Systems and methods for monitoring globally distributed remote storage devices

• US 9,699,040 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Storj Labs International SEZC (Storj Labs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cannon, Paul, Harding, Andrew, Wendling, Jeffrey Michael, Peacock, Alen Lynn, Olds, John Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US14/503,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for remotely monitoring a plurality of distributed remote storage devices. An example computer implemented method includes locally collecting monitoring data for one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices, and periodically sending at least one of an aggregate of the locally recorded monitoring data and a summary of the locally recorded monitoring data to a remote location. The remote location includes at least one of another one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices, at least one central server, and a set of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for remotely monitoring a plurality of distributed remote storage devices, comprising:

receiving, at a first distributed remote storage device, a summary of recorded monitoring data from at least one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices;

locally collecting, at the first distributed remote storage device, monitoring data for the first distributed remote storage device;

determining, at the first distributed remote storage device, an aggregate of data using the locally recorded monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, and a summary of data using the locally recorded monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, the summary of data having a reduced data size compared to the aggregate of data; and

periodically sending at least one of the aggregate of data and the summary of data to a remote location, the remote location including at least one of another one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices, at least one central server, and a set of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the locally recorded monitoring data includes at least one of processor utilization, disk space utilization, input/output load, and network traffic statistics.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the locally recorded monitoring data includes at least one of counts of method invocations, timing data about execution paths, and error and success path counts.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming receipt of the at least one of an aggregate of the locally recorded monitoring data and a summary of the locally recorded monitoring data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locally storing the locally recorded monitoring data on the first distributed remote storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the at least one of an aggregate of the locally recorded monitoring data and a summary of the locally recorded monitoring data on the first distributed remote storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of an aggregate of the locally recorded monitoring data and a summary of the locally recorded monitoring data is for locally recorded monitoring data collected within a time period, and periodically sending the monitoring data includes sending the locally recorded monitoring data from successive time periods.

8. A computer-program product for remotely monitoring a plurality of distributed remote storage devices, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

receive, at a first distributed remote storage device, a summary of recorded monitoring data from at least one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices;

locally collect, at the first distributed remote storage device, monitoring data for the first distributed remote storage device;

determine, at the first distributed remote storage device, an aggregate of data using the locally collected monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, and a summary of data using the locally collected monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, the summary of data having a reduced data size compared to the aggregate of data; and

transmit the aggregate of data and the summary of data periodically to at least one of another one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices and a central server.

9. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the summary of received recorded monitoring data includes receiving the summary of locally recorded monitoring data from two or more of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

10. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

cache the locally collected monitoring data between transmitting the locally collected monitoring data periodically.

11. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the recorded monitoring data includes at least one of an aggregate of the recorded monitoring data and the summary of the recorded monitoring data.

12. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the summary of recorded monitoring data is collected locally on the at least one the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

13. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the locally collected monitoring data includes at least one of processor utilization, disk space utilization, input/output load, network traffic statistics, counts of method invocations, timing data about execution paths, and error and success path counts.

14. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the plurality of distributed remote storage devices are control panels for home automation systems.

15. An apparatus for remotely monitoring a plurality of distributed remote storage devices, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive, at a first distributed remote storage device, a summary of recorded monitoring data from at least one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices;

locally collect, at the first distributed remote storage device, monitoring data for the first distributed remote storage device;

locally store, at the first distributed remote storage device, the locally collected monitoring data and the received recorded monitoring data;

determine, at the first distributed remote storage device, an aggregate of data using the locally collected monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, and a summary of data using the locally collected monitoring data and the received summary of recorded monitoring data, the summary of data having a reduced data size compared to the aggregate of data; and

transmit the aggregate of data and the summary of data periodically to at least one of another one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices and a central server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein locally collecting monitoring data, locally storing the locally collected monitoring data and the received recorded monitoring data, and transmitting the locally collected monitoring data and the received recorded monitoring data is performed by one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the summary of recorded monitoring data is collected locally by the at least one of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein transmitting the locally collected monitoring data and the summary of recorded monitoring data includes transmitting at least one of a summary and an aggregate of the locally collected monitoring data and the summary of recorded monitoring data.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein receiving recorded monitoring data includes receiving at least one of a summary and an aggregate of recorded monitoring data from two or more of the plurality of distributed remote storage devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive a request to re-transmit the locally collected monitoring data and the summary of recorded monitoring data.