Parameterized computer monitoring system

• US 8,332,509 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Snover, Jeffrey, Maknojia, Rahim, Moeller, Christine, Payette, Bruce, Robertson, James, Mutatkar, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US12/709,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,025 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709220-222, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A computer monitoring system uses a set of parameterized models to gather information about monitored devices. The models include scripts for gathering information, as well as type validation and data validation functions. The parameters within the model are used to generate user interface prompts and to populate discovery scripts as well as data validation scripts. In some cases, the models may include localization settings that may customize the user interface and validation output for different languages. A processing engine may generate a user interface from the parameters defined in the models, customize the scripts from the user input, and cause the scripts to be executed. The data gathered by the scripts may be analyzed using type validation and data validation.

Claims

1. At a computing device, the computing device including a processor and system memory, a method for monitoring a device, the method comprising:

receiving a parameterized device model for a device type, said parameterized device model describing mechanisms for collecting and validating data for said device type, said parameterized device model comprising;

a discovery script template;

a data validation script template;

one or more parameters defining how one or more of said discovery script template and said data validation script template are to be customized to monitor a specified device of said device type based on corresponding parameter values for said one or more parameters; and

parameter metadata defining restrictions on parameter values for said one or more parameters;

creating a user interface from said parameterized device model to capture parameter values for said one or more parameters, said user interface comprising appropriate user input controls for receiving parameter values for said one or more parameters in accordance with said restrictions defined in said parameter metadata;

receiving user input for said one or more parameters at said user interface, said user input including parameter values for said one or more parameters, said parameter values relevant to monitoring said specified device and in compliance with said defined parameter value restrictions;

creating executable scripts for monitoring said specified device, including creating an executable discovery script from said discovery script template and creating a executable data validation script from said data validation script template, and including;

using said parameter values to customize at least one of said executable discovery script and said data validation script for use with data monitored from said specified device;

executing said executable discovery script to gather device data from said specified device; and

executing said executable data validation script to verify said device data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein using said parameter values to customize at least one of said executable discovery script and said data validation script for use with data from said specified device comprises using said parameter values to customize said executable discovery script.

3. The method of claim 1, said parameter metadata comprising type definitions for said one or more parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, said type definitions being used by said user interface to collect said user input according to said type.

5. The method of claim 1, said parameter metadata defining a default value for at least one of said one or more parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, said parameterized device model further comprising localization information, said method further comprising:

determining a locality;

selecting a local descriptor for said one or more parameters; and

presenting said local descriptor in said user interface for said ast one or more parameters.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

presenting an output comprising said device data after said verifying, said output comprising a second local descriptor from said localization information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more parameters are annotated to the discovery script template.

9. The method claim 1, wherein using said parameter values to customize at least one of said executable discovery script and said data validation script for use with data from said specified device comprises using said parameter values to customize a script for use with data from one of:

a router, a gateway, a proxy, a network application, a network storage device, a wireless access point, or a game console.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein executing said executable discovery script to gather device data from said specified device comprises executing said executable discovery script to gather operational data from said specified device.

11. A system comprising:

a physical network interface;

a set of parameterized models, said set of parameterized models describing mechanisms for gathering data from devices, said set of parameterized models comprising;

discovery script templates for a plurality of different devices;

for each discovery script template, one or more corresponding parameters defining how said discovery script template is to be customized to monitor a specified device of a specified device type based on corresponding on parameter values for said one or more parameters; and

for each discovery script template, corresponding parameter metadata defining restrictions on parameter values for said one or more parameters;

a user interface engine, said user interface engine configured to create a user interface for capturing parameter values including for a selected discovery script template being configured to;

analyze said discovery script template to identify said one or more corresponding parameters;

analyze corresponding parameter metadata to determine a typo parameter value restrictions for each of said one or more corresponding parameters;

creates a user interface to capture parameter values for said corresponding one or more parameters, said user interface comprising appropriate user interface controls for receiving parameter values for said corresponding one or more parameters in accordance with restrictions defined in said corresponding parameter metadata;

presents said user interface; and

receives user input including parameter values for said corresponding one or more parameters through said appropriate user interface controls; and

a script engine configured to;

create a customized discovery script for monitoring said specified device of said specified device type by customizing said selected discovery script template with said parameter values for said corresponding one or more parameters;

launch said customized discovery script; and

receives results from said customized discovery script, said results comprising configuration data from said specified device of said specified device type.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a data validator engine that;

validates said results to create validated output.

13. The system of claim 12, said data validator that further:

creates a validation script from a validation script template and said user input, said validation script being used to create said validated output.

14. The system of claim 12, said set of parameterized models comprising models configured for gathering data from a server computer.

15. The system of claim 14, said user input comprising a first account usable for authenticating with said server computer.

16. The system of claim 15, said user input coming from a first user having a second account, said first account being an administrator account and said user input comprising credentials for said administrator account.

17. The system of claim 16, said set of parameterized models further comprising models configured for gathering data from a group of said server computers.

18. The system of claim 16, said set of parameterized models further comprising models configured for gathering data from a client computer.

19. At a computing device, the computing device including a processor and system memory, a method for monitoring a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

receiving a parameterized device model for a device type, said parameterized device model describing mechanisms for gathering data for devices of said device type, said parameterized model comprising;

a discovery script template meters;

one or more parameters defining how said discovery script template and template is to be customized to monitor devices of said device type based on corresponding on parameter values for said one or more parameters; and

a set of parameter metadata defining restrictions on parameter values, including type information, for said one or more parameters;

creating a user interface from said parameterized device model by;

for each of said one or more parameters;

determining said parameter value restrictions on said parameter, including type information, by referring to said set of parameter metadata;

selecting a user interface mechanism according to appropriate for said restrictions, including said type; and

presenting said user interface mechanism as part of said user interface;

presenting said user interface to a user;

receiving user input for said one or more parameters at said user interface, said user input including parameter values for said one or more parameters, said parameter values relevant to monitoring a plurality of target devices of said device type and in compliance with said parameter value restrictions;

creating a customized executable discovery script for monitoring said plurality of target devices by customizing said discovery script template with said parameter values for said one or more parameters; and

executing said customized executable discovery script to gather device data from said plurality of target devices.

20. The method of claim 19, said device model further comprising a validation script template, said method further comprising:

creating a validation script from said validation script template and said user input; and

validating said device data using said validation script.