IP Library Granted Patent US 7,620,612
Granted Patent B1
US 7,620,612 · App. 11/394,666 · Granted Nov 17, 2009

Performing model-based root cause analysis using inter-domain mappings

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,620,612
App. No.
11/394,666
Granted
Nov 17, 2009
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer-program product for performing a system analysis of a system is disclosed. The system is represented as a plurality of independent model domains, wherein the model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of components and the relationships among the components and the method comprises the steps of representing, as proxies, selected ones of the plurality of components of a first domain, wherein the relationships among the components are limited to direct relationships among adjacent ones of the components, wherein the first domain representation is available to a second domain, providing events occurring in the first domain to the second domain, providing a mapping between a plurality events and a plurality of observable events occurring among the proxy components of the first domain and a plurality of observable events occurring among the components of the second domain, wherein the mapping is represented as a value associating each event with each observable event, and performing the system analysis based on the mapping of events and observable events.

Claims (27)

1. A computer-implemented method in which a computer system accesses instructions from a storage medium for performing a system analysis, the computer executes the instructions to perform operations for the method comprising the steps of:

representing, in the computer system, selected ones of the plurality of components of a first domain of a computer system model represented as a plurality of independent model domains; wherein each model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of hardware and software system components;

representing select relationships of the components, in the computer system, wherein the relationships among the components are limited to direct relationships among adjacent ones of the representation of components of the first domain, wherein the first domain representation is available to a second domain of the plurality of independent model domains;

wherein the representing components comprises creating at least one configuration non-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of: MSI_Element, UnitaryComputerSystem, NetworkConnection; and creating a single configuration non-specific representation of a relation along which the events propagate between adjacent ones of the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of: LayeredOver, and ResidingOn;

providing events occurring in the first domain to the second domain;

providing a mapping between a plurality of causing events and a plurality of observable events occurring among the representation of

components of the first domain and a plurality of observable events occurring among the components of the second domain, wherein the mapping is represented as a value associating each causing event with each observable event, and

performing the system analysis of the computer system model based on the mapping of causing events and observable events.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the system analysis is selected from the group from consisting of: fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.

3. An apparatus for performing a system analysis, the apparatus comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory, the processor executing code for:

accessing a representation of a first domain of a system represented as a plurality of independent domains, wherein each model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of computer system model components and the relationships among the components contained therein;

wherein each model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of hardware and software system components; and wherein the first domain representation represents, as proxies, selected ones of the plurality of components of the first domain, and the relationships among the components are limited to relationships among adjacent ones of the components; wherein the representation of components comprises creating at least one configuration non-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of: MSI_Element, UnitaryComputerSystem, NetworkConnection; and creating a single configuration non-specific representation of a relation along which the events propagate between adjacent ones of the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of: LayeredOver, and ResidingOn;

receiving observable events occurring in the first domain by the second domain;

providing a mapping between a plurality causing events and a plurality of observable events occurring among the proxy components of the first based and a plurality of observable events occurring among the components of the second domain, wherein the mapping is represented as a value associating each causing event with each observable event; and

performing the system analysis of the computer system model based on the mapping of causing events and observable events.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein the system analysis is selected from the group from consisting of: fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:

an input/output device, in communication with the processor.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein the code is stored in the memory.

7. A computer-program product providing instruction to a computer system for performing a system analysis, the instruction causing the computer system to execute the steps of:

accessing a representation of a first domain of a system represented as a plurality of independent domains, wherein each model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of computer system model components and the relationships among the components contained therein; wherein each model domain represents selected ones of a plurality of hardware and software system components; and wherein the first domain representation represents, as proxies, selected ones of the plurality of components of the first domain, and the relationships among the components are limited to relationships among adjacent ones of the components; wherein the representation of components comprises creating at least one configuration non-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of: MSI_Element, UnitaryComputerSystem, NetworkConnection; and creating a single configuration non-specific representation of a relation along which the events propagate between adjacent ones of the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of: LayeredOver, and ResidingOn;

receiving observable events occurring in the first domain by the second domain;

accessing a mapping, between a plurality causing events and a plurality of observable events occurring among the proxy components of the first based and a plurality of observable events occurring among the components of the second domain, wherein the mapping is represented as a value associating each causing event with each observable event; and

performing the system analysis of the computer system model based on the mapping of causing events and observable events.

8. The computer-program product as recited in claim 7 , wherein the system analysis is selected from the group from consisting of: fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.

9. The computer-product product as recited in claim 7 wherein the instruction is provided to the computer system from a medium selected from the group consisting of: magnetic, optical, and semiconductor.

Assignments (11)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 15, 2024
From: VMWARE, INC.
To: VMWARE LLC
Reel/Frame 067102/0242 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL USA L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: VMWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 046858/0845 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2018
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: AVENTAIL LLC; EMC CORPORATION; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL LLC; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 046800/0075 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2018
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC CORPORATION; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL LLC; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 046800/0352 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2016
From: EMC CORPORATION
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 040203/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2006
From: VIJENDRA, SUDHIR; OU, DR. CHAO-WEI
To: EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018112/0711 →