Correlating and reconciling descriptor data associated with computing systems

• US 9,075,844 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thayer, Nicholas D., Dev, Roger H., Thompson, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sun, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/107,936
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3075 the data filtering being achieved in order to maintain consistency among the monitored data, e.g. ensuring that the monitored data belong to the same timeframe, to the same system or component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466

Abstract

A system includes a memory operable to store instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable, upon executing the instructions, to receive first probe information from a first probe installed on a first device, compare the first probe information to first device information in a database, and determine that the first probe is associated with the first device. The processor may be further operable, upon executing the instructions, to receive second probe information from a second probe installed on the first device, compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database, and determine that the second probe is associated with the first device. The processor may be further operable, upon executing the instructions, to generate a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information and generate a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving first probe information from a first probe installed on a first device, the first probe information comprising information about a first property of the first device;

comparing the first probe information to first device information in a database, the first device information comprising information about the first device;

determining, based on the comparison of the first probe information and the first device information, that the first probe is associated with the first device;

generating, in the database, a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information;

receiving second probe information from a second probe installed on the first device, the second probe information comprising information about a second property of the first device;

comparing the second probe information to the first device information in the database;

determining, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the first device information, that the second probe is associated with the first device; and

generating, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the first device information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first device information is not yet in the database; and

generating the first device information in the database based on the first probe information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the second probe information to the first device information in the database includes:

determining that the first device information is related to first probe information; and

comparing the second probe information with the first probe information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the second probe is associated with the first device includes determining that a property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information is selected from the group consisting of:

network address information, device identifying information, device type information, and device relationship information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second probe information comprises information about a first property of a second device, the method further comprising:

comparing the second probe information to second device information in the database;

determining, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the second device information, that the second probe is associated with the second device;

generating, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the second device information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

receiving third probe information from a third probe installed on the second device, the third probe information comprising information about a second property of the second device;

comparing the third probe information to second device information in the database;

determining, based on the comparison of the third probe information and the second device information, that the third probe is associated with the second device;

generating, in the database, a relationship between the third probe information and the second device information.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory operable to store instructions;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable, upon executing the instructions, to;

receive first probe information from a first probe installed on a first device, the first probe information comprising information about a first property of the first device;

compare the first probe information to first device information in a database, the first device information comprising information about the first device;

determine, based on the comparison of the first probe information and the first device information, that the first probe is associated with the first device;

generate, in the database, a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information;

receive second probe information from a second probe installed on the first device, the second probe information comprising information about a second property of the first device;

compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database;

determine, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the first device information, that the second probe is associated with the first device; and

generate, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the first device information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable, upon executing the instructions, to:

determine that the first device information is not yet in the database; and

generate the first device information in the database based on the first probe information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor operable to compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database is further operable to:

determine that the first device information is related to first probe information; and

compare the second probe information with the first probe information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor operable to determine that the second probe is associated with the first device is further operable to determine that a property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information is selected from the group consisting of:

network address information, device identifying information, device type information, and device relationship information.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second probe information comprises information about a first property of a second device and the processor is further operable, upon executing the instructions, to:

compare the second probe information to second device information in the database;

determine, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the second device information, that the second probe is associated with the second device;

generate, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the second device information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable, upon executing the instructions, to:

receive third probe information from a third probe installed on the second device, the third probe information comprising information about a second property of the second device;

compare the third probe information to second device information in the database;

determine, based on the comparison of the third probe information and the second device information, that the third probe is associated with the second device;

generate, in the database, a relationship between the third probe information and the second device information.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code configured to receive first probe information from a first probe installed on a first device, the first probe information comprising information about a first property of the first device;

computer-readable program code configured to compare the first probe information to first device information in a database, the first device information comprising information about the first device;

computer-readable program code configured to determine, based on the comparison of the first probe information and the first device information, that the first probe is associated with the first device;

computer-readable program code configured to generate, in the database, a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information;

computer-readable program code configured to receive second probe information from a second probe installed on the first device, the second probe information comprising information about a second property of the first device;

computer-readable program code configured to compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database;

computer-readable program code configured to determine, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the first device information, that the second probe is associated with the first device; and

computer-readable program code configured to generate, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the first device information.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

computer-readable program code configured to determine that the first device information is not yet in the database; and

computer-readable program code configured to generate the first device information in the database based on the first probe information.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code configured to compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database is further configured to:

determine that the first device information is related to first probe information; and

compare the second probe information with the first probe information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable program code configured to determine that the second probe is associated with the first device is further configured to determine that a property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the property in the first probe information matches a property in the second probe information is selected from the group consisting of:

network address information, device identifying information, device type information, and device relationship information.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

computer-readable program code configured to compare the second probe information to second device information in the database;

computer-readable program code configured to determine, based on the comparison of the second probe information and the second device information, that the second probe is associated with the second device;

computer-readable program code configured to generate, in the database, a relationship between the second probe information and the second device information.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

computer-readable program code configured to receive third probe information from a third probe installed on the second device, the third probe information comprising information about a second property of the second device;

computer-readable program code configured to compare the third probe information to second device information in the database;

computer-readable program code configured to determine, based on the comparison of the third probe information and the second device information, that the third probe is associated with the second device;

computer-readable program code configured to generate, in the database, a relationship between the third probe information and the second device information.