Method and system for determining parameter distribution, variance, outliers and trends in computer systems

1. A method for determining parameter distribution for one or more computer systems comprising:

obtaining a plurality of data sets, each data set pertaining to one of said one or more computer systems at a point in time, said data sets comprising information pertaining to one or more parameters of said one of said one or more computer systems;

generating a statistical model comprising said plurality of data sets; and

comparing said data sets in said statistical model to determine the uniformity of respective ones of said parameters among said data sets and to identify the existence of outlier values associated with respective data sets indicating non-uniformity of corresponding parameters.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising generating a statistical distribution report providing summary information and statistical details for said parameter distribution.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said distribution report is organized into multi-level hyperlinked pages.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said statistical model comprises a uniformity index for each said one or more parameters, said uniformity index being indicative of the homogeneity of each said one or more parameters among said one or more systems.

5. A method for determining consistency of parameters of one or more target computer systems in relation to a reference comprising one or more baseline computer systems comprising:

obtaining a statistical model comprising a plurality of data sets each comprising information pertaining to one or more parameters of a corresponding baseline computer system;

obtaining one or more data sets pertaining to said one or more target computer systems comprising information pertaining to at least one of said one or more parameters; and

comparing said one or more data sets pertaining to said one or more target computer systems against said statistical model to determine the conformity of parameters in said one or more target systems to corresponding ones of said parameters in said statistical model and to identify the existence of outlier values in said one or more target systems indicating non-conformity of corresponding parameters.

6. A method according to claim 5 repeated for a plurality of target computer systems.

7. A method according to claim 5 further comprising generating a statistical variance report providing summary information and statistical details for said parameter variance.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of analyzing comprises computing a conformity index for a value for each of said one or more parameters, said conformity index being indicative of the degree to which said value for each system is consistent with the others of said one or more computer systems.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising computing a conformity score for said values for each of said one or more parameters according to a corresponding conformity index and a corresponding rule weight.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising combining said conformity scores to obtain overall metadata category conformity scores.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising combining said overall metadata category conformity scores to obtain an overall system conformity score.

12. A method for analyzing trends pertaining to one or more parameters for a plurality of computer systems over time, said method comprising:

generating a first statistical model comprising a plurality of data sets each comprising information pertaining to said one or more parameters of a corresponding one of said plurality of computer systems at a first point in time;

generating a second statistical model comprising a plurality of data sets each comprising information pertaining to said one or more parameters of a corresponding one of said plurality of computer systems at a second point in time; and

comparing said first and second statistical models to determine one or more trends for said one or more parameters according to at least one of uniformity and conformity of said one or more parameters over time.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said first and second data sets are indicative of values at different times.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein said first data set pertains to at least one of said plurality of computer systems and said second data set pertains to at least one other of said plurality of computer systems.

15. A method according to claim 12 further comprising generating a trend report indicating at least one of: the convergence or divergence of values in said statistical models based on said uniformity, and where said values are leading and/or lagging based on said conformity.

16. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for determining at least one of uniformity and conformity of parameters associated with one or more computer systems comprising:

instructions for obtaining a plurality of data sets, each data set pertaining to one of said one or more computer systems at a point in time, said data set comprising information pertaining to one or more parameters of said one of said one or more computer systems; and

instructions for obtaining a statistical model comprising said plurality of data sets;

instructions for comparing said data sets in said statistical model to determine at least one of said uniformity and conformity of respective ones of said parameters among said data sets; and

instructions for identifying the existence of outlier values associated with respective data sets indicating at least one of non-uniformity and non-conformity of corresponding parameters.

17. A computer readable medium according to claim 16 further comprising instructions for generating reports comprising statistics related to one or more of said uniformity and conformity.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 16 further comprising instructions for storing said audit data in an audit data repository.

19. A computer readable medium according to claim 16 further comprising instructions for supporting a web client to enable a user to enter settings and initiate an audit to obtain said audit data.

20. A method according to claim 1 further comprising: generating a conformity score pertaining to the conformity of each of said one or more parameters; displaying a graphical interface comprising a matrix of cells, each row of said matrix indicating one of said plurality of computer systems and each column of said matrix indicating a metadata category pertaining to one of said plurality of parameters; and displaying in each cell a respective conformity score indicating the conformity of the respective one of said plurality of systems to others of said plurality of systems for a corresponding one of said one or more parameters.

21. A method according to claim 20 further comprising displaying a column in said matrix comprising overall system scores.

22. A method according to claim 20 further comprising enabling further details pertaining to said scores to be accessed by selecting a respective cell.

23. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed perform the method according to claim 1 .

24. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed perform the method according to claim 5 .

25. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed perform the method according to claim 12 .