Managing computer network resources

• US 9,663,659 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetFuel, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetFuel, Inc.
• Inventors: Harlow, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/648,623
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 709201
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 43/06 by oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/149 for prediction of maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Software agents are assigned goals in accordance with network policies that define a desired operational characteristic of a network. A software agent achieves its assigned goal by executing a predefined task. An assigned goal may be dynamically modified as necessary based on the actual operational characteristics of the network. The software agent may request further policy if it cannot achieve its assigned goal by performing the predefined task.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

running at least one thread in a first runtime environment;

monitoring operational parameters relating to the each thread including a per-thread utilization for the each thread;

detecting if there is an abnormality in the monitored operational parameters; and

performing a corrective action to fix any detected abnormalities, wherein

performing the corrective action comprises first making a request for a corrective policy to correct a detected abnormality from an entity external to the first runtime environment if the corrective policy is not available to an agent operating within the first runtime environment, wherein

performing the corrective action is based on the corrective policy applied by the agent running within the first runtime environment, wherein

the entity external to the first runtime environment is a global modeler configured to listen to events from a system comprising a plurality of runtime environments including the first runtime environment, each of the runtime environments running multiple threads.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises a load balancing operation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting if an abnormality exists comprises comparing the monitored operational parameters to known thresholds.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, by the global modeler,

observing a behavior of the system;

and

creating corrective policy based on the observed system behavior.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein creating the corrective policy comprises using Kohonen'"'"'s Self Organizing maps.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the corrective policy comprises using Dijkstra'"'"'s Self Stabilization Algorithm.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a sequence of instructions which when executed by a system causes the system to perform a method, comprising:

running at least one thread in a first runtime environment;

monitoring operational parameters relating to the each thread including a per-thread utilization for the each thread;

detecting if an abnormality exists based on the monitored operational parameters; and

performing a corrective action to fix any detected abnormalities;

wherein

performing the corrective action comprises first making a request for a corrective policy to correct a detected abnormality from an entity external to the first runtime environment if the corrective policy is not available to an agent operating within the first runtime environment, wherein

performing the corrective action is based on the corrective policy applied by the agent running within the first runtime environment, wherein

the entity external to the first runtime environment is a global modeler configured to listen to events from a system comprising a plurality of runtime environments including the first runtime environment, each of the runtime environments running multiple threads.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the corrective action comprises a load balancing operation.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein detecting if an abnormality exists comprises comparing the monitored operational parameters to known thresholds.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising, by the global modeler,

observing a behavior of the system;

and

creating corrective policy to correct the observed system behavior.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein creating the corrective policy is based on Kohonen'"'"'s Self Organizing maps.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein creating the corrective policy comprises using Dijkstra'"'"'s Self Stabilization Algorithm.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor causes the system to perform a method comprising;

running at least one thread in a first runtime environment;

monitoring operational parameters relating to the or each thread including a per-thread utilization for each thread;

detecting there is an abnormality in the monitored operational parameters; and

performing a corrective action to fix any detected abnormalities;

wherein

performing the corrective action comprises first making a request for a corrective policy to correct a detected abnormality from an entity external to the first runtime environment if the corrective policy is not available to an agent operating within the first runtime environment, wherein

performing the corrective action is based on the corrective policy applied by the agent running within the first runtime environment, wherein

the entity external to the first runtime environment is a global modeler configured to listen to events from a system comprising a plurality of runtime environments including the first runtime environment, each of the runtime environments running multiple threads.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the corrective action comprises a load balancing operation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein detecting if an abnormality exists comprises comparing the monitored operational parameters to known thresholds.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising, by the global modeler,

observing a behavior of the system;

and

creating corrective policy based on the observed system behavior.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein creating the corrective policy comprises using Kohonen'"'"'s Self Organizing maps.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein creating the corrective policy comprises using Dijkstra'"'"'s Self Stabilization Algorithm.