System and method for proactive management of components based on predicted component failures
Methods and system for managing data processing system are disclosed. To manage the operation of the data processing system, hardware components may be replaced from time to time. To improve the likelihood of hardware components being available, procurement plans for proactive management of hardware component inventors for replacement may be used. The procurement plans may be based on various limits regarding when and how many hardware components may be purchased, predicted hardware component failures, and goals for hardware component acquisition that may reduce or manage cost associated with hardware component acquisition.
1 . A computer-implemented method for managing data processing systems using component failure predictions, the method being performed by a computing device configured as a deployment manager and comprising: identifying a cycle period for managing the data processing systems; identifying assessment periods for the cycle period, and acquisition limits for each of the assessment periods, wherein each of the assessment periods starts and ends when a hardware component inventory is replenished during occurrence of one inventory replenishment of one or more inventory replenishments, and a timing of each of the one or more inventory replenishments is pre-set within a predetermined cycle period for managing the data processing systems; for each of the assessment periods, generating an initial procurement plan based on: a portion of the component failure predictions associated with a type of a component for the assessment period, an initial component stock level for the type of the component within the hardware component inventory at the start of the assessment period, and an acquisition limit associated with the type of the component for the assessment period, the acquisition limit being one of the acquisition limits; identifying a first portion of the initial procurement plans that would result in a deviation from a stock level goal for the type of the component and a second portion of the initial procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component; generating revised procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component by revising the first portion of the initial procurement plans; generating final procurement plans by updating the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans to even procurement rates throughout the cycle period, the final procurement plans comprise a timing of an inventory replenishment of the one or more inventory replenishments that is set to occur before at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail as specified in the portion of the component failure predictions; and initiating management of the type of the component using the final procurement plans by at least: causing, using the timing in the final procurement plans, automated physical acquisition of the type of the component during the inventory replenishment that is set to occur before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail te to obtain a replacement for the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component, the replacement being physically installed within the data processing systems to replace the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component actually fails.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the initial procurement plans are not members of the final procurement plans.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the initial procurement plan comprises: identifying an aggregate number of failures of the type of the component indicated by the component failure predictions; and divide the aggregate number of failures by a number of the assessment periods to obtain a procurement rate of the assessment period.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein generating the revised procurement plans by revising the first portion of the initial procurement plans further comprises: identifying a delta between the procurement rate for the assessment period and the acquisition limit for the assessment period; reducing the procurement rate based on the delta; and increasing a procurement rate of another initial procurement plan of the procurement plans based on the delta.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the final procurement plans by updating the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans comprises: identifying an average procurement rate of the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans; and modifying the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans based on the average procurement rate to reduce a procurement rate variance from the average procurement rate.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein initiating management of the type of the component comprises: for each assessment period, obtaining a quantity of the type of the component at a point in time for the assessment period, the quantity of the type of the component being based on the procurement rate specified by a final procurement plan of the final procurement plans associated with the assessment period; and replacing at least one component of the data processing systems using at least one of the quantity of the component to maintain operation of the data processing systems.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the acquisition limit indicates a maximum quantity of the type of the component that may be acquired during the assessment period.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein each of the assessment periods are respective portions of the cycle period, and the acquisition limit for each of the assessment periods is a same limit.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the stock level goal for the type of the component is based on a maximum quantity of the component indicated to fail during any of the assessment periods by the component failure predictions.
10 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to perform operations for managing data processing systems using component failure predictions, the computing device being configured as a deployment manager and the operations comprising:
identifying a cycle period for managing the data processing systems;
identifying assessment periods for the cycle period, and acquisition limits for each of the assessment periods, wherein each of the assessment periods starts and ends when a hardware component inventory is replenished during occurrence of one inventory replenishment of one or more inventory replenishments, and a timing of each of the one or more inventory replenishments is pre-set within a predetermined cycle period for managing the data processing systems;
for each of the assessment periods, generating an initial procurement plan based on:
a portion of the component failure predictions associated with a type of a component for the assessment period,
an initial component stock level for the type of the component within the hardware component inventory at the start of the assessment period, and
an acquisition limit associated with the type of the component for the assessment period, the acquisition limit being one of the acquisition limits;
identifying a first portion of the initial procurement plans that would result in a deviation from a stock level goal for the type of the component and a second portion of the initial procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component;
generating revised procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component by revising the first portion of the initial procurement plans;
generating final procurement plans by updating the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans to even procurement rates throughout the cycle period, the final procurement plans comprise a timing of an inventory replenishment of the one or more inventory replenishments that is set to occur before at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail as specified in the portion of the component failure predictions; and
initiating management of the type of the component using the final procurement plans by at least:
causing, using the timing in the final procurement plans, automated physical acquisition of the type of the component during the inventory replenishment that is set to occur before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail to obtain a replacement for the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component, the replacement being physically installed within the data processing systems to replace the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component actually fails.
11 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the initial procurement plans are not members of the final procurement plans.
12 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein generating the initial procurement plan comprises:
identifying an aggregate number of failures of the type of the component indicated by the component failure predictions; and
divide the aggregate number of failures by a number of the assessment periods to obtain a procurement rate of the assessment period.
13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein generating the revised procurement plans by revising the first portion of the initial procurement plans further comprises:
identifying a delta between the procurement rate for the assessment period and the acquisition limit for the assessment period;
reducing the procurement rate based on the delta; and
increasing a procurement rate of another initial procurement plan of the procurement plans based on the delta.
14 . A data processing system configured as a deployment manager, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is programmed to perform operations for managing data processing systems using component failure predictions and the operations comprise:
identifying a cycle period for managing the data processing systems;
identifying assessment periods for the cycle period, and acquisition limits for each of the assessment periods, wherein each of the assessment periods starts and ends when a hardware component inventory is replenished during occurrence of one inventory replenishment of one or more inventory replenishments, and a timing of each of the one or more inventory replenishments is pre-set within a predetermined cycle period for managing the data processing systems;
for each of the assessment periods, generating an initial procurement plan based on:
a portion of the component failure predictions associated with a type of a component for the assessment period,
an initial component stock level for the type of the component within the hardware component inventory at the start of the assessment period, and
an acquisition limit associated with the type of the component for the assessment period, the acquisition limit being one of the acquisition limits;
identifying a first portion of the initial procurement plans that would result in a deviation from a stock level goal for the type of the component and a second portion of the initial procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component;
generating revised procurement plans that would maintain compliance with the stock level goal for the type of the component by revising the first portion of the initial procurement plans;
generating final procurement plans by updating the revised procurement plans and the second portion of the initial procurement plans to even procurement rates throughout the cycle period, the final procurement plans comprise a timing of an inventory replenishment of the one or more inventory replenishments that is set to occur before at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail as specified in the portion of the component failure predictions; and
initiating management of the type of the component using the final procurement plans by at least:
causing, using the timing in the final procurement plans, automated physical acquisition of the type of the component during the inventory replenishment that is set to occur before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail to obtain a replacement for the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component, the replacement being physically installed within the data processing systems to replace the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component actually fails.
15 . The data processing system of claim 14 , the first portion of the initial procurement plans are not members of the final procurement plans.
16 . The data processing system of claim 14 , wherein generating the initial procurement plan comprises:
identifying an aggregate number of failures of the type of the component indicated by the component failure predictions; and
divide the aggregate number of failures by a number of the assessment periods to obtain a procurement rate of the assessment period.
17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the initial procurement plans, the revised procurement plans, and the final procurement plans comprises a timing of at least one inventory-replenishment of the inventory replenishments.
18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the final procurement plans generated during a first assessment period of the assessment periods comprise at least a timing for a first inventory-replenishment of the one or more inventory replenishments, a component specified in the final) procurement plans being replenished during the first inventory replenishment, and a start of the first inventory replenishment triggers a start of a second assessment period of the assessment periods.
19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein the inventory replenishment that is set to occur before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing; systems will actually fail is selected for inclusion into the final procurement plans based at east on a first inventory replenishment among the one or more inventory replenishment during which the replacement can be obtained while maintaining compliance with one or more goals set for the first inventory replenishment, the one or more goals comprising the stock level goal for the type of the component.
20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the inventory replenishment that is set to occur before the at least one currently installed one of the type of the component within the data processing systems will actually fail is selected for inclusion into the final procurement plans based at east on a first inventory replenishment among the one or more inventory replenishment during which the replacement can be obtained while maintaining compliance with one or more goals set for the first inventory replenishment, the one or more goals comprising the stock level goal for the type of the component.