Self-monitoring event-based system and method

• US 9,542,291 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Software AG
• Original Assignee: Software AG
• Inventors: Gesmann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DO, AN H
• Application Number:
  US13/928,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 702/127, 702182-185, 702/189
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• 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 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24535 of sub-queries or views
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24568 Data stream processing; Continuous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Certain example embodiments relate to an event-based system configured for self-monitoring. The event-based system includes a complex event processing (CEP) engine for consuming and producing events in accordance with at least one continuous query. The CEP engine in turn includes a first continuous query for producing events of a first event type and for consuming the events of the first event type. The CEP engine also is configured to detect performance issues based on the first continuous query.

Claims

1. An event-based system configured for self-monitoring, comprising:

processing resources including at least one processor and a memory; and

a complex event processing (CEP) engine configured to cooperate with the processing resources to consume events published to an event bus and produce events in accordance with at least one continuous query;

wherein the CEP engine comprises a first continuous query configured to produce events of a first event type, publish the produced events of the first event type to the event bus, and to consume the events of the first event type published to the event bus by the first continuous query; and

wherein the CEP engine is configured to detect performance issues based on the first continuous query.

2. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein events of the first event type indicate a creation time of the event, a sequence number, a host identifier of the CEP engine and/or a process identifier of the CEP engine.

3. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the first continuous query is configured to consume an event of the first event type, and to produce an event of the first event type indicating a subsequent sequence number.

4. The event-based system of claim 3, wherein the event of the first event type indicating a subsequent sequence number is produced only after a pre-defined waiting time has elapsed.

5. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the CEP engine further comprises a second continuous query configured to consume an event of the first event type, to determine a round-trip time of the event, and to produce an event of a second event type indicating a performance issue, if the round-trip time exceeds a pre-defined threshold value.

6. The event-based system of claim 5, wherein events of the second event type indicate the time of detection of the performance issue, the determined round-trip time, a host identifier of the CEP engine, and/or a process identifier of the CEP engine.

7. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the CEP engine is configured to produce an event of a third event type indicating a performance issue, if an event is received out of sequence by the CEP engine.

8. The event-based system of claim 7, wherein the CEP engine is configured to determine that an event is received out of sequence by comparing a time stamp of the event to a time stamp of a preceding event.

9. The event-based system of claim 7, wherein events of the third event type indicate the time of detection of the performance issue, the event type of the event that was received out of sequence, event data, a host identifier of the CEP engine, and/or a process identifier of the CEP engine.

10. The event-based system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring client configured to consume events of the first event type, and to detect that the CEP engine is out of operation.

11. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to measure the processing time of processing a received event, and to allocate additional processing resources if the measured processing time exceeds a pre-defined threshold value.

12. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein events of the first event type are produced only after a pre-defined waiting time has elapsed, and wherein the monitoring system is configured to automatically adjust the pre-defined waiting time.

13. The event-based system of claim 12, wherein the adjusting of the pre-defined waiting time is based on performance statistics of the CEP engine.

14. The event-based system of claim 13, wherein the performance statistics of the CEP engine include the number of queries presently executing.

15. A method for self-monitoring an event-based system comprising processing resources including at least one processor and a memory by operating the event-based system of claim 1.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing a computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method in accordance with claim 15.

17. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the first event type is a ping event, the first continuous query is further configured to publish the produced event of the first event type only after a pre-defined waiting time has passed after the preceding produced event of the first event type was published to the event bus, and wherein the pre-defined waiting time is adjusted based on a round-trip time of a consumed event of the first event type.

18. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the CEP engine further comprises a second continuous query configured to consume events of the first event type published to the event bus by the first continuous query and produce events of a second event type indicating a performance issue, wherein

the events of the first event type include a creation time of the event by the first continuous query, and the second continuous query produces events of the second event type indicating a performance issue when a difference between the current time and the creation time of consumed event of the first event type exceeds a predetermined limit.

19. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the first continuous query is configured to calculate a sequence number and include the calculated sequence number in the produced events of the first event type, such that each new produced event of the first event type includes a subsequent sequence number;

and wherein the CEP engine further comprises a second continuous query configured to consume only events of the first event type published to the event bus by the first continuous query and produce events of a second event type indicating a performance issue when, based on the sequence numbers included in the consumed events of the first event type, the received events of the first event type are received out of sequence.

20. The event-based system of claim 1, wherein the CEP engine further comprises a second continuous query configured to consume events of the first event type produced by the first continuous query and to produce events of a second event type, different from the first event type, when a performance issue is detected based only on time stamps and/or a sequence numbers included in the events of the first event type by the first continuous query.

21. A self-monitoring method for an event-based system including processing resources including at least one processor and a memory, the method comprising:

consuming events published to an event bus and producing events, using a complex event processing (CEP) engine that cooperates with the processing resources of the event-based system, in accordance with at least one continuous query, the CEP engine working with at least a first continuous query to produce events of a first event type, to publish the produced events of the first event type to the event bus, and to consume the events of the first event type published to the event bus by at least the first continuous query; and

detecting, using the CEP engine, performance issues based on the first continuous query.