Methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring changes to objects on a computer system using information models and baselines
View Patent ↗Methods for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system include receiving a request to generate a baseline snapshot of a plurality of objects having associated object types. The object types include at least one object having an object type not managed by a file system of the computer system. Current information is obtained, responsive to the request to generate a baseline snapshot, from a plurality of data collectors to determine at least one attribute of each of the objects to define the baseline snapshot. A request for a baseline report for the objects is received. Updated information is obtained, responsive to the request for a baseline report, from the plurality of data collectors to update the at least one attribute of each of the objects. The baseline snapshot is compared to the obtained updated information to determine if any of the objects have changed. Receiving the request to generate the baseline snapshot may be preceded by generating a baseline definition query that identifies object types to be included in the generated baseline snapshot and their associated attributes and the received request to generate the baseline report includes an identification of the baseline definition query.
1. A method for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, the method comprising:
providing a uniform information model for the objects on the computer system;
receiving a request to generate a baseline snapshot of a plurality of objects having associated object types, including at least one object having an object type not managed by a file system of the computer system, the request including an identification of a baseline definition query that identifies object types to be included in the generated baseline snapshot and their associated attributes, wherein the identification of object types and their associated attributes are specified using terms defined by the uniform information model;
converting the terms defined by the uniform information model to terms used by respective ones of a plurality of data collectors associated with the identified object types and their associated attributes;
requesting information from the data collectors using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
receiving the information from the data collectors using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
converting the terms used by the respective data collectors to the terms defined by the uniform information model; and
returning the information to a requestor of the baseline snapshot using the terms defined by the uniform information model.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requestor of the baseline snapshot is a a baseline provider module (BP) and the request to provide a baseline snapshot is received at an information provider module (IP) and wherein the IP is communicatively coupled to the uniform information model and to the data collectors.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein respective ones of the objects have object types associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of platform types.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of platform types includes Unix™ servers and Windows™ servers.
5. A method for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, the method comprising:
providing a baseline snapshot of a plurality of objects having associated object types and attributes, the baseline snapshot being generated based on a baseline definition query, wherein the object types and the attributes are specified using terms defined by a uniform information model;
receiving a request for a baseline report for the plurality of objects at a baseline provider module (BP);
passing a request for updated information regarding the attributes of the plurality of objects from the BP to an information provider module (IP) using the terms defined by the uniform information model;
converting the terms defined by the uniform information model to terms used by a plurality of data collectors to determine the attributes, wherein the respective data collectors determine attributes for corresponding ones of the object types;
requesting the updated information from the data collectors using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
receiving the updated information from the data collectors at the IP using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
converting the terms used by the respective data collectors to the terms defined by the uniform information model;
returning the updated information from the IP to the BP using the terms defined by the uniform information model; and
comparing the baseline snapshot to the obtained updated information to determine if any of the objects have changed.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein providing the baseline snapshot is preceded by:
generating the baseline definition query;
receiving a request to add a new object type to be monitored on the computer system;
updating the IP to support the new object type using the uniform information model by defining terms to be associated with the new object type and attributes thereof under the uniform information model and defining a data collector for the new object type and terms used by the data collector for the new object type; and
generating a new baseline definition query including the new object type and attributes thereof using the corresponding terms defined under the uniform information model.
7. A system configured to carry out the method of claim 5 .
8. A computer program product for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, the computer program product comprising computer program code embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program code comprising program code configured to carry out the method of claim 5 .
9. A system for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, comprising:
a uniform information model, stored on the computer system, for the objects on the computer system, including at least one object having an object type not managed by a file system of the computer system; and
an information provider module (IP) configured to obtain information from a plurality of data collectors to determine associated attributes of the objects to generate a baseline snapshot of identified ones of the objects on the computer system using terms used by respective ones of a plurality of data collectors associated with the identified objects and their associated attributes, to convert the terms used by respective ones of a plurality of data collectors associated with the identified object types and their associated attributes to terms defined by the uniform information model and to return the information to a requestor of the baseline snapshot using the terms defined by the uniform information model.
10. A computer program product for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, the computer program product comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code comprising:
computer-readable program code that receives a request to generate a baseline snapshot of a plurality of objects having associated object types, including at least one object having an object type not managed by a file system of the computer system, the request including an identification of a baseline definition query that identifies object types to be included in the generated baseline snapshot and their associated attributes, wherein the identification of object types and their associated attributes are specified using terms defined by the uniform information model;
computer-readable program code that converts the terms defined by the uniform information model to terms used by respective ones of a plurality of data collectors associated with the identified object types and their associated attributes;
computer-readable program code that requests information from the data collectors using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
computer-readable program code that receives the information from the data collectors using the terms used by the respective data collectors;
computer-readable program code that converts the terms used by the respective data collectors to the terms defined by the uniform information model; and
computer-readable program code that returns the information to a requestor of the baseline snapshot using the terms defined by the uniform information model.
11. A method for monitoring changes in objects on a computer system, the method comprising:
receiving a request to generate a baseline snapshot of a plurality of objects having associated object types, including at least one object having an object type not managed by a file system of the computer system;
obtaining current information, responsive to the request to generate a baseline snapshot, from a plurality of data collectors to determine at least one attribute of each of the objects to define the baseline snapshot;
receiving a request for a baseline report for the objects;
obtaining updated information, responsive to the request for a baseline report, from the plurality of data collectors to update the at least one attribute of each of the objects; and
comparing the baseline snapshot to the obtained updated information to determine if any of the objects have changed.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the request to generate the baseline snapshot is preceded by generating a baseline definition query that identifies object types to be included in the generated baseline snapshot and their associated attributes and wherein receiving the request to generate the baseline report includes receiving an identification of the baseline definition query.