# US 10,310,708 B2 · User interface that facilitates node pinning for a proactive monitoring tree

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- Number: US 10,310,708 B2
- Document ID: US10310708B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/215,430
- Filed: 2016-07-20
- Published: 2016-11-10
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2013-04-30
- Assignees: Splunk Inc.
- Applicants: Splunk Inc.
- Inventors: Tristan Fletcher; Cary Glen Noel; Alok Bhide
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310708B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 9/45533: {Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors}
- G06F 11/323: {Visualisation of programs or trace data}
- H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- H10N 30/01: Manufacture or treatment
- G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment}
- G06F 2201/815: Virtual
- G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In some embodiments, in response to the user selecting a first node in the tree to be pinned, the system displays a first detail panel for the first node, wherein the first detail panel displays state information for the first node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning. Moreover, in response to the user selecting a second node in the tree to be pinned, the system displays a second detail panel for the second node, wherein the second detail panel displays state information for the second node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning. Note that the first detail panel is displayed concurrently with the second detail panel to facilitate comparing state information between the first and second nodes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for displaying a hierarchical computing environment, the method comprising:
causing display, in a graphical user interface, of the hierarchical computing environment as a tree, wherein nodes of the tree represent at least a subset of entities in the hierarchical computing environment and edges of the tree represent parent-child relationships between the entities, wherein the displayed tree is generated based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the first tree;
in response to obtaining a first indication that a user selected a node in the tree, causing display of a first detail panel for the first selection of a node concurrently with the tree, wherein the first detail panel includes first state information for the first selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning;
in response to receiving a user selection of at least one of a second performance metric, time range, or entity type, causing modifications to the displayed tree based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the tree; and
in response to obtaining an indication that the user selected a node in the tree to be pinned subsequent to the modifications to the displayed tree, causing display of a second detail panel for the second selection of a node concurrently with the tree as modified and the first detail panel, wherein the second detail panel includes second state information for the second selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes an aggregated configuration information of one or more descendants of the node; and
when the first selection of a node is a leaf node, the first state information for the node includes a configuration information for the node.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first detail panel includes a value of a first performance metric for the first selection of a node.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein first detail panel includes a graph showing the value of the first performance metric.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein (1) when the first selection of a node and the second selection of a node are the same node, and (2) when the user changes a selected performance metric from a first performance metric to a second performance metric prior to the obtaining of the indication of the second selection of a node:
the first detail panel including a value of the first performance metric for the node; and
the second detail panel including a value of the second performance metric for the node.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:
receiving, from the user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and
obtaining values of the first performance metric for the subset of entities.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first performance metric relates to one or more of:
central-processing unit (CPU) utilization;
memory utilization;
disk utilization;
network utilization; and
power consumption.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first performance metric is measured over a user-specified time interval.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the subset of entities includes one or more of:
a virtual machine;
a host system that executes one or more virtual machines;
a cluster comprising one or more host systems; and
a virtual center comprising one or more clusters.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes a plurality of configuration information of a plurality of descendants of the first node.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for displaying a hierarchical computing environment, the method comprising:
causing display, in a graphical user interface, of the hierarchical computing environment as a tree, wherein nodes of the tree represent at least a subset of entities in the hierarchical computing environment and edges of the tree represent parent-child relationships between the entities, wherein the displayed tree is generated based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the first tree;
in response to obtaining a first indication that a user selected a node in the tree, causing display of a first detail panel for the first selection of a node concurrently with the tree, wherein the first detail panel includes first state information for the first selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning;
in response to receiving a user selection of at least one of a second performance metric, time range, or entity type, causing modifications to the displayed tree based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the tree; and
in response to obtaining an indication that the user selected a node in the tree to be pinned subsequent to the modifications to the displayed tree, causing display of a second detail panel for the second selection of a node concurrently with the tree as modified and the first detail panel, wherein the second detail panel includes second state information for the second selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:
when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes an aggregated configuration information of one or more descendants of the first node; and
when the first selection of a node is a leaf node, the first state information for the node includes a configuration information for the first node.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first detail panel includes a value of a first performance metric for the first selection of a node.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein first detail panel includes a graph showing the value of the first performance metric.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein (1) when the first selection of a node and the second selection of a node are the same node, and (2) when the user changes a selected performance metric from a first performance metric to a second performance metric prior to the obtaining of the indication of the second selection of a node:
the first detail panel including a value of the first performance metric for the node; and
the second detail panel including a value of the second performance metric for the node.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and
obtaining values of the first performance metric for the subset of entities.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first performance metric relates to one or more of:
central-processing unit (CPU) utilization;
memory utilization;
disk utilization;
network utilization; and
power consumption.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first performance metric is measured over a user-specified time interval.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the subset of entities includes one or more of:
a virtual machine;
a host system that executes one or more virtual machines;
a cluster comprising one or more host systems; and
a virtual center comprising one or more clusters.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes a plurality of configuration information of a plurality of descendants of the node.

### Claim 21

A system for displaying a hierarchical computing environment, comprising:
computer memory for storing machine data; and
one or more processors configured to:
cause display, in a graphical user interface, of the hierarchical computing environment as a tree, wherein nodes of the tree represent at least a subset of entities in the hierarchical computing environment and edges of the tree represent parent-child relationships between the entities, wherein the displayed tree is generated based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the first tree;
in response to obtaining a first indication that a user selected a node in the tree, cause display of a first detail panel for the first selection of a node concurrently with the tree, wherein the first detail panel includes first state information for the first selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected first performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning;
in response to receiving a user selection of at least one of a second performance metric, time range, or entity type, cause modifications to the displayed tree based upon associated values of at least one of a user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, for nodes in the tree; and
in response to obtaining an indication that the user selected a node in the tree to be pinned subsequent to the modifications to the displayed tree, cause display of a second detail panel for the second selection of a node concurrently with the tree as modified and the first detail panel, wherein the second detail panel includes second state information for the second selection of a node, based on the at least one user-selected second performance metric, time range, or entity type, that remains unchanged after the pinning.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein:
when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes an aggregated configuration information of one or more descendants of the node; and
when the first selection of a node is a leaf node, the first state information for the node includes a configuration information for the node.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the first detail panel includes a value of a first performance metric for the first selection of a node.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein first detail panel includes a graph showing the value of the first performance metric.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein (1) when the first selection of a node and the second selection of a node are the same node, and (2) when the user changes a selected performance metric from a first performance metric to a second performance metric prior to the obtaining of the indication of the second selection of a node:
the first detail panel including a value of the first performance metric for the node; and
the second detail panel including a value of the second performance metric for the node.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and
obtaining values of the first performance metric for the subset of entities.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the first performance metric relates to one or more of:
central-processing unit (CPU) utilization;
memory utilization;
disk utilization;
network utilization; and
power consumption.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the first performance metric is measured over a user-specified time interval.

### Claim 29 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the subset of entities includes one or more of:
a virtual machine;
a host system that executes one or more virtual machines;
a cluster comprising one or more host systems; and
a virtual center comprising one or more clusters.

### Claim 30 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, when the first selection of a node is a parent node, the first state information for the node includes a plurality of configuration information of a plurality of descendants of the node.