Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Data processing system error or fault handling – Reliability and availability
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-13
2001-05-22
Le, Dieu-Minh T. (Department: 2184)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Data processing system error or fault handling
Reliability and availability
C714S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237114
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to monitoring of computer systems and more particularly to providing system support to resolving serious problems detected when monitoring remote computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems such as mainframes, minicomputers, workstations and personal computers, experience hardware and software failures that degrade system performance or render the system inoperative. In order to diagnose such failures computer systems include diagnostic capability which provides various types of system diagnostic information.
Computer systems are typically serviced when a failure is noticed either by system diagnostics or by users of the system when the system becomes partially or completely inoperative. Since computer systems are frequently located at some distance from the support engineers, when problems do occur, a support engineer may access the computer system remotely through a modem in an interactive manner to evaluate the state of the computer system. That remote dial-in approach does allow the support engineer to provide assistance to a remote customer without the delay of traveling to the computer system site. Once connected to the remote computer system, the support engineer can perform such tasks as analyzing hardware and software faults by checking patch status, analyzing messages file, checking configurations of add-on hardware, unbundled software, and networking products, uploading patches to the customer system in emergency situations, helping with problematic installs of additional software, running on-line diagnostics to help analyze hardware failures, and copying files to or from the customer system as needed.
However, there are limitations to such support. For instance, the data size transfer may be limited at the time of failure, due to such factors as modem speed and thus a complete picture of a system may be unavailable. Running diagnostic software during the remote session, if necessary, may adversely impact system performance. Where a system is part of a network, which is commonplace today, the running of diagnostic tests may impact network performance. Where computer systems are being used in a production or other realtime environment, such degradation of system performance is obviously undesirable.
System diagnostic tests typically generate a significant amount of data and it can be difficult for a support engineer to analyze such data in a raw form. Therefore, there is a need to provide the support engineer with help in diagnosing and correcting problems indicated by the raw data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides assistance to the support engineer in evaluating monitored computer systems by providing both textual resolution information describing a likely solution for the problem as well as component information that relates to the particular problem. The component information includes the various hardware, software and operating conditions found in the monitored computer system.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of monitoring a computer system, which includes determining if a condition of a predetermined severity exists in the monitored computer system according to diagnostic information provided from the monitored computer system. The diagnostic information is included in a hierarchical representation of the monitored computer system. The hierarchical representation provides present state information indicating the state of hardware and software components and operating conditions of the monitored computer system. The resolution information relating to the condition is retrieved from a first storage location and component information from the hierarchical representation of the computer system relating to the condition is retrieved from a second storage location.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a computer system for monitoring a monitored computer system. The computer system includes a first storage location storing at least a first host state representing a state of the monitored computer system during a first time period. The first host state is in a tree structure that includes component information which represents hardware and software components and operating conditions of the monitored computer system. The component information is extracted from diagnostic data provided from the monitored computer system. A second storage location stores information providing a description of known problems and resolutions. A third storage location stores a first program code segment which is run against the host state to identify a predetermined condition in the host state. A fourth storage location stores a second program code segment which retrieves resolution information from the second storage location relating to the predetermined condition and retrieves component information relating to the predetermined condition.
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Chu Kevin L.
Wookey Michael J.
Le Dieu-Minh T.
Skjerven Morrill & MacPherson LLP
Sun Microsystems Inc.
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