Model-based system monitoring

• US 20060235962A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Voloshin, Vitaly, Rajarajan, Vij, Mensching, Rob, Sanghvi, Ashvinkumar J., Outhred, Geoffrey, Hunt, Galen C., Lakshminarayanan, Anand, Grealish, Kevin, Welland, Robert V., Vinberg, Anders B., Hydrie, Aamer
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Model-based system monitoring includes accessing a model of a system that includes multiple components and executing a monitoring policy to monitor performance of the system. A notification of a problem is received from a first component. A determination is made regarding the cause of the problem. The determination is made, at least in part, based on the model of the system. At least one component associated with the cause of the problem is then identified.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a model of a system that includes a plurality of components;

executing a monitoring policy to monitor performance of the system;

receiving notification of a problem from a first component;

determining a cause of the problem, the determination being made at least in part based on the model of the system; and

identifying at least one component associated with the cause of the problem.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the model of the system contains information regarding the relationships between the plurality of components.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising notifying an administrator of the component associated with the cause of the problem.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the model of the system includes an associated page of data for each of the plurality of components, and wherein the associated page of data defines an operation of the associated component.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the model of the system includes an associated page of data for each of the plurality of components, and wherein the associated page of data defines a service level agreement associated with the component.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising suppressing problem-related notices generated by the first component if the first component is not associated with the cause of the problem.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining a cause of the problem includes determining whether the first component experienced a problem while attempting to access another component.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining a cause of the problem includes:

identifying a plurality of other components associated with the first component; and

determining whether any of the other components are not functioning properly.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein identifying a plurality of other components associated with the first component includes identifying relationships associated with the first component based on information contained in the model of the system.

10. A method comprising:

accessing a model of a system that defines a plurality of components and defines relationships between those components;

receiving notification of a problem from a first component;

determining a cause of the problem, the determination being made at least in part based on the model of the system;

identifying at least one component associated with the cause of the problem; and

suppressing notices generated by the first component if the first component not associated with the cause of the problem.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the model of the system includes an associated page of data for at least one of the plurality of components, and wherein the associated page of data defines a service level agreement associated with the component.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein determining a cause of the problem includes:

identifying a plurality of other components associated with the first component; and

determining whether any of the other components are not functioning properly.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein identifying a plurality of other components associated with the first component includes identifying relationships associated with the first component based on information contained in the model of the system.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising notifying an administrator of the problem and the cause of the problem.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising executing a monitoring policy to identify potential problems associated with one or more of the plurality of components in the system.

16. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

access a model of a system that includes a plurality of components;

receive notification of a problem from a first component;

determine a component associated with the cause of the problem by using information in the model of the system to;

identify a plurality of other components associated with the first component; and

identify which of the other components are malfunctioning.

17. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the model of the system defines a hierarchical relationship among the plurality of components.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the plurality of other components associated with the first component are identified based on relationships associated with the first component defined in the model of the system.

19. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more processors further suppress error notices generated by the first component if the first component is not associated with the cause of the problem.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the model of the system includes an associated page of data for each of the plurality of components, and wherein at least one of the associated pages of data defines a service level agreement associated with the component.