IP Library Granted Patent US 11,086,738
Granted Patent B2
US 11,086,738 · App. 15/961,237 · Granted Aug 10, 2021

System and method to automate solution level contextual support

Inventors: Dharmesh M. Patel (Round Rock, TX); Ravikanth Chaganti (Bangalore, IN); Rizwan Ali (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
G06F11/2023G06F11/3006G06F11/3495G06F2201/82
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,086,738
App. No.
15/961,237
Granted
Aug 10, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A support engine for managing computing clusters includes a persistent storage and a processor. The persistent storage includes monitoring policies. The processor monitors a computing cluster of the computing clusters and identifies a potential component failure of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and the monitoring policies. In response to identifying the potential component failure the processor identifies an error state of the computing cluster; obtains solution level state information from the computing cluster based on the identified error state; generates a support package comprising the solution level state information; and initiates a support session by sending the generated support package to a support manager.

Claims (94)

1. A support engine for managing computing clusters, comprising:

a persistent storage comprising monitoring policies; and

a processor programmed to:

monitor a computing cluster of the computing clusters;

identify a potential component failure of a component of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and the monitoring policies;

in response to identifying the potential component failure:

identify an error state of the computing cluster;

obtain solution level state information from the computing cluster based on the identified error state;

generate a support package comprising the solution level state information;

initiate a support session by sending the generated support package to a support manager;

after initiating the support session:

obtain a solution level corrective action comprising:

replacing the component with a second component selected based on the solution level state information, the replacing of the component comprising:

 identifying a solution type of the computing cluster,

 selecting a certified component associated with the solution type, and

 using the certified component as the second component, and

perform the solution level corrective action.

2. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the solution level state information comprises:

a hardware state of a computing device hosting the component.

3. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the solution level state information comprises:

a software state of a computing device hosting the component.

4. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the solution level state information comprises:

a transaction log of a computing device hosting the component.

5. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein monitor the computing cluster of the computing clusters comprises:

obtaining component level state information from a plurality of components of the computing cluster; and

performing a comparison of the component level state information to the monitoring policies to obtain component-policy comparisons;

identifying any of the monitoring policies invoked by the component level state information based on the comparison.

6. The support engine of claim 5 , wherein the monitoring policies comprise:

a plurality of thresholds associated with the component level state information; and

actions associated with each of the plurality of thresholds.

7. The support engine of claim 5 , where identifying the potential component failure of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and the monitoring policies comprises:

making a determination that a threshold specified by the monitoring policies has been exceeded based on the component-policy comparisons; and

identifying a component of the components having the component level state information that exceeded the threshold.

8. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the support package further comprises:

an identifier of the component;

an identifier of the computing cluster;

a solution type of the computing cluster.

9. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the support package further comprises:

a transaction log of a computing device that does not host the component.

10. The support engine of claim 9 , wherein computing device is part of the computing cluster.

11. The support engine of claim 1 , wherein the support package further comprises:

a listing of network address identifiers of each computing device of the computing cluster.

12. A method for managing computing clusters, comprising:

monitoring a computing cluster of the computing clusters;

identifying a potential component failure of a component of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and monitoring policies;

in response to identifying the potential component failure:

identifying an error state of the of the computing cluster;

obtaining solution level state information from the computing cluster based on the identified error state;

generating a support package comprising the solution level state information;

initiating a support session by sending the generated support package to a support manager to correct the potential component failure;

after initiating the support session:

obtain a solution level corrective action comprising:

replacing the component with a second component selected based on the solution level state information, the replacing of the component comprising:

identifying a solution type of the computing cluster,

selecting a certified component associated with the solution type, and

using the certified component as the second component, and

performing the solution level corrective action.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solution level state information comprises:

a hardware state of a computing device hosting the component.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the computing cluster of the computing clusters comprises:

obtaining component level state information from a plurality of components of the computing cluster; and

performing a comparison of the component level state information to the monitoring policies to obtain component-policy comparisons;

identifying any of the monitoring policies.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring policies comprise:

a plurality of thresholds associated with the component level state information; and

actions associated with each of the plurality of thresholds.

16. The method of claim 14 , where identifying the potential component failure of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and the monitoring policies comprises:

making a determination that a threshold specified by the monitoring policies has been exceeded based on the component-policy comparisons; and

identifying a component of the components having the component level state information that exceeded the threshold.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for managing computing clusters, the method comprising:

monitoring a computing cluster of the computing clusters;

identifying a potential component failure of a component of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and monitoring policies;

in response to identifying the potential component failure:

identifying an error state of the of the computing cluster;

obtaining solution level state information from the computing cluster based on the identified error state;

generating a support package comprising the solution level state information;

initiating a support session by sending the generated support package to a support manager to correct the potential component failure;

after initiating the support session:

obtaining a solution level corrective action comprising:

replacing the component with a second component selected based on the solution level state information, the replacing of the component comprising:

identifying a solution type of the computing cluster,

selecting a certified component associated with the solution type, and

using the certified component as the second component, and

performing the solution level corrective action.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein monitoring the computing cluster of the computing clusters comprises:

obtaining component level state information from a plurality of components of the computing cluster; and

performing a comparison of the component level state information to the monitoring policies to obtain component-policy comparisons;

identifying any of the monitoring policies.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the monitoring policies comprise:

a plurality of thresholds associated with the component level state information; and

actions associated with each of the plurality of thresholds.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , where identifying the potential component failure of the computing cluster based on the monitoring and the monitoring policies comprises:

making a determination that a threshold specified by the monitoring policies has been exceeded based on the component-policy comparisons; and

identifying a component of the components having the component level state information that exceeded the threshold.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (046366/0014) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060450/0306 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 046286 FRAME 0653 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0093 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
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 053546/0001 →
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 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046286/0653 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046366/0014 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2018
From: PATEL, DHARMESH M.; CHAGANTI, RAVIKANTH; ALI, RIZWAN
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 045645/0157 →