred.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine at the at least one other network-enabled device if the at least one other network-enabled device has information that pertains to the time period; and

computer readable program code configures to mark the information pertaining to the time period at the at least one other network-enabled device as having significance if determined to be present such that the marked information is not discarded.

22. A computer program product for capturing information associated with a triggering event at a network-enabled device, the computer program product comprising:

non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a message at at least one network-enabled device from a requesting device, the message including an indication of a time period associated with a triggering event and a request that the at least one network-enabled device mark information associated with the at least one network-enabled device during the associated time period;

computer readable program code configured to determine at the at least one network-enabled device if the at least one network-enabled device has information that pertains to the time period;

computer readable program code configured to mark the information pertaining to the time period at the at least one network-enabled device if determined to be present; and

computer readable program code configured to mark the information with a tag indicating an identity of the requesting device,

wherein the at least one network-enabled device has a different device type from the requesting device.