Configurable alert delivery for reducing the amount of alerts transmitted in a distributed processing system

• US 8,756,462 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carey, James E., Sanders, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHELL, JOSEPH O
• Application Number:
  US13/114,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48, 714/57, 714/1
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for configurable alert delivery in a distributed processing system are provided. Embodiments include for each alert generated by an incident analyzer, applying active alert filters to the alert; wherein applying the active alert filters to the alert includes: creating a list of all active alert filters and a set of all active listeners; and for each active alert filter, running the active alert filter; if the active alert filter indicates that the alert should not go to one or more of the active listeners, removing the one or more active listeners from the set of all active listeners; if the active listeners set is empty, stopping processing of the alert; and if the active listeners set is not empty, selecting the next active alert filter from the active alert filter list.

Claims

1. A system for configurable alert delivery in a distributed processing system, the system comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable, when executed by the computer processor, of causing the system to carry out the steps of:

for each alert generated by an incident analyzer, applying, by the incident analyzer, active alert filters to the alert;

wherein applying the active alert filters to the alert includes;

creating, by the incident analyzer, a list of all active alert filters and a set of all active listeners; and

for each active alert filter, running, by the incident analyzer, the active alert filter;

if the active alert filter indicates that the alert should not go to one or more of the active listeners, removing, by the incident analyzer, the one or more active listeners from the set of all active listeners;

if the active listeners set is empty, stopping, by the incident analyzer, processing of the alert; and

if the active listeners set is not empty, selecting, by the incident analyzer, the next active alert filter from the active alert filter list.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising for each active alert filter:

maintaining, by the incident analyzer, a count of active listeners that use the active alert filter;

for each one of the one or more active listeners removed from the active alert filter list for that filter, decrementing, by the incident analyzer, the count for the active alert filter;

determining, by the incident analyzer, whether any of the active alert filter counts are zero; and

if an active alert filter count is zero, removing, by the incident analyzer, the active alert filter from the active alert filter list.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the active listeners removed from the active alert listener set are prevented from receiving the alert.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising for each alert, calling with the alert, by the incident analyzer, each active listener remaining in the set of active listeners.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active alert filters on the active alert filter list is user defined.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active listeners is user defined.

7. A computer program product for configurable alert delivery in a distributed processing system, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transmission computer readable storage medium, wherein the non-transmission computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions for:

for each alert generated by an incident analyzer, applying, by the incident analyzer, active alert filters to the alert;

wherein applying the active alert filters to the alert includes;

creating, by the incident analyzer, a list of all active alert filters and a set of all active listeners; and

for each active alert filter, running, by the incident analyzer, the active alert filter;

if the active alert filter indicates that the alert should not go to one or more of the active listeners, removing, by the incident analyzer, the one or more active listeners from the set of all active listeners;

if the active listeners set is empty, stopping, by the incident analyzer, processing of the alert; and

if the active listeners set is not empty, selecting, by the incident analyzer, the next active alert filter from the active alert filter list.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising for each active alert filter:

maintaining, by the incident analyzer, a count of active listeners that use the active alert filter;

for each one of the one or more active listeners removed from the active alert filter list for that filter, decrementing, by the incident analyzer, the count for the active alert filter;

determining, by the incident analyzer, whether any of the active alert filter counts are zero; and

if an active alert filter count is zero, removing, by the incident analyzer, the active alert filter from the active alert filter list.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the active listeners removed from the active alert listener set are prevented from receiving the alert.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising for each alert, calling with the alert, by the incident analyzer, each active listener remaining in the set of active listeners.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein at least one of the active alert filters on the active alert filter list is user defined.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein at least one of the active listeners is user defined.