Modular monitor service for smart item monitoring

• US 8,751,644 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bornhoevd, Christof, Mo, Brian S., Wiemann, Matthias M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US13/412,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

Monitor services deployable on device networks may be implemented using a modular approach, in which a core monitor service is mapped to one or more devices included in, or associated with, the device networks. Additional monitoring-related functionality may be provided to such devices using plug-ins, add-on services or service components, or other service modules, which interact with the core monitor service. The core monitor service(s) and any monitor service modules may be mapped, to specific ones of the devices, based on, for example, requirements of other services and/or relevant device metadata (e.g., capabilities) of the devices. In additional or alternative implementations, various protocols may be used to register new devices and deployed monitor service(s) with the distributed monitoring service(s) in a fast, secure, energy-efficient, and reliable manner, even as devices join or leave the device network(s).

Claims

1. A system including instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and executable by at least one processor, the system comprising:

a service repository configured to store a core monitor service and a plurality of monitor service modules, wherein the core monitor service and the plurality of monitor service modules are associated with obtaining monitor data from at least one device network, wherein the at least one device network includes at least a smart item device;

a system mapper configured to cause the at least one processor to deploy instances of the core monitor service onto at least two tiers of a hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture associated with obtaining the monitor data, and further configured to deploy at least one monitor service module onto at least one tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture; and

a system monitor comprising the instances of the core monitor service and the at least one monitor service module, the system monitor configured to cause the at least one processor to propagate at least a portion of the monitor data through the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture from the device network,

wherein the smart item device is configured to implement a first instance of the core monitor service and a first monitor service module of the at least one monitor service module implementing an edge monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is collected at a first tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a group leader device that is included within the at least one device network at a second tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture, and the group leader device is configured to implement a second instance of the core monitor service and a second monitor service module implementing a group leader monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is processed for transmission,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a local device associated with the group leader monitor service, and the local device is configured to implement a third instance of the core monitor service and at least a third monitor service module implementing a local monitor service of the system monitor at which the processed monitor data is stored, and

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a global device associated with the local monitor service, and the global device is configured to implement a fourth instance of the core monitor service and at least a fourth monitor service module implementing a global monitor service of the system monitor at which the stored monitor data is used to update global monitor data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system mapper is configured to deploy the at least one monitor service module onto at least one tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture, based on device metadata associated with a device implementing the at least one tier.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of monitor service modules share a common interface for communicating with the core monitor service.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of monitor service modules include one or more of a system adaptor module, a communications adaptor module, a data storage module, or a data pre-process module.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the service mapper is configured to deploy the core monitor service to a device associated with the device network, and wherein the system monitor is configured to provide static metadata associated with the device to the service mapper, using the core monitor service, and further wherein the service mapper is configured to deploy the monitor service module to the device, based on the static metadata.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the device network includes a sensor network, the sensor network being configured to process sensor data external to the device network and collected by at least one sensor associated with the sensor network, to thereby facilitate execution of a collaborative function that includes processing the sensor data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the core monitor service is configured to execute a first subset of monitor functions which are generic with respect to the tiers, including sending and receiving monitor messages to propagate the at least a portion of the monitor data.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one monitor service module is separable from the core monitor service with respect to installation or removal thereof, and adapted for execution of at least a second subset of monitor functions defined with respect to respective devices and/or tiers, the second subset of monitor functions including processing the at least a portion of the monitor data in conjunction with the instances of the core monitor service, to thereby formulate the monitor messages.

9. A computer program product including instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

store a core monitor service and a plurality of monitor service modules, wherein the core monitor service and the plurality of monitor service modules are associated with obtaining monitor data from at least one device network, wherein the at least one device network includes at least a smart item device;

deploy instances of the core monitor service onto at least two tiers of a hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture associated with obtaining the monitor data, and deploy at least one monitor service module onto at least one tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture; and

propagate at least a portion of the monitor data through the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture from the device network, using a system monitor comprising the instances of the core monitor service and the at least one monitor service module,

wherein the smart item device is configured to implement a first instance of the core monitor service and a first monitor service module of the at least one monitor service module implementing an edge monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is collected at a first tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a group leader device that is included within the at least one device network at a second tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture, and the group leader device is configured to implement a second instance of the core monitor service and a second monitor service module implementing a group leader monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is processed for transmission,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a local device associated with the group leader monitor service, and the local device is configured to implement a third instance of the core monitor service and at least a third monitor service module implementing a local monitor service of the system monitor at which the processed monitor data is stored, and

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a global device associated with the local monitor service, and the global device is configured to implement a fourth instance of the core monitor service and at least a fourth monitor service module implementing a global monitor service of the system monitor at which the stored monitor data is used to update global monitor data.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the at least one monitor service module is deployed onto at least one tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture, based on device metadata associated with a device implementing the at least one tier.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the plurality of monitor service modules share a common interface for communicating with the core monitor service.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the core monitor service is deployed to a device associated with the device network, and wherein the system monitor is configured to provide static metadata associated with the device, using the core monitor service, and further wherein the monitor service module is deployed to the device, based on the static metadata.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the device network includes a sensor network, the sensor network being configured to process sensor data external to the device network and collected by at least one sensor associated with the sensor network, to thereby facilitate execution of a collaborative function that includes processing the sensor data.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the core monitor service is configured to execute a first subset of monitor functions which are generic with respect to the tiers, including sending and receiving monitor messages to propagate the at least a portion of the monitor data.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the at least one monitor service module is separable from the core monitor service with respect to installation or removal thereof, and adapted for execution of at least a second subset of monitor functions defined with respect to respective devices and/or tiers, the second subset of monitor functions including processing the at least a portion of the monitor data in conjunction with the instances of the core monitor service, to thereby formulate the monitor messages.

16. A method comprising:

storing a core monitor service and a plurality of monitor service modules, wherein the core monitor service and the plurality of monitor service modules are associated with obtaining monitor data from at least one device network, wherein the at least one device network includes at least a smart item device;

deploying instances of the core monitor service onto at least two tiers of a hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture associated with obtaining the monitor data, and deploy at least one monitor service module onto at least one tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture; and

propagating at least a portion of the monitor data through the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture from the device network, using a system monitor comprising the instances of the core monitor service and the at least one monitor service module,

wherein the smart item device is configured to implement a first instance of the core monitor service and a first monitor service module of the at least one monitor service module implementing an edge monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is collected at a first tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a group leader device that is included within the at least one device network at a second tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture, and the group leader device is configured to implement a second instance of the core monitor service and a second monitor service module implementing a group leader monitor service of the system monitor at which the monitor data is processed for transmission,

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a local device associated with the group leader monitor service, and the local device is configured to implement a third instance of the core monitor service and at least a third monitor service module implementing a local monitor service of the system monitor at which the processed monitor data is stored, and

wherein the hierarchical, multi-tiered architecture includes a global device associated with the local monitor service, and the global device is configured to implement a fourth instance of the core monitor service and at least a fourth monitor service module implementing a global monitor service of the system monitor at which the stored monitor data is used to update global monitor data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the core monitor service is configured to execute a first subset of monitor functions which are generic with respect to the tiers, including sending and receiving monitor messages to propagate the at least a portion of the monitor data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one monitor service module is separable from the core monitor service with respect to installation or removal thereof, and adapted for execution of at least a second subset of monitor functions defined with respect to respective devices and/or tiers, the second subset of monitor functions including processing the at least a portion of the monitor data in conjunction with the instances of the core monitor service, to thereby formulate the monitor messages.