System and method for monitoring the status of multiple servers on a network

• US 8,676,958 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Wave Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Feeser, Colin, Hendon, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/351,947
• Time in Patent Office: 2,958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/135 by jamming the transmission media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 in the session layer [OSI layer 5]

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring a plurality of servers by a monitoring server in a computer network. A list of servers and a plurality of services to monitor in the computer network is generated at the monitoring server. A status query is transmitted sequentially by the monitoring server to each of the plurality of servers, the status query including the plurality of services to monitor at each server. A status message report is received from each of the plurality of servers in response to each status query. An event is reported in an event log for each server that has an abnormal service status. The transmission of the status query to each server is performed by the monitoring server at a specified service time interval.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a plurality of servers by a monitoring server in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

generating a list of servers and a plurality of services to monitor, at a session layer of an Open Systems Interconnection Model, in the computer network through a monitoring server having at least one input wherein at least one text file is input containing the lists the list of servers and determines a plurality of services to monitor;

transmitting a status query, by the monitoring server at a specified service time interval and at a reconfigured service time interval, including the plurality of services to monitor each of the plurality of servers sequentially, wherein a heartbeat monitor service sequentially determines the services to monitor in each of the plurality of servers based wholly on registry settings by monitoring the functionalities of the plurality of servers, wherein the heartbeat monitor service functions based wholly on the monitoring of the functionality of the plurality of servers;

receiving a status message report from each of the plurality of servers via an output as determined by the at least one input; and

reporting an event in an event log for each server that has an abnormal service status as determined through the output.

2. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 wherein the status message report is received by the monitoring server only when an abnormal condition for a service is detected.

3. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 further comprising the step of reconfiguring the plurality of services to be monitored at each server.

4. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 wherein an event is reported in the event log if an error occurred while checking the status of a service.

5. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 wherein an event is reported in the event log if the status of a service is other than running.

6. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 wherein an event is reported in the event log at a start of the monitoring of the services for each server.

7. The method for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 1 wherein an event is reported in the event log at an end of the monitoring of the services for each server.

8. A computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers in a computer network comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code embedded therein, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that generate a list of servers and a plurality of services to monitor, at a session layer of an Open Systems Interconnection Model, in the computer network through a monitoring server having at least one input wherein at least one text file is input containing the lists the list of servers and determines a plurality of services to monitor;

program instructions that transmit a status query, by the monitoring server at a specified service time interval and at a reconfigured service time interval, including a plurality of services to monitor each of the plurality of servers sequentially, wherein a heartbeat monitor service sequentially determines the services to monitor in each of the plurality of servers based wholly on registry settings by monitoring the functionalities of the plurality of servers, wherein the heartbeat monitor service functions based wholly on the monitoring of the functionality of the plurality of servers;

program instructions that receive a status message report from each of the plurality of servers via an output as determined by the at least one input; and

program instructions that report an event in an event log for each server that has an abnormal service status as determined through the output.

9. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 wherein the program instructions that receive a status message report only receive the status message report when an abnormal condition for a service is detected.

10. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 further comprising program instructions for reconfiguring the plurality of services to be monitored at each server.

11. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 wherein the program instructions that report an event write an event in the event log if an error occurred while checking the status of a service.

12. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 wherein the program instructions that report an event write an event in the event log if the status of a service is other than running.

13. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 wherein the program instructions that report an event write an event in the event log at a start of the monitoring of the services for each server.

14. The computer program product for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 8 wherein the program instructions that report an event write an event in the event log at an end of the monitoring of the services for each server.

15. A system for monitoring a plurality of servers in a computer network, comprising:

a component for generating a list of servers and a plurality of services to monitor, at a session layer of an Open Systems Interconnection Model, in the computer network through a monitoring server having at least one input wherein at least one text file is input containing the lists the list of servers and determines a plurality of services to monitor;

a component for transmitting a status query, by the monitoring server at a specified service time interval and at a reconfigured service time interval, including the plurality of services to monitor to each of the plurality of servers, wherein a heartbeat monitor service sequentially determines the services to monitor in each of the plurality of servers is determined based wholly on registry settings by monitoring the functionalities of the plurality of servers, wherein the heartbeat monitor service functions based on the monitoring of the functionality of the plurality of servers;

a component for receiving a status message report from each of the plurality of servers via an output as determined by the at least one input; and

a component for reporting an event in an event log for each server that has an abnormal service status as determined through the output.

16. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 wherein the component for receiving a status message report only receives the status message report when an abnormal condition for a service is detected.

17. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 further comprising a component for reconfiguring the plurality of services to be monitored at each server.

18. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 wherein the component for reporting an event writes an event in the event log if an error occurred while checking the status of a service.

19. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 wherein the component for reporting an event writes an event in the event log if the status of a service is other than running.

20. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 wherein the component for Reporting an event writes an event in the event log at a start of the monitoring of the services for each server.

21. The system for monitoring a plurality of servers of claim 15 wherein the component for reporting an event writes an event in the event log at an end of the monitoring of the services for each server.