Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Data processing system error or fault handling – Reliability and availability
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-05
2001-07-17
Ray, Gopal C. (Department: 2181)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Data processing system error or fault handling
Reliability and availability
C714S038110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263455
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to supervising a networked computer environment. More specifically, the present invention relates to analyzing alarm conditions in a networked computer environment, such as a communications network.
BACKGROUND
A networked computer environment typically comprises multiple interconnected elements, such as UNIX® and Windows NT® platforms. As real or potential problems occur with these networked computer elements, alarm messages are generated and sent to a centralized operations system(s) within the network for analysis. Alarm message can be, for example, generated autonomously by the affected element or generated in response to queries.
Upon receiving alarm messages, the alarm messages typically are displayed to at least one system operator. The system operator then interprets the alarm messages, isolates the corresponding event causing the alarm within the environment and resolves the event, all within the shortest time possible. The system operator can then consider the next alarm message.
Some types of networked computing problems, however, can generate multiple alarm messages for a single event. In such situations, the system operator may not be able to determine which alarm messages are associated with single networked computing events; the system operator can be overwhelmed by the high number of seemingly unrelated alarm messages. Due to varying levels of operator experience in dealing with networked computing problems, the problems can go undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed, and more time than is necessary elapses to solve the problems. Such delays can result in a costly waste of networked computing resources and availability.
Efficiency can be improved by automating a process by which related alarm messages are correlated to identify particular networked computing problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,189 by Kung and issued on Feb. 7, 1995 uses an expert system having a flow-chart-based knowledge representation scheme with a user interface and inference engine. The Kung system, however, suffers the shortcoming that is a very complex and expensive to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Alarm messages for a networked computing environment are analyzed. An alarm message from at least one element of the networked computing environment is received at an alarms collector. The received alarm message is parsed into a set of segments including a variable text segment. The variable text segment is categorized into a set of tokens. The alarm message is consolidated into an alarm table based on the set of tokens.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the set of segments can include a date segment having an alarm date, a time segment having an alarm time and an element segment having an element identifier. The alarm message can be consolidated based on the alarm date, the alarm time and the element identifier.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the alarm messages can be consolidated by grouping the alarm message with an entry from the alarm table when the tokens of the alarm messages match the tokens of the entry within a minimum-match threshold and by incrementing a message count associated with the entry. Additionally, the alarm messages can be consolidated by an event count per element associated with the entry when an alarm time associated with the alarm message is within a time threshold of a entry time associated with the entry.
In another embodiment of the present invention, categorizing the variable text segment into tokens can include the substeps of removing a container byte from the leading byte of each token and/or removing a container byte from the trailing byte of each token. In other words, the alarm message tokens can be loosely typecast by removing container bytes from the leading byte and/or trailing byte of each token. The alarm message tokens can then be categorized with each token having a type from the group of alphabetic, numeric, alphanumeric and other.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5309448 (1994-05-01), Bouloutas et al.
patent: 5388189 (1995-02-01), Kung
patent: 5398277 (1995-03-01), Martin, Jr. et al.
patent: 5473596 (1995-12-01), Garafola et al.
patent: 5495470 (1996-02-01), Tyburski et al.
patent: 5646864 (1997-07-01), Whitney
patent: 5677945 (1997-10-01), Mullins et al.
patent: 5748079 (1998-05-01), Addy
patent: 5960326 (1999-09-01), Kido
AT&T Corp.
Ray Gopal C.
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