Method for multidimensional visual correlation of systems management data

• US 20050198259A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Childress, Rhonda L., Pennell, Neil Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring the performance of a system. The mechanism of the present invention provides an interface in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate multiple layers of system performance data to an operator. An operator monitors this display of information and uses it to determine how to adjust the system to optimize system performance. This mechanism of the present invention provides immediate feedback to an operator by displaying a trail of metric points, wherein the metric points indicate the status of system performance over a period of time. In this manner, the display mechanism of the present invention immediately conveys to an operator whether the system is operating within predefined margins, the results of performance adjustments made to the system, as well as predictions or trends for the system.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring system performance and communicating detailed system performance data via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

querying a current monitoring configuration;

monitoring system performance using instructions obtained from the current monitoring configuration;

polling system data according to the current monitoring configuration; and

displaying the polled system data on a graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a target-type management vector display including regions representing levels of system performance and a metric point within the display identifying the current status of system performance at a particular point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the polled system data is reportable;

selecting a report to display the polled system data; and

identifying information in the polled system data to display in the report.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric point within the target-type management vector display provides the performance status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the management vector display provides information regarding results of performance adjustments to the system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple metric points are used in the display to identify a trail of system status information determined at fixed periods of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the metric trail is used to determine the effect adjustments to system operation have on system performance.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the distance between consecutive metric points indicates the rate of change of system performance over a fixed period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target-type management vector display includes a vertical axis and horizontal axis representing user-defined attributes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-defined attributes include transactions over time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein industry baseline metrics are used to set the attributes.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a target operational state of a particular area of the system is a point where the vertical axis and horizontal axis meet on the management vector display.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target-type management vector display comprises three regions, wherein a first region indicates satisfactory performance, a second region indicates improvement required performance, and a third region indicates unacceptable performance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the regions are displayed using different colors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes multiple target-type management vector displays, each display representing system performance for a different set of variables.

15. A system for monitoring system performance and communicating detailed system performance data via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

a graphical user interface; and

a target-type management vector display within the graphical user interface, wherein the display includes regions representing levels of system performance, a metric point within the display identifying the current status of system performance at a particular point in time.

16. A data processing system for monitoring system performance and communicating detailed system performance data via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

querying means for querying a current monitoring configuration;

monitoring means for monitoring system performance using instructions obtained from the current monitoring configuration;

polling means for polling system data according to the current monitoring configuration; and

displaying means for displaying the polled system data on a graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a target-type management vector display including regions representing levels of system performance and a metric point within the display identifying the current status of system performance at a particular point in time.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the polled system data is reportable;

selecting a report to display the polled system data; and

identifying information in the polled system data to display in the report.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the metric point within the target-type management vector display provides the performance status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the management vector display provides information regarding results of performance adjustments to the system.

20. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein multiple metric points are used in the display to identify a trail of system status information determined at fixed periods of time.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the metric trail is used to determine the effect adjustments to system operation have on system performance.

22. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the distance between consecutive metric points indicates the rate of change of system performance over a fixed period of time.

23. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the target-type management vector display includes a vertical axis and horizontal axis representing user-defined attributes.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the user-defined attributes include transactions over time.

25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein industry baseline metrics are used to set the attributes.

26. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein a target operational state of a particular area of the system is a point where the vertical axis and horizontal axis meet on the management vector display.

27. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the target-type management vector display comprises three regions, wherein a first region indicates satisfactory performance, a second region indicates improvement required performance, and a third region indicates unacceptable performance.

28. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the regions are displayed using different colors.

29. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the graphical user interface includes multiple target-type management vector displays, each display representing system performance for a different set of variables.

30. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for monitoring system performance and communicating detailed system performance data via an enhanced graphical user interface, comprising:

first instructions for querying a current monitoring configuration;

second instructions for monitoring system performance using instructions obtained from the current monitoring configuration;

third instructions for polling system data according to the current monitoring configuration; and

fourth instructions for displaying the polled system data on a graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a target-type management vector display including regions representing levels of system performance and a metric point within the display identifying the current status of system performance at a particular point in time.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising:

determining whether the polled system data is reportable;

selecting a report to display the polled system data; and

identifying information in the polled system data to display in the report.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the metric point within the target-type management vector display provides the performance status of a particular area of the system at a particular time.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the management vector display provides information regarding results of performance adjustments to the system.

34. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein multiple metric points are used in the display to identify a trail of system status information determined at fixed periods of time.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the metric trail is used to determine the effect adjustments to system operation have on system performance.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the distance between consecutive metric points indicates the rate of change of system performance over a fixed period of time.

37. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the target-type management vector display includes a vertical axis and horizontal axis representing user-defined attributes.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the user-defined attributes include transactions over time.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein industry baseline metrics are used to set the attributes.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein a target operational state of a particular area of the system is a point where the vertical axis and horizontal axis meet on the management vector display.

41. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the target-type management vector display comprises three regions, wherein a first region indicates satisfactory performance, a second region indicates improvement required performance, and a third region indicates unacceptable performance.

42. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the regions are displayed using different colors.

43. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the graphical user interface includes multiple target-type management vector displays, each display representing system performance for a different set of variables.