Techniques for generating diagnostic results

• US 8,612,377 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Beg, Mirza Mohsin, Sum, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Mai T
• Application Number:
  US12/641,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 706/52, 714/26, 714/100, 707/687
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

Techniques for performing diagnostics for a monitored system. In one set of embodiments, an aggregate model can be built from a set of models corresponding to entities (e.g., applications and systems) in the monitored system, and data from the monitored system can be applied to the aggregate model. Diagnostic result information can then be generated based on the application of the data to the aggregate model. In certain embodiments, generating the diagnostic result information can include determining a state of an application or system in the monitored system and determining an impact of the state to a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, an aggregate model of a monitored system comprising a plurality of models and links between the models created based on relationships in a topological relationship identifying a set of applications, a set of systems configured to execute the set of applications, and relationships between the set of applications and the set of systems, each model in the plurality of models corresponding to a system or an application in the monitored system;

receiving, by the computer system, data related to the monitored system; and

generating, by the computer system, diagnostic result information for the system or the application in the monitored system by applying the data to the aggregate model, the generating comprising;

determining a state of the system or the application; and

determining an impact of the state on a user of the system or the application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the state corresponds to a condition that is observable by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the impact comprises determining whether the user can or cannot perform an operation with respect to the system or the application.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alert for the user based on the impact.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the alert comprises:

accessing a decision table comprising associations between a plurality of alerts and a plurality of impacts; and

generating the alert if the alert is associated with the impact in the decision table.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the diagnostic result information further comprises determining one or more recommended actions that can be taken by the user to mitigate or resolve the impact.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the diagnostic result information further comprises determining one or more possible root causes of the state and a likelihood of each possible root cause.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each model in the plurality of models comprises a plurality of nodes and directed links between the nodes, wherein each node corresponds to a fault in the system or the application, and wherein each directed link corresponds to a causal relationship between faults.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the state of the system or the application comprises:

identifying a summary node in the model corresponding to the system or the application; and

determining the state based on the summary node.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the diagnostic result information further comprises determining one or more possible root causes of the state, and wherein determining the one or more possible root causes comprises:

identifying one or more predecessor nodes that precede the summary node in the model; and

determining the one or more possible root causes based on the one or more predecessor nodes.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein each model in the plurality of models is a Bayesian network.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a processor, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the processor to receive an aggregate model of a monitored system comprising a plurality of models and links between the models created based on relationships in a topological relationship identifying a set of applications, a set of systems configured to execute the set of applications, and relationships between the set of applications and the set of systems, each model in the plurality of models corresponding to a system or an application in the monitored system;

instructions that cause the processor to receive data related to the monitored system; and

instructions that cause the processor to generate diagnostic result information for the system or the application in the monitored system by applying the data to the aggregate model, the generating comprising;

instructions that cause the processor to determine a state of the system or the application; and

instructions that cause the processor to determine an impact of the state on a user of the system or the application.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the state corresponds to a condition that is observable by the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to determine the impact comprises instructions that cause the processor to determine whether the user can or cannot perform an operation with respect to the system or the application.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to generate an alert for the user based on the impact.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to generate the alert comprises:

instructions that cause the processor to access a decision table comprising associations between a plurality of alerts and a plurality of impacts; and

instructions that cause the processor to generate the alert if the alert is associated with the impact in the decision table.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to generate the diagnostic result information further comprises instructions that cause the processor to determine one or more recommended actions that can be taken by the user to mitigate or resolve the impact.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to generate the diagnostic result information further comprises instructions that cause the processor to determine one or more possible root causes of the state and a likelihood of each possible root cause.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein each model in the plurality of models comprises a plurality of nodes and directed links between the nodes, wherein each node corresponds to a fault in the system or the application, and wherein each directed link corresponds to a causal relationship between faults.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to determine the state of the system or the application comprises:

instructions that cause the processor to identify a summary node in the model corresponding to the system or the application; and

instructions that cause the processor to determine the state based on the summary node.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to generate the diagnostic result information further comprises instructions that cause the processor to determine one or more possible root causes of the state, and wherein the instructions that cause the processor to determine the one or more possible root causes comprises:

instructions that cause the processor to identify one or more predecessor nodes that precede the summary node in the model; and

instructions that cause the processor to determine the one or more possible root causes based on the one or more predecessor nodes.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein each model in the plurality of models is a Bayesian network.

23. A system comprising:

a processing component configured to;

receive an aggregate model of a monitored system comprising a plurality of models and links between the models created based on relationships in a topological relationship identifying a set of applications, a set of systems configured to execute the set of applications, and relationships between the set of applications and the set of systems, each model in the plurality of models corresponding to a system or an application in the monitored system;

receive data related to the monitored system; and

generate diagnostic result information for the system or the application in the monitored system by applying the data to the aggregate model, the generate comprising;

determine a state of the system or the application; and

determine an impact of the state on a user of the system or the application.