Diagnostics for remote computer systems

• US 8,631,278 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gale, Martin J., White, Graham, Russell, Alexander Craig Filshie
• Primary Examiner(s): Leibovich, Yair
• Application Number:
  US11/306,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,951 Days
• Field of Search: 714/27, 714/25, 714/26
• US Class Current: 714/26
• 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 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A system for use in an environment having a remote computer system, a user associated with the remote computer system, and an error detection component for detecting errors associated with the remote computer system comprises a storage component for computer programs that performing diagnostics errors associated with the remote computer system, and a search component, responsive to a first error being detected, for searching the storage component for a first computer program associated with the first error. If a first computer program is found, a presentation component presents a first option to the user, wherein the first option is associated with selection of the first computer program. If the user selects the first computer program, an execution component executes the first computer program on the remote computer system.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for use in an environment having a remote computer system, components of said diagnostic system being resident on one or more computer systems, said diagnostic system comprising:

an error detection component for detecting errors associated with the remote computer system;

a storage component for storing at least one computer program for performing at least one diagnostic in response to an error associated with the remote computer system;

a search component, responsive to a first error being detected by said error detection component, for searching the storage component for a first computer program associated with the first error;

a message broker, wherein an administrator subscribes with the message broker;

a presentation component for presenting a first option to the administrator, wherein the first option is associated with selection of the first computer program; and

an execution component, responsive to receiving a first input from the administrator associated with a selection of the first computer program, for executing the first computer program on the remote computer system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator is a creator of the first computer program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage component stores computer program data associated with the at least one computer program;

error data associated with the errors; and

status data associated with availability of the administrator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the error data comprises an identifier associated with the first error.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a checking component for checking the status data in order to determine whether the administrator is available.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, in response to the checking component determining that the administrator is available, the presentation component presents the error data to the administrator and an option for the administrator to execute the first computer program associated with the first error.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the presentation component presents the first option to execute the first program associated with the first error to a plurality of administrators authorized to execute the first computer program.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a selection component, responsive to a plurality of inputs from the plurality of administrators, for discriminating between the plurality of inputs to select the first input.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an authentication component for authenticating the administrator before the execution component executes the first computer program.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the error detection component determines whether the first computer program has successfully performed diagnostics on the first error.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, in response to the first computer program unsuccessfully performing diagnostics on the first error, the execution component re-executes the first computer program.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, in response to the first computer program unsuccessfully performing diagnostics on the first error, the presentation component presents the first option to a plurality of administrators.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein, in response to being unsuccessful in identifying an available administrator, the presentation component makes a request for help to all subscribed administrators.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein, in response to a second input associated with a de-selection of the first computer program, the presentation component presents a second option to the administrator, wherein the second option allows the administrator to input commands to the remote computer system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the input commands, upon being executed to successfully resolve the first error, are associated with the first error and stored as a new program code component in the storage component.

16. A method for use in an environment having a remote computer system and an error detection component for detecting errors associated with the remote computer system, said method comprising:

storing at least one computer program for performing at least one diagnostic corresponding to an error associated with the remote computer system;

in response to a first error being detected, searching the storage component for a first computer program associated with the first error;

determining administrators that are currently online from among a group of administrators with the responsibility of administering said remote system;

presenting an option to at least one online administrator to execute the first computer program; and

in response to receiving an affirmative input from the administrator response to the option, executing the first computer program on the remote computer system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising making a request for help to all subscribed administrators with the presentation component if there is no available administrator online.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a new series of commands entered by the administrator, upon being executed to successfully resolve an error in the remote system, are associated with the first error and stored as a new program code component in the storage component.

19. A computer program product for use in an environment having a remote computer system and an error detection component for detecting errors associated with the remote computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage having computer readable program code tangibly embedded therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to store at least one computer program for performing diagnostics on errors associated with the remote computer system;

computer readable program code configured to search, in response to a first error being detected, a storage component for a first computer program associated with the first error;

computer readable program code configured to present a first option to an administrator, wherein the first option is associated with selection of the first computer program;

computer readable program code configured to execute, in response to receiving a first input from the administrator associated with a selection of the first computer program, the first computer program on the remote computer system, and

computer readable program code configured to present, in response to a second input associated with a de-selection of the first computer program, a second option to the administrator, wherein the second option comprises a prompt for the administrator to enter a command to be transmitted to the remote computer system, wherein the entered command upon being executed to successfully resolve the first error is associated with the first error and stored as a new program code component in the storage component.