Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Computer network monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-10
2001-05-08
Harrell, Robert B. (Department: 2756)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Computer network monitoring
C709S241000, C709S224000, C709S237000, C709S248000, C709S241000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C710S220000, C702S189000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230198
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to servers comprising computer processor systems, such as in a distributed or network systems environment, and, more particularly, to the logging of events, which is the distribution of messages relating to a server, between servers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The distributed or network environment of computer processor systems typically comprises a large number of individual nodes, such as workstations, PC's, terminals, host computers, and data storage components, which are tied together across a network. Also typically, the distributed or network systems comprise remotely located clients tied together to utilize common data storage components. The management of the data for efficient storage and retrieval is a critical element of the operation of the network.
One type of network is that employed to provide a backup and archive storage system for remotely located clients. Backup protects the client system data from a system failure or disk crash. The data is typically first moved to disk drives and then migrated to tape as the need for access to the data becomes less immediate. Archive storage is data that won't have a copy in the originating client system. It is archived so that the data may be made available if it is ever needed, for example, for legal requirements. Data is typically archived on tape.
One system designed to store and manage data for remotely located clients is called the ADSTAR Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM) of IBM. In ADSM, a central server is coupled to multiple client platforms and one or more administrators. The server provides archival, backup, retrieval, and other management functions for the server's clients. Should an error situation arise, that message may be provided to the server system administrator as an “event” or an “alert”. In server system parlance, an “event” is any message relating to the server system, including those messages, called “alerts”, which require attention.
Often, network or distributed systems are hierarchical in nature, having separate servers at local sites reporting to a regional headquarters and coupled to the regional headquarters servers, and having separate servers at the regional sites reporting to an area headquarters and coupled to the area headquarters servers, etc. However, one or more of the servers at an area site may themselves be “local” servers. Thus, if an event at a “local” server is of sufficient importance that it should be reported to the region and/or to the area headquarters, the event may be reported by sending it from the local server to the region server and then to the area server for distribution to receivers at the region and area.
For example, the information systems administrator for a region, an area, or an enterprise may wish to know that a local server is running out of available storage, so that an order for increased storage capacity may be economically coordinated.
It may be possible to make ones of the servers in the system a client for other servers, and the other servers receivers for the client servers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,892, Cook, has registration procedures for the registration of devices, as clients and as receivers for expected alerts, and configures a map between registered alerts and registered service providers for the distribution of events when they occur. The registration and mapping occurs at a standard initial set up for the system.
Tracking and understanding the events and determining the source and nature of the event can become difficult in a complex enterprise, especially one in which the sites are in different countries having different languages, and the possibility exists that the same event may be reported more than once around the system which may unnecessarily tie up system resources.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide server-to-server event logging wherein events are distributed to receivers requiring the information while clarifying the source of the information.
It is another object of the present invention to assure that the same event is received only once at any one server.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide server-to-server event logging in the language of the site receiving the event.
Disclosed are a method, a system, an article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, and a computer program product for providing server-to-server event logging, between a present server and a receiving server, upon receiving an event at the present server for which the receiving server is a receiver. A server-to-server event message is generated for the received event, the message including 1) an event identifier, 2) any text insert pertinent to the event message, and 3) a source trail indicating the origin and history of the event, the source trail comprising a) any source trail from a sending server received with the event, or b) if received directly from a client, the identifier of the client supplying the event, and c) an identifier of the present server, each separated by a special character. The generated server-to-server event message is then transmitted to the receiving server, so that the origin and any subsequently transmitting servers may be known in the distribution by the receiving server.
In another aspect of the present invention, the source trail of the received server-to-server event message is parsed to determine each identifier in the source trail. The event message is transmitted to the receiving server only if the receiving server identifier is absent from the parsed source trail, thus preventing any loops which might cause the event to be repeatedly received.
In still another aspect of the present invention, server-to-server event logging is provided between a sending server and a receiving server, wherein the receiving server has a primary text language. A server-to-server event message received at the receiving server from the sending server includes 1) an event identifier, and 2) any text insert pertinent to the event message. The receiving server has a listing of events by event identifier and corresponding text messages in the primary text language of the receiving server. The receiving server identifies, in response to the received server-to-server event message event identifier, the event and corresponding message in the listing. Then, the receiving server logs the received server-to-server event, employing the identified text message in the listing in the text language of the receiving server, and employing the text inserts.
For a fuller understanding of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Dawson Colin Scott
Kaczmarski Michael Allen
Vining Bonnie Jean
Warren, Jr. Donald Paul
Harrell Robert B.
Holcombe John H.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Sullivan Robert M.
Willett Stephan
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