Control interface for metric definition specification for assets and asset groups driven by search-derived asset tree hierarchy

• US 10,564,622 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Original Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Inventors: Dean, Erick Anthony, Dinga, Jindrich, Green, Marvin Herville
• Primary Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US16/147,439
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32404 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 Trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

An asset monitoring and reporting system (AMRS) implements an interface to establish an asset hierarchy to be monitored and reported against. The interface employs a search query of extant asset data from which definitional aspects of the asset hierarchy can be identified, and therefrom the interface automatically determines control information reflective of the asset hierarchy to direct the ongoing operation of the AMRS. The interface further allows for configuration of a metric definition for a metric of an asset node of the asset hierarchy, the metric representing a point in time or a period of time and derived from a metric-time search of machine data produced by or about the asset node and receives an identification of a metric determination specification for the metric definition, the metric determination specification comprising at least identification of a metric component and identification of a calculation operation to apply to the metric component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing display of a user interface for configuring a metric definition for a metric of an asset node of an asset hierarchy, the metric representing a point in time or a period of time and derived at least in part from a metric-time search of machine data corresponding to the asset node;

receiving an identification, via the user interface, of a metric determination specification for the metric definition, the metric determination specification comprising identification of a metric component, identification of a calculation operation to apply to the metric component, and metric time factors corresponding to time-related aspects of the metric definition, wherein the metric time factors further comprising a schedule component and a span component, and wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to select one or more other metrics and to select the calculation operation to add to an editable input portion of the user interface comprising the metric determination specification; and

reflecting in computer storage the metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the metric;

wherein the asset hierarchy was derived at least in part from;

a result of a definition-time search of machine data pertaining to the asset hierarchy; and

a user indication of an asset identifier field and an asset parent identifier field in the result of the definition-time search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to indicate a metric name for the metric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric determination specification further comprises filter criteria to limit application of the calculation operation over values of the identified metric component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the method further comprises reflecting in computer storage a group metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the group metric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the group metric is replicated to all asset nodes that are associated with the asset group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the metric determination specification comprises a reference to one or more other group metrics of the asset group.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled with the memory to;

cause display of a user interface for configuring a metric definition for a metric of an asset node of an asset hierarchy, the metric representing a point in time or a period of time and derived at least in part from a metric-time search of machine data corresponding to the asset node;

receive an identification, via the user interface, of a metric determination specification for the metric definition, the metric determination specification comprising identification of a metric component, identification of a calculation operation to apply to the metric component, and metric time factors corresponding to time-related aspects of the metric definition, wherein the metric time factors further comprising a schedule component and a span component, and wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to select one or more other metrics and to select the calculation operation to add to an editable input portion of the user interface comprising the metric determination specification; and

reflect in computer storage the metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the metric;

wherein the asset hierarchy was derived at least in part from;

a result of a definition-time search of machine data pertaining to the asset hierarchy; and

a user indication of an asset identifier field and an asset parent identifier field in the result of the definition-time search.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to indicate a metric name for the metric.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to indicate a selection of the calculation operation from a set of calculation operations.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the metric determination specification further comprises filter criteria to limit application of the calculation operation over values of the identified metric component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the method further comprises reflecting in computer storage a group metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the group metric.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the group metric is replicated to all asset nodes that are associated with the asset group.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the metric determination specification comprises a reference to one or more other group metrics of the asset group.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoding instructions thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

causing display of a user interface for configuring a metric definition for a metric of an asset node of an asset hierarchy, the metric representing a point in time or a period of time and derived at least in part from a metric-time search of machine data corresponding to the asset node;

receiving an identification, via the user interface, of a metric determination specification for the metric definition, the metric determination specification comprising identification of a metric component, identification of a calculation operation to apply to the metric component, and metric time factors corresponding to time-related aspects of the metric definition, wherein the metric time factors further comprising a schedule component and a span component, and wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to select one or more other metrics and to select the calculation operation to add to an editable input portion of the user interface comprising the metric determination specification; and

reflecting in computer storage the metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the metric;

wherein the asset hierarchy was derived at least in part from;

a result of a definition-time search of machine data pertaining to the asset hierarchy; and

a user indication of an asset identifier field and an asset parent identifier field in the result of the definition-time search.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to indicate a metric name for the metric.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the user interface having an interactive element enabling a user to indicate a selection of the calculation operation from a set of calculation operations.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the metric determination specification further comprises filter criteria to limit application of the calculation operation over values of the identified metric component.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the method further comprises reflecting in computer storage a group metric definition comprising an association of the metric determination specification with the group metric.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the group metric is replicated to all asset nodes that are associated with the asset group.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the metric is a group metric associated with an asset group of the asset hierarchy, the asset group comprising one or more asset nodes of an asset hierarchy, and wherein the metric determination specification comprises a reference to one or more other group metrics of the asset group.