Automated trouble ticket generation

• US 8,892,965 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Malnati, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehne, Charles
• Application Number:
  US13/536,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• US Class Current: 714/57
• 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 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information

Abstract

Control over servers and partitions within a computer network may be automated to improve response to disaster events within the computer network. For example, a monitoring server may be configured to automatically monitor servers through remote communications sessions. A disaster event may be detected based on information received from the partitions and servers within the network. When a disaster event or events leading to a disaster event are detected, a trouble ticket may be generated. The trouble ticket may also generate an alert displayed to an administrator through a customized hierarchical graphical display. When the administrator is not logged in, messages may be generated to alert the administrator to the problem. The administrator may then log in remotely and respond to the alert.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a monitoring server, first information regarding the state of operations of a first partition of a first server by parsing text received through a first remote communications session;

receiving, at a monitoring server, second information regarding the state of operations of a second partition of a second server by parsing text received through a second remote communications session;

determining whether a disaster event has occurred based, in part, on the first information and the second information; and

generating a trouble ticket corresponding to the disaster event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a severity to the trouble ticket.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the alert to an administrator through an administrator console at the monitoring server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from an administrator, information corresponding to a second disaster event; and

generating a trouble ticket corresponding to the second disaster event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging at least one of the first information and the second information.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the first information is received through a telnet communications session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising responding to the trouble ticket automatically by issuing commands through at least one of the first remote communications session and the second communications session.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code to receive, at a monitoring server, first information regarding the state of operations of a first partition of a first server by parsing text received through a first remote communications session;

code to receive, at a monitoring server, second information regarding the state of operations of a second partition of a second server by parsing text received through a second remote communications session;

code to determine whether a disaster event has occurred based, in part, on the first information and the second information; and

code to generate a trouble ticket corresponding to the disaster event.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the medium further comprises code to assign a severity to the trouble ticket.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the medium further comprises code to display the alert to an administrator through an administrator console at the monitoring server.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the medium further comprises:

code to receive, from an administrator, information corresponding to a second disaster event; and

code to generate a trouble ticket corresponding to the second disaster event.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the medium further comprises code to log at least one of the first information and the second information.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the medium further comprises code to receive the first information received through a telnet communications session.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the medium further comprises code to respond to the trouble ticket automatically by issuing commands through at least one of the first remote communications session and the second communications session.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, in which the processor is configured;

to receive, at a monitoring server, first information regarding the state of operations of a first partition of a first server by parsing text received through a first remote communications session;

to receive, at a monitoring server, second information regarding the state of operations of a second partition of a second server by parsing text received through a second remote communications session;

to determine whether a disaster event has occurred based, in part, on the first information and the second information; and

to generate a trouble ticket corresponding to the disaster event.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to assign a severity to the trouble ticket.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to display the alert to an administrator through an administrator console at the monitoring server.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured:

to receive, from an administrator, information corresponding to a second disaster event; and

to generate a trouble ticket corresponding to the second disaster event.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to log at least one of the first information and the second information.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to receive the first information through a telnet communications session.