U.S. patent application number 10/902383 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-06 for system and method for implementing integrated polling functions in a client management tool.
This patent application is currently assigned to Microsoft Corporation. Invention is credited to Bishop, David A., DeLuca, Steve A..
Application Number | 20050005011 10/902383 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32825583 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050005011 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DeLuca, Steve A. ; et
al. |
January 6, 2005 |
System and method for implementing integrated polling functions in
a client management tool
Abstract
A method and system is provided for integrating multiple client
management polling functions. A polling agent serves as an
integrated capacity planning polling agent and a performance
monitoring polling agent and a central monitoring system issues
capacity planning management data templates and performance
monitoring data templates to the integrated polling agent. In
response, the integrated polling agent requests capacity planning
and performance monitoring data from a client and returns
responsive data to the central monitoring system.
Inventors: |
DeLuca, Steve A.;
(Woodinville, WA) ; Bishop, David A.; (Redmond,
WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHOOK, HARDY & BACON L.L.P.
2555 GRAND BOULEVARD
KANSAS CITY
MO
64108-2613
US
|
Assignee: |
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
32825583 |
Appl. No.: |
10/902383 |
Filed: |
July 30, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10902383 |
Jul 30, 2004 |
|
|
|
09561155 |
Apr 28, 2000 |
|
|
|
6775699 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/224 ;
709/230 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 43/14 20130101;
H04L 41/046 20130101; H04L 41/0893 20130101; H04L 43/103 20130101;
H04L 41/0896 20130101; H04L 43/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/224 ;
709/230 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/173; G06F
015/16 |
Claims
1-17. (Canceled)
18. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data
structure, the data structure having at least one field designating
a set of data as one of a plurality of types of monitoring
data.
19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein
the plurality of types of monitoring data includes capacity
planning data.
20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein
the plurality of types of monitoring data includes performance
monitoring data.
21. (Canceled)
22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein
the at least one field is associated with at least one management
template.
23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein
the at least one management template corresponds to at least one of
capacity planning data requests and performance monitoring data
requests.
24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein at
least one of capacity planning data and performance monitoring data
is obtained from a client responsive to the at least one management
template.
25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein
the at least one of capacity planning data and performance
monitoring data comprises data indicative of values stored in at
least one counter within the client.
26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein
the at least one management template comprises a plurality of
management templates.
27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein at
least one of the management templates corresponds to capacity
planning data requests and at least another of the management
templates corresponds to the performance monitoring data
requests.
28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein
the capacity planning data requests and performance monitoring data
requests are integrally generated.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to computer software
and, more particularly, to a client management product for a
computer system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Generally, it is desirable to utilize client management
products, such as capacity planning products, to proactively
monitor one or more client machines, especially in large enterprise
configurations utilizing multiple machines dedicated to specific
functions within the network. For example, a capacity planning
product can determine when an existing server system will reach or
exceed the limits of its hardware. In comparison, a sizing product,
unlike a capacity planning product, involves a determination of the
hardware investment needed to create a new computer system. Other
client management products (namely, performance monitoring
products) are used to monitor the performance of computer networks
and systems. Such performance monitoring products provide real-time
monitoring of performance thresholds.
[0003] Traditionally, capacity planning products and performance
monitoring products are implemented separately. However, running
simultaneously, those products can generate significant levels of
administrative traffic on a network. Additionally, the system
administrator must monitor two distinct client data gathering
programs. This is especially inefficient if both are utilizing the
same data from the client to implement their function. Accordingly,
there is a need for a product which integrates the functions of
capacity planning and performance monitoring into a single client
management product which more efficiently utilizes system
resources.
[0004] Existing client management products sometimes utilize
polling agents to collect data from a computer network and its
components. One approach is to provide a central polling agent
which issues data requests for client data (e.g., capacity planning
or performance monitoring data) from a number of network machines
at given intervals. An alternative approach is to provide a number
of resident polling agents which reside on the network machines and
which are responsible for transmission of client data to a central
database at similar given intervals. Some network administrators
prefer the central polling agent configuration because it does not
require the system administrator to load and maintain polling
software on each client. Other network administrators prefer to use
resident polling agents because it reduces the amount of network
traffic relating to the collection of capacity planning data.
Currently, a network administrator typically implements one polling
agent configuration without the ability to change the configuration
as management needs vary. Given the demand for both approaches,
there is a need for a client management product which allows a user
such as a network administrator to select from multiple polling
functions or modes, including a central polling function and a
resident polling function.
[0005] Client management data, such as capacity planning data, is
obtained for a given client by taking a number of measurements
involving various system components. Some operating systems provide
functions which measure and transmit various system parameters. For
example, several operating system vendors support the Web-Based
Enterprise Management (WBEM) standardized format for accessing and
sharing management information. Counters, which are stored values
that are incremented every time an event occurs, or after a
measurement interval has been obtained, are often used to measure
memory usage or CPU (central processing unit) usage on individual
machines and to monitor utilization or "busy time" for links.
Historical information from counters can be used for a number of
purposes, including the identification of bottlenecks in
performance (such as extensive disk queue lengths), the detection
of periods of peak usage and the prediction of future usage. A
measurement typically involves a grouping or selection of multiple
counters or other such devices.
[0006] Conventionally, an active measurement is initiated by a
monitoring process that identifies which measurements should be
produced by the client. However, once initiated, the measurement
cannot be modified except by deactivating it, making the
modification and then reactivating it. This causes a discontinuity
in the collection of client management data and can result in the
loss of valuable information while the measurement remains
inactive. Moreover, substantial user intervention may be required
to complete the modification. Consequently, there is a need for a
client management product which provides the ability to modify an
active measurement without deactivating it.
[0007] Because separate client management products have been used
to collect capacity planning data and performance monitoring data,
the data obtained from active measurements is typically forwarded
to separate databases at a central location without first being
stored in the client's cache or other local memory. Capacity
planning data is usually not cached because it is collected
infrequently and would consume the client's cache or be overwritten
by other data. Performance monitoring data is typically not cached
because it is critical data which should be monitored frequently.
However, if the performance data were stored locally and averaged
over a period of time, it would provide more accurate capacity
planning data because it would be based on an increased number of
data points. Accordingly, there is a need for a client management
product which stores performance data locally and averages it over
a period of time so that more accurate capacity planning data is
provided to the central location.
[0008] Many service transactions are under a "service level
agreement" (SLA), which is a contract between the provider of
computer or database services and user of those services. The SLA
specifies the minimal level of service that is guaranteed and
usually is in the form of maximum response times for certain
transaction. Violations of an SLA is likely to occur if no measures
are taken to anticipate potential violations. Accordingly, a
capacity planning product can be utilized to anticipate system
needs with respect to SLAs.
[0009] In addition to SLAs, service transactions may be subject to
other time constraints, and it would be advantageous to monitor the
response time in a service chain, for example, to determine in
advance whether the time constraints will likely be met. A "service
chain" is a collection of resources that are used in the processing
of a transaction or service. Because of the real-time need for
monitoring, a separate performance monitoring product would also
need to be utilized. The substantial deficiencies associated with
concurrently running two client management products evidences a
need for a client management product which can monitor multiple
aspects of individual service transactions in a computer system by
identifying and monitoring the specific system resources
involved.
[0010] It is oftentimes desirable to archive capacity planning and
performance monitoring data. Although archiving requires
substantial memory, substantial resources were expended to collect
the data in the first place and the archived data may be valuable
for predictive analysis and for generating reports based on
detailed historical data to justify an expensive upgrade.
Traditionally, the archiving of capacity planning data cannot be
carried out within the client management tool itself. Instead, a
conventional method of archiving must be used, which must be
carried out utilizing software applications outside of the client
management tool and which typically requires the expertise of a
database specialist. Thus, there is a need for a client management
product which performs both a client management function, such as
capacity planning, and an archiving function without the need for a
database specialist.
[0011] Generally, conventional management tools (e.g., capacity
planning or performance monitoring tools) store data collected from
one or more clients into database files. However, depending on the
management tool selected and the provider of the management tool,
the data can be organized under a variety of database column
headings, which are often proprietary in nature. For example, a
first database file may have a column heading entitled "Machine
Name" to represent the specific identity of a server while a second
database file may utilize the column heading "Computer Name" to
represent the same information. Accordingly, data collected via
different management tools and/or different tool providers may be
incompatible because of inconsistencies in the data schema. Thus,
there is a need for a management tool that can read and/or convert
previously collected management data.
[0012] Additionally, because none of the conventional management
tools are used for both capacity planning and performance
monitoring, the collected data is saved in variable length files,
known as a log file, whose length cannot be adjusted, or added to,
once the measurement is closed. For example, Microsoft Corporation
provides a PERFMON performance monitoring function in its WINDOWS
NT brand operating system. Typically, PERFMON can save the
collected data into an EXCEL spreadsheet format, which is unique to
Microsoft products. However, once a PERFMON measurement is stopped,
a reactivation of the same measurement criteria instigates the
creation of a second log file having the same name. Currently,
there is no method, absent saving the contents of the two separate
files to a third file, for storing additional management data on
the original file. Thus, there is a need for a management tool that
can store multiple measurement data within the same measurement
file.
[0013] Another drawback to conventional capacity planners is their
user interface (UI), which typically requires a highly trained
system administrator or system manager. For example, many
conventional UIs do not allow a user to manipulate the system in a
graphical form, relying on generally more difficult command-based
interfaces. Moreover, the UIs generally entail multiple screen
interfaces to carry out a single function of the management system.
These aspects of a conventional UI require more system
administrator training and thus increase the costs associated with
a capacity planner. Accordingly, there is also a need for a
capacity planning product having a more intuitive UI which reduces
the costs associated with the product because less training is
required for the system administrator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Generally described, the present invention provides a
computer-readable medium having a request processing module for
sending capacity planning data requests and performance monitoring
data requests. The computer-readable medium also includes a
capacity planning module coupled with the request processing module
for receiving and processing data responsive to the capacity
planning data requests and a performance monitoring module coupled
with the request processing module for receiving and processing
data responsive to the performance monitoring data requests.
[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a method in a
computer system for implementing a single client management tool is
provided. In accordance with the method, capacity planning data
requests are sent to a client. Data responsive to the capacity
planning data requests is obtained from the client. Performance
monitoring data requests are sent to the client. Additionally, data
responsive to the performance monitoring data requests is obtained
from the client.
[0016] In a further aspect of the present invention, a method of
communicating between a monitor process and a client process is
provided. According to this method, a client process issues a first
set of data indicative of capacity planning information. A monitor
process receives and processes the capacity planning information.
The client process issues a second set of data indicative of
performance monitoring information. The monitor process receives
and processes the performance monitoring information.
[0017] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a
computer-readable medium having a capacity planning module for
receiving data indicative of a request for capacity planning data
from a monitor process and sending data responsive to the capacity
planning information request. Additionally, a performance
monitoring module for receiving data indicative of a request for
performance monitoring data from the monitor process and sending
data responsive to the performance monitoring information
request.
[0018] In a further aspect of the present invention, a
computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure is
provided. The data structure includes at least one field
designating a set of data as one of a plurality of types of
monitoring data.
[0019] In still another aspect of the present invention, a
computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions is
provided. The computer-readable modules include data request means
for sending capacity planning data requests and performance
monitoring data requests, means coupled to the data request means
for receiving and processing data responsive to the capacity
planning data requests, and means coupled to the data request means
for receiving and processing data responsive to the performance
monitoring data requests.
[0020] The present invention provides a method and system for
integrating multiple client management polling functions. A polling
agent serves as an integrated capacity planning polling agent and a
performance monitoring polling agent. While a central monitoring
system, in communication with the integrated polling agent,
includes an interface for issuing capacity planning management data
templates and performance monitoring data templates to the
integrated polling agent. In response, the integrated polling agent
requests capacity planning and performance monitoring data from a
client and returns responsive data to the central monitoring
system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0021] The present invention is described in detail below with
reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computing system environment
suitable for use in implementing the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer system including a
plurality of clients and a central manager suitable for
implementing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary Web-based computer
system for implementing the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a service chain suitable for
use in connection with the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the
collection function of a capacity planner is integrated with the
collection function of a performance monitor;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the interaction
between the polling interface and the management interface of a
server suitable for use in connection with the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a
policy issued in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a data structure for the
properties component of the policy of FIG. 7;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system
having a cache for storing client performance data locally in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary
computer system for archiving performance data in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 11 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for
prompting the user to select from a plurality of available polling
configurations in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0033] FIG. 12 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for
creating a new policy measurement in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 13 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for
editing an active policy measurement in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 14 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for
archiving one or more previously collected management data files in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0036] FIGS. 15 and 16 are screen shots of a graphical user
interface for creating new performance archives in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
[0037] FIG. 17 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for
entering a scripted correlation for a translation engine in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a suitable computing system
environment in which the invention may be implemented. The
computing system environment is only one example of a suitable
computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation
as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. Neither
should the computing environment be interpreted as having any
dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of
components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment.
[0039] The invention is operational with numerous other general
purpose or special purpose computing system environments or
configurations. Examples of well known computing systems,
environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use
with the invention include, but are not limited to, personal
computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices,
multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, programmable
consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, distributed computing environments that include any of
the above systems or devices, and the like.
[0040] The invention may be described in the general context of
computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being
executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include
routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that
perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data
types. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing
environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices
that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed
computing environment, program modules may be located in both local
and remote computer storage media including memory storage
devices.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system for
implementing the invention includes a general purpose computing
device in the form of a computer 20. Components of computer 20
include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 22, a system
memory 24, and a system bus 26 that couples various system
components including the system memory to the processing unit 22.
The system bus 26 may be any of several types of bus structures
including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and
a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of
example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA)
bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards
Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect
(PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus.
[0042] Computer 20 typically includes a variety of computer
readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media
that can be accessed by computer 20 and includes both volatile and
nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of
example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise
computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage
media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media
includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or
other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or
other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,
magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any
other medium which can be used to store the desired information and
which can be accessed by computer 20. Communication media typically
embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program
modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier
wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information
delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal
that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such
a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,
and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such
as a wired network or direct wired connection, and wireless media
such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the
scope of computer readable media.
[0043] The system memory 24 includes computer storage media in the
form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory
(ROM) 28 and random access memory (RAM) 30. A basic input/output
system 32 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to
transfer information between elements within computer 20, such as
during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 28. RAM 30 typically
contains data and/or program modules that are immediately
accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit
22. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates
operating system 46, application programs 48, other program modules
50, and program data 52.
[0044] The computer 20 may also include other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media. By way of example only, FIG. 1 illustrates a hard disk drive
34 that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic
media, a magnetic disk drive 36 that reads from or writes to
removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 38, and an optical disk drive
40 that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile optical
disk 42 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment
include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash
memory cards, digital video disks, digital video tape, Bernoulli
cartridges, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The
hard disk drive 34, magnetic disk drive 36, and optical disk drive
40 are typically connected to the system bus 26 by a Small Computer
System Interface (SCSI) 44. Alternatively, the hard disk drive 34,
magnetic disk drive 36 and optical disk drive 40 may be connected
to the system bus 26 by a hard disk drive interface, a magnetic
disk drive interface, and an optical drive interface,
respectively.
[0045] The drives and their associated computer storage media
discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 1, provide storage of
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules
and other data for the computer 20. In FIG. 1, for example, hard
disk drive 34 is illustrated as storing operating system 46,
application programs 48, other program modules 50, and program data
52. Note that these components can either be the same as or
different from operating system 46, application programs 48, other
program modules 50, and program data 52. A user may enter commands
and information into the computer 20 through input devices such as
a keyboard 54 and pointing device 56, commonly referred to as a
mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may
include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner,
or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to
the processing unit 22 through a user input interface 58 or a
serial port interface 60 that is coupled to the system bus, but may
be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a
parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor
61 or other type of display device is also connected to the system
bus 26 via an interface, such as a video adapter 62. In addition to
the monitor 61, computers may also include other peripheral output
devices such as speakers and printers, which may be connected
through an output peripheral interface.
[0046] The computer 20 may operate in a networked environment using
logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a
remote computer 64. The remote computer 64 may be a personal
computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other
common network node, and typically includes many or all of the
elements described above relative to the computer 20, although only
a memory storage device has been illustrated in FIG. 1. The logical
connections depicted in FIG. 1 include a local area network (LAN)
66 and a wide area network (WAN) 68, but may also include other
networks. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices,
enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet.
[0047] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 20
is connected to the LAN 66 through a network interface or adapter
70. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 20
typically includes a modem 72 or other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 68, such as the Internet. The modem 72,
which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system
bus 26 via the serial port interface 60 or other appropriate
mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted
relative to the computer 20, or portions thereof, may be stored in
the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not
limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates remote application programs 48 as
residing on memory device 64. It will be appreciated that the
network connections shown are exemplary and other means of
establishing a communications link between the computers may be
used.
[0048] Although many other internal components of the computer 20
are not shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that such components and the interconnection are well known.
Accordingly, additional details concerning the internal
construction of the computer 20 need not be disclosed in connection
with the present invention.
[0049] Those skilled in the art will understand that program
modules such as the operating system 46, application programs 48
and data 52 are provided to the computer 20 via one of its memory
storage devices, which may include ROM 28, RAM 30, hard disk drive
34, magnetic disk drive 36 or optical disk drive 40. Preferably,
the hard disk drive 34 is used to store data 52 and programs,
including the operating system 46 and application programs 48.
[0050] When the computer 20 is turned on or reset, the BIOS 32,
which is stored in the ROM 28 instructs the processing unit 22 to
load the operating system from the hard disk drive 34 into the RAM
30. Once the operating system 46 is loaded in RAM 30, the
processing unit 22 executes the operating system code and causes
the visual elements associated with the user interface of the
operating system 46 to be displayed on the monitor 61. When an
application program 48 is opened by a user, the program code and
relevant data are read from the hard disk drive 34 and stored in
RAM 30.
[0051] With reference to FIG. 2, an exemplary computer system 80
includes a central manager 82 connected to a plurality of clients
84, 86, 88 and 90 over a plurality of corresponding communications
links. Each of the clients 84-90 has a polling interface (PI) 91
which is the communications interface between that client and the
central manager 82 and which is preferably the access point for the
management information. Additionally, the PI 91 may include
additional components which process and request client data. The
central manager 82 includes a management machine 92, a console 94,
a database 96 and a central polling agent 98. Although shown
separately in FIG. 2, the agent 98 may instead reside on the
machine 92, the console 94 or the database 96.
[0052] The clients 84-90 are preferably servers which have
dedicated functions within a larger enterprise network. Such a
network 100 is shown in FIG. 3. In the network 100, the client
manager 82 is connected to an activity screen 102 and is also
connected to a web server 104. The web server 104 is in turn
connected to a client server 106, an application server 108 and a
database server 110. The application server 108 and the database
server 110 are also in communication with one another. As would be
understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention
contemplates that the clients 84-90 (FIG. 2) may include
multi-purpose servers, servers from different networks and/or
non-server computers.
[0053] A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes
many features which are not found in conventional client management
products, including the ability to select from multiple polling
agent configurations. Upon initialization, the user console 94
retrieves and displays a set of menu entries which set forth the
available polling agent configurations. As shown in FIG. 11, the
user is prompted via a graphical user interface to select one of
the two or more polling functions or modes for collecting the
capacity planning data. Preferably, a central polling mode and a
resident polling mode are both presented to the user. Another
possible polling agent configuration would be a combined central
and resident polling mode involving a central polling agent and one
or more resident polling agents. This latter configuration may be
useful for balancing management traffic over a network.
[0054] Upon receiving a user selection, the present invention
implements at least one polling agent in accordance with the
selected polling function. While the central polling function
typically involves only a single polling agent, the resident
polling function often involves multiple polling agents residing on
separate machines or objects within the computer system. The
present invention may designate one of the polling functions as a
default selection (e.g., in the event no user selection is received
within a preset time).
[0055] When a central polling configuration is selected, the
central poller (CP) 98 communicates with the PIs over the
respective links. The CP 98 communicates to the PIs 91 what type of
data is required and when it should be communicated. Then, the CP
98 receives the data over the links from the PIs 91. However, under
a resident polling configuration, the PIs 91 receive an initial
polling function from the central manager 82 and determine the type
of data required and when to send that data. Preferably, the
resident PIs 91 send the data to the central database 96.
Generally, the operation of a computer system in a single polling
configuration (either central or resident) is conventional, and the
details of such operation will not be described further herein
except to the extent the present invention differs therefrom.
[0056] In addition to providing users with an initial choice
between multiple polling configurations, the present invention
advantageously provides the ability to change polling
configurations. For example, a client management session in a
central polling configuration can be converted to a resident
polling configuration simply by reinitializing the client
management session and selecting the other configuration. Moreover,
the present invention also supports concurrent client management
sessions, particularly involving one or more common machines,
having different agent configurations.
[0057] The present invention preferably utilizes WBEM interface
components to gather management data. The WBEM initiative is based
on a set of management and Internet standard technologies developed
to unify the management of enterprise computing environments, and
it provides the ability to deliver a set of standard-based
management tools leveraging emerging technologies such as CIM
(Common Information Model) and XML (Extensible Markup Language).
One example of a WBEM-compliant interface which can be utilized by
the present invention is Microsoft Corporation's Windows Management
Instrumentation (WMI). It is understood, however, that other
interfaces may be used with the present invention. In any event,
the polling agent issues to each client a management template, such
as a policy, which identifies specific system objects and
measurements to be taken in relation to those objects.
Additionally, each client can receive multiple policies for
different client management functions. Preferably, a policy engine
in the operating system of the management machine 92 generates the
policies for the system 80.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 7, a policy 150 preferably includes a
policy name component 152, a component 154 which sets forth the
objects of the policy, and a properties component 156. The
properties component 156 of the policy 150 may be in the form of a
data structure as set forth in FIGS. 8A-8B. Referring initially to
FIG. 8A, the data structure 156 preferably includes a collection
name field 158, a report title field 160, a report date field 162,
a report starting time field 164, a report stop date field 166 and
a report length field 168. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8B, the
data structure 156 includes a days of the week field 170, a report
type field 172, a priority field 174, a machine names field 176 and
a collection database field 178.
[0059] Unlike conventional capacity planning products, a preferred
embodiment of the present invention obtains capacity planning data
by issuing capacity planning policies. A typical capacity planning
policy might require machines such as servers 84-90 to measure CPU
utilization, to measure queue lengths and to count I/O operations.
This information is usually collected on an hourly or daily basis
because it is typically not high priority information. FIG. 12 is
illustrative of a preferred graphical user interface which allows a
user to create and issue a new policy measurement to a client
management machine.
[0060] Similarly, the present invention obtains performance
monitoring data by issuing performance monitoring policies. As with
capacity planning policies, performance monitoring policies
identify specific system objects and measurements to be taken in
relation to those objects. Performance monitoring policies
typically differ from capacity planning policies, however, in that
they seek different information for different purposes. As an
example, one performance monitoring policy might require servers
84-90 (FIG. 2) to transmit data only if CPU utilization is greater
than 50% for three minutes. If there are no violations of the
policy, no data would be transmitted in response to that policy.
However, the violation of a performance monitoring policy is
usually of high importance and should be reported immediately.
[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates some of the internal components of a
client 140 suitable for use in connection with the present
invention. Like the servers 84-90, the client 140 has a polling
interface 91 which functions as a resident polling agent in a
resident polling mode and which communicates with a central polling
agent in a central polling mode. The client 140 also includes a
management interface 142 which is connected to an object reporting
component 144, a communication interface 146 and a plurality of
data providers 148. The interface 142 is preferably the WMI
interface of Microsoft Corporation's WINDOWS 2000 operating system,
the object reporting component 144 is preferably a data handler,
and the communication interface 146 is preferably a directory such
as Microsoft Corporation's ACTIVE DIRECTORY. It is understood,
however, that the present invention may be implemented with other
operating systems (such as Unix) and other directory services (such
as Novell Netware). Preferably, the data providers 150 include the
counters and/or the trace logs commonly used to measure the
performance of the client 140.
[0062] A preferred embodiment of the present invention also
includes the ability to collect both capacity planning data and
performance monitoring data in a single collection function.
Conventionally, performance monitoring data is collected by a
separate product, such as the PERFORMANCE MONITOR program
implemented on Microsoft Corporation's WINDOWS NT or WINDOWS 2000
brand operating systems, or other performance monitoring programs,
rather than a capacity planning product. By integrating the
collection function of these two types of products, numerous
efficiencies are achieved. For example, the volume of management
traffic is reduced with the integrated capacity planner/performance
monitor of the present invention. Additionally, only one polling
agent/polling interface need be monitored by each client, thereby
reducing the strain on system resources such as memory utilization,
processor utilization and operator training.
[0063] A management node 130 is shown in FIG. 5 for an integrated
capacity planner/performance monitor. The node 130 includes a
request component 132, a capacity planning component 134 and a
performance monitoring component 136.
[0064] Although capacity planning data and performance monitoring
data are typically not collected with the same frequency, there are
a number of possible methods for integrating the collection of
capacity planning and performance monitoring data. One method is to
store the performance monitoring data (which is normally collected
more frequently than capacity planning data) in the cache portion
of the client's resident memory until the end of the next capacity
planning interval, then both types of data are sent to their
respective databases at that time. As discussed below in connection
with FIG. 9, the cached performance monitoring data may be stored
either in tables or in designated cache areas.
[0065] Another method for integrating the collection of capacity
planning and performance monitoring data is to send the performance
monitoring data to both the cache and the central database at each
performance monitoring interval. In either case, the cached
performance monitoring data could be averaged before being sent to
the central database. Other collection methods could be tied to the
occurrence of a policy violation, or to the occurrence of other
events related to particular policies which are in effect.
[0066] Because the present invention allows multiple client
management functions to be performed by the same components (e.g.,
the polling agents), the client management data processed by the
components can take on different priorities for processing. For
example, if the client management data is capacity planning data,
which is typically collected on an hourly or daily basis, the need
for the client manager to receive the data within a short time
period is minimal. On the other hand, if the client management data
is performance monitoring data, which is typically collected every
few seconds, the need for the client manager to receive the data
within a short time period is greatly increased. Conventional
capacity planning products may unnecessarily congest network
traffic by sending low priority capacity planning data during
periods of high network utilization.
[0067] In another aspect of the present invention, the polling
agents have the ability to limit the transmission of low priority
data during times of high network utilization. For example, in a
resident polling configuration, the polling agent at the client
receives both capacity planning data and performance monitoring
data from the client, and there are pre-established intervals for
sending the data to the client manager. However, if the data to be
transmitted is capacity planning data, the polling agent examines
the current level of network utilization. If the network
utilization is above a threshold level, the polling agent will not
transmit the capacity planning data until the network utilization
reaches an acceptable level or after a predetermined time period.
In contrast, if the data is performance monitoring data, the
polling agent transmits the higher priority data to the client
manager regardless of the network utilization. Thus, the present
invention allows the client management system to further reduce the
strain on the network.
[0068] The present invention also permits users to effectively
alter an active measurement without deactivating it simply by
changing the original measurement template, or policy, which calls
for that measurement. Given that a relatively large number of
measurements are normally taking place throughout a network for
various purposes (e.g., operating system measurements), the active
measurements specified in a policy are merely a subset of the
available active measurements. Consequently, the policy can be
changed without interrupting the act of taking the measurement. As
an example, a policy may request notification whenever a particular
machine's CPU utilization exceeds 50%. If the policy is later
amended so that notification occurs only when CPU utilization
exceeds 40% for five minutes, the measurement itself is not
interrupted. Similarly, the policy could be amended by deleting any
reference to that machine's CPU utilization, but the measurement is
still not deactivated. Thereafter, the policy might be amended to
once again request notification if the machine's CPU utilization
exceeds a certain threshold. Consequently, the underlying
measurement is not affected by sending new policies or by changing
existing policies. With reference to FIG. 13, a user edits an
active measurement using the same or similar graphical user
interface. Conventional capacity planners do not provide this
functionality.
[0069] Another feature of the present invention involves caching
performance data at the client location and averaging it over a
selected time period to obtain more accurate capacity planning
data. An exemplary computer system 180 is shown in FIG. 9 and
includes a client memory 182 coupled with a plurality of processors
184, 186, 188 and 190 over a bus 192. It is understood, however,
that the present invention could be implemented on any computer
system having a memory and one or more processors. The client
memory 182 shown in FIG. 9 includes a cache 194, which contains one
or more tables 196, and a collection agent 198.
[0070] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, performance data is collected by the agent 198 at
selected intervals and stored in the cache 194 for a period of
time. Typically, performance monitoring data is collected at
relatively short intervals (e.g., a few seconds) and capacity
planning data is collected at relative long intervals (e.g., hourly
or daily). Under the present invention, the performance data is
preferably cached for a time period (e.g., an hour) which is less
than the normal collection interval for capacity planning yet
greater than the normal collection interval for performance
monitoring. Then, the cached data is averaged over that time period
and forwarded to a central database. The averaged performance data
provides a substantially higher number of data points than is
typical for capacity planning data. For example, if the collection
interval for performance monitoring is three seconds and that data
is averaged hourly, an hourly average would be based on 1200 data
points. By contrast, an hourly collection interval for capacity
planning produces data based on a single data point. Those skilled
in the art would appreciate that the specific intervals discussed
above are merely exemplary and that the actual intervals are
configurable.
[0071] With continued reference to FIG. 9, the caching feature of
the present invention may be implemented in at least two ways. The
performance data collected by the agent 198 may be written to an
area in the cache 194 defined to exclusively contain the management
data (i.e., an area other than a table). Alternatively, when blocks
of the cache 194 cannot be assigned solely to one specific
function, the cache collection process can be simulated by writing
the performance data to one or more tables 196 stored in variable
locations in the cache. The cache need not contain any tables if
the data is being written to a cache area. Those skilled in the art
will understand that one or more clients may instead forward the
performance data to a remote cache (e.g., the management machine 92
in FIG. 2) in which the data is stored and averaged and then
forwarded to a central collection location (e.g., the database 96
of FIG. 2).
[0072] Importantly, the present invention provides an archiving
function within the client management tool, thereby eliminating the
time-consuming and tedious tasks of exiting and re-entering the
capacity planner simply to archive. Consequently, the user
interface is simplified and incorporates the archiving function so
that a database specialist is not required for routine activities.
FIGS. 14-16 are screen shots illustrative of graphical user
interfaces for archiving data within the client management tool. As
illustrated in FIG. 14, the user may be given the opportunity to
create a new performance archive, to restore archived data, or to
delete archived files. With reference to FIGS. 15-16, a graphical
user interface allows the user to designate the amount of data
archived (e.g., all data within a one year block).
[0073] Referring next to FIG. 10, an exemplary computer system 200
is shown which includes an I/O control 202 coupled to a disk
control 204 via I/O channels. A plurality of disk drives 206, 208,
210 and 212 are connected to the disk control 204 over a bus.
Although four disks 206-210 are shown in FIG. 10, the system 200
could include any number of disks for the purposes of the present
invention. Preferably, the disk configuration of FIG. 10 is
utilized to archive performance data. For example, a single
performance archive file may be stored only on an individual disk,
such as the disk 206. Additionally, a mirror copy of the same
performance archive file could be stored on another of the disks,
such as the disk 212 for redundancy. Alternatively, the performance
archive file may be broken up into two or more components and
stored separately. For example, the performance archive file may be
broken up into four components such that each of the disks 206-212
contains one of the components.
[0074] A further feature of the present invention involves reading
from and/or converting pre-existing management data databases.
Preferably, under the present invention, a standardized schema for
storing management data, regardless of the management tool or the
provider to facilitate future client management, is created
utilizing a preferred three-table configuration, such as Microsoft
Corporation's SQL Server Database format. Accordingly, all future
data collected and stored under the standardized schema will be
readable from a variety of management tools. However, previously
collected data, stored in a format different from the standardized
format, remains unreadable and/or prevents a manager from adding
new data stored under the standardized format. Thus, the present
invention utilizes two embodiments for reading and/or converting
pre-existing management database files.
[0075] In a first embodiment, the present invention utilizes a
filter, such as SQL Server Data Transformation Service (DTS), which
can accept various pre-existing formats and automatically convert
them to a standardized format. The filter accepts pre-existing
database files saved in one or more pre-existing formats, and
converts them to the standardized schema. For example, some
conventional client management tools collect and store client
management data in a spreadsheet format, such as Microsoft
Corporation's EXCEL spreadsheet format, with pre-defined data
column headings. Accordingly, the filter, configured to accept the
pre-defined data formats, reads the EXCEL file and converts it to
the standardized format. As would be readily understood,
alternative types of pre-existing database file configurations
acceptable by the filter are considered to be within the scope of
the present invention.
[0076] In a second embodiment, the present invention includes a
translation engine on the management tool that utilizes a
scriptable language, such as Microsoft VB Scripts, allowing a user
to specify a correlation of the schema utilized by the pre-existing
database file to the standardized schema. In this embodiment, the
present invention does not convert the database file, but rather
utilizes the scripted correlation to locate data on the
pre-existing database file. For example, a first column in the
pre-existing database file utilizes a "Machine Name" field to
identify the server. Under the standardized schema, however, a
corresponding field is called "ServerName." Accordingly, to allow
the pre-existing database file to be read, the user indicates via
the scriptable language that these fields are equivalent and then
the management tool would know to look under the "Machine Name"
field when prompted to recall, by a management process, the data in
the "ServerName" field. FIG. 17 is a screen shot illustrative of a
preferred graphical user interface allowing a user to enter
correlation scripts in accordance with the present invention. As
would be readily understood, alternative graphical user interfaces
are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
[0077] The following script is illustrative of a user input to a
translation engine in accordance with the present invention.
[0078] SELECT * from PERFTABLE WHERE MACHINE_NAME="DB00"OR
MEASUREMENT_NAME="DATABASE_MACHINE_MEASUREMENT"
[0079] In this example, the script indicates that the translation
engine should select from the database file named "PERFTABLE" all
data having the properties under column heading "MACHINE_NAME" of
"DBOO" or MEASUREMENT_NAME of "DATABASE_MACHINE_MEASUREMENT." As
would be understood, alternative input methods are considered to be
within the scope of the present invention.
[0080] In yet another feature, the present invention includes the
ability to link into and expand existing database files. Some
database files, such as log files, utilize an end-of-file (EOF)
indicator to signal the end of the measurement data file.
Generally, these log files are designated for a dedicated purpose
(e.g., capacity planning or performance monitoring), so it is
generally not regarded as a deficiency that the management tool
database file cannot be expanded. However, because the present
invention can utilize collected management data for both
performance monitoring and capacity planning, the present invention
expands a file as the more management data is collected and
utilized for various purposes.
[0081] For example, as performance monitoring data is being written
to a log file, it is utilized by the performance monitoring
component of the present invention. Upon completion of the specific
collection process, an EOF indicator is attached to the end of the
file to indicate that no more management data is to be read.
However, as more performance monitoring data is collected, it is
preferable to add it to the same log file, as the data will also be
used for capacity planning purposes. The present invention accepts
the incoming data and relocates the EOF of the file to the end of
the new data. Accordingly, the log file is expanded.
[0082] In accordance with other aspects of the present invention,
the expansion of existing log files preferably works with log files
formatted in a standardized schema. Accordingly, new management
data being written to the log file preferably is organized
according to the standardized schema. To maintain consistency in
data, the management data in the database file is preferably stored
according to the schema to facilitate the addition of the new
data.
[0083] FIG. 4 illustrates an application of the present invention
in an exemplary service chain 120 for performing a service
transaction. The service chain 120 includes a plurality of service
chain components 122, 124, 126 and 128. The client manager 82 is in
communication with the service chain 120 for monitoring the
performance of its components 122-128. While the service chain
shown in FIG. 4 is depicted as a series of machines M1 through M4,
the service chain 120 could consist of any combination of hardware
and/or software components associated with the service transaction
in question.
[0084] Because the present invention preferably implements both a
capacity planning function and a performance monitoring function,
the client manager 82 may issue to the components 122-128 policies
which are directed to either function. For example, a first policy
may implement a capacity planning function to estimate system
performance and determine whether the system is likely to violate a
service level agreement (SLA). A second policy may implement a
performance monitoring function by detecting in real-time any
occurrence of a threshold being exceeded. Thus, the client
management product of the present invention allows for a more
complete management of service chains than a conventional
product.
[0085] Alternative embodiments of the present invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon
review of the specification, including the drawing figures. The
various computer systems and components shown in FIGS. 1-17 and
described in the specification are merely exemplary of those
suitable for use in connection with the present invention.
Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the
appended claims rather than the foregoing description.
* * * * *