Information gathering tool for systems administration

• US 7,856,496 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, Christopher Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/877,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method and program product for gathering information about a system. A user logs on to the system, and in response, computer programming automatically identifies application instances executing in the system, determines whether the system is configured for high availability, determines whether each of the identified application instances is configured for high availability, determines if the system is a node of a cluster of systems, and compiles and displays a unified report of the resulting information. The foregoing type of information is automatically compiled and displayed for other systems as well, in different respective sessions.

Claims

1. A computer system which gathers information about said computer system, said computer system comprising:

a central processing unit;

first program instructions to identify application instances executing in said computer system;

second program instructions to determine whether said computer system is configured for high availability;

third program instructions to determine whether each of the identified application instances is configured for high availability;

fourth program instructions to determine if said computer system is a node of a cluster of computer systems; and

fifth program instructions to compile and initiate display of a unified report of information resulting from execution of said first, second, third and fourth program instructions; and

wherein

said first, second, third, fourth and fifth program instructions are stored in said computer system for execution by said central processing unit and are automatically invoked in response to a user logging on to said computer system.

2. The computer system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first, second, third, fourth and fifth program instructions are automatically executed within ten seconds of said user logging on to said computer system.

3. The computer system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising fifth program instructions, responsive to said user logging on to said computer system, to identify message brokers in said computer system;

and wherein said report includes information resulting from execution of said fifth program instructions to identify said message brokers; and

wherein said fifth program instructions are stored in said computer system for execution by said central processing unit.

4. The computer system as set forth in claim 1 wherein if said computer system and an application instance are both configured for high availability, said report includes advice that related computer systems need similar updates.

5. The computer system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said computer system includes first scheduler utilities or exits and if said computer system and an application instance are both configured for high availability, said report includes advice that related computer systems need second scheduler utilities or exits similar to said first scheduler utilities or exits, respectively.

6. The computer system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fourth program instructions to determine if said computer system is a node of a cluster of computer systems comprises:

fifth program instructions to determine if an operating system in said computer system is a type which supports said computer system being a node in a cluster of computer systems, and if so, search for a configuration file, associated with said operating system, indicating whether said computer system is a node of a cluster of computer systems; and

if said configuration file is found, determine different names of said computer system in said cluster of computer systems indicated by said configuration file, and

if said configuration file is not found, determine a single name of said computer system.

7. A computer program product for gathering information about a computer system, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to identify application instances executing in said computer system;

second program instructions to determine whether said computer system is configured for high availability;

third program instructions to determine whether each of the identified application instances is configured for high availability; and

fourth program instructions to compile and display a unified report of information resulting from execution of said first, second and third program instructions; and

wherein

said first, second, third and fourth program instructions are automatically invoked in response to a user logging on to said computer system and are recorded on said computer readable storage medium.

8. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first, second, third and fourth program instructions are automatically executed within ten seconds of said user logging on to said computer system.

9. A computer system which gathers information about said computer system, said computer system comprising:

a central processing unit;

first program instructions to identify application instances executing in said computer system;

second program instructions to determine whether said computer system is configured for high availability;

third program instructions to determine whether each of the identified application instances is configured for high availability; and

fourth program instructions to compile and initiate display of a unified report of information resulting from execution of said first, second and third program instructions; and

wherein

said first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored in said computer system for execution by said central processing unit and are automatically invoked in response to a user logging on to said computer system.

10. The computer system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first, second, third and fourth program instructions are automatically executed within ten seconds of said user logging on to said computer system.