Risk assessment of changing computer system within a landscape

• US 9,223,985 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Eberlein, Peter, Driesen, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEHNI, GHAZAL B
• Application Number:
  US14/049,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20150101056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 713189-194
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

Embodiments assess risk posed by changing a computer system present within a landscape of other computer systems. Agents provide a central assessment engine with data relevant to considerations such as system criticality, correlation between related systems, and dependence between different systems. The criticality parameter reflects an importance of a system and a corresponding change risk impact. System correlation is measured to allow comparison between systems, and a risk of failure of a change to the systems. Dependencies between systems are measured to define a set of systems to be changed in a coordinated manner. Change statistics collected in a database, may allow correlating systems across various customers, improving accuracy of risk prediction. Embodiments may facilitate iterative planning, where a different dependency permits the definition of smaller sets of systems offering lower risk of failure upon change implementation. Embodiments may allow correlation measurement between systems and a copy created for testing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a landscape comprising a plurality of interconnected computer systems;

causing a risk assessment engine to receive a risk parameter from an agent of one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape, wherein the risk parameter reflects probability of failure of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems in view of a history of change events, wherein the history of change events reflect a similar set of failed change events between the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems and another of the plurality of interconnected computer systems; and

causing the risk assessment engine to process the risk parameter to generate a risk value of making a change to the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a criticality of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the criticality is further determined from a database size of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

4. The computer-implemented method as in claim 1 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a correlation between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

5. The computer-implemented method as in claim 4 wherein the correlation reflects at least one of,

the first computer system as a copy of the second computer system,

the first computer system as a successor of the second computer system, or

the first computer system as operating in a different geographic region than the second computer system.

6. The computer-implemented method as in claim 1 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a dependency between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

7. The computer-implemented method as in claim 6 wherein the dependency considers a runtime dependency, an integration dependency, a configured connection, or a dependency coupling.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program for performing a method, said method comprising:

providing a landscape comprising a plurality of interconnected computer systems;

causing a risk assessment engine to receive a risk parameter from an agent of one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape, wherein the risk parameter reflects probability of failure of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems in view of a history of change events, wherein the history of change events reflect a similar set of failed change events between the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems and another of the plurality of interconnected computer systems; and

causing the risk assessment engine to process the risk parameter to generate a risk value of making a change to the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a criticality of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 9 wherein the criticality is further determined from a database size of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a correlation between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 11 wherein the correlation reflects at least one of,

the first computer system as a copy of the second computer system,

the first computer system as a successor of the second computer system, or

the first computer system as operating in a different geographic region than the second computer system.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a dependency between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

14. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

a software program, executable on said computer system, the software program configured to;

provide a landscape comprising a plurality of interconnected computer systems;

cause a risk assessment engine to receive a risk parameter from an agent of one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape, wherein the risk parameter reflects probability of failure of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems in view of a history of change events, wherein the history of change events reflect a similar set of failed change events between the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems and another of the plurality of interconnected computer systems; and

cause the risk assessment engine to process the risk parameter to generate a risk value of making a change to the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems.

15. The computer system as in claim 14 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a criticality of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

16. The computer system as in claim 15 wherein the criticality is further determined from a database size of the one of the plurality of interconnected computer systems of the landscape.

17. The computer system as in claim 14 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a correlation between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

18. The computer system as in claim 17 wherein the correlation reflects at least one of,

the first computer system as a copy of the second computer system,

the first computer system as a successor of the second computer system, or

the first computer system as operating in a different geographic region than the second computer system.

19. The computer system as in claim 14 wherein the risk parameter further reflects a dependency between a first computer system interconnected with a second computer system.

20. The computer system as in claim 19 wherein the dependency considers a runtime dependency, an integration dependency, a configured connection, or a dependency coupling.