Method and system for monitoring and correcting defects of a network device

A defect monitoring system, comprising:

• a defect database comprising a defect entry for a defect, wherein the defect entry comprises defect information, and wherein the defect comprises a condition that, if occurring, prevents normal operation of a network device;
• a network device database comprising a network device entry for the network device, wherein the network device entry comprises network device information;
• and
• a monitoring module comprising a computing device and operatively connected to the network device and to a defect alert recipient and configured to:
• receive, before the defect occurs on the network device, the network device information from the network device, wherein the network device information comprises state information and operational information for the network device, wherein the state information does not comprise hardware and software version information, and wherein the operational information comprises information about how the network device has operated;
• store, in the network device database, the network device information from the network device;
• determine that the defect potentially applies to the network device by:
• analyzing the network device information in the network device database to obtain the state information and the operational information;
• analyzing the defect information to obtain network device criteria specifying what state information and operational information are required for the network device to be affected by the defect;
• analyzing the defect information to determine that the defect has previously occurred on a plurality of other network devices;
• comparing the network device criteria to the state information to diagnose that the state of the network device is similar to the states of each of the plurality of other network devices at the time the defect occurred on each of the plurality of other network devices;
• and
• comparing the network device criteria to the operational information to diagnose that the network device has been operated similarly to each of the plurality of other network devices before the defect occurred on each of the plurality of other network devices;
• and
• based on the determination, inform the defect alert recipient that the defect potentially applies to the network device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a monitoring module comprising a computing device and before a defect occurs on the network device, network device information from the network device, wherein the network device information comprises state information and operational information for the network device, wherein the state information does not comprise hardware and software version information, and wherein the operational information comprises information about how the network device has operated;
• storing, in a network device database, the network device information from the network device;
• receiving, at the monitoring module, defect information about the defect, wherein the defect information comprises network device criteria specifying what state information and operational information are required for the network device to be potentially affected by the defect, and wherein the defect is a condition that, if occurring, prevents normal operation of the network device;
• storing the defect information in a defect database;
• making a determination that the defect potentially applies to the network device by:
• analyzing the network device information to obtain the state information and the operational information;
• analyzing the defect information to determine that the defect has previously occurred on a plurality of other network devices;
• comparing the network device criteria to the state information to diagnose that the states of each of the network device is similar to the state of the plurality of other network devices at the time the defect occurred;
• and
• comparing the network device criteria to the operational information to diagnose that the network device has been operated similarly to each of-the plurality of other network devices before the defect occurred on each of the plurality of other network devices;
• and
• based on the determination, informing a defect alert recipient that the defect potentially applies to the network device.

A method for determining that a defect applies to a network device, comprising:

• receiving, at an internal monitoring module comprising a computing device and before the defect occurs on the network device, network device information from the network device, wherein the network device information comprises state information and operational information for the network device, wherein the state information does not comprise hardware and software version information, and wherein the operational information comprises information about how the network device has operated;
• storing, in a network device database, the network device information from the network device;
• receiving, at the internal monitoring module, defect information about the defect, wherein the defect information comprises network device criteria specifying what state information and operational information are required for the network device to be potentially affected by the defect, and wherein the defect is a condition that, if occurring, prevents normal operation of the network device;
• storing the defect information in a defect database;
• making a determination that the defect potentially applies to the network device by:
• analyzing the network device information to obtain the state information and the operational information;
• analyzing the defect information to determine that the defect has previously occurred on a plurality of other network devices;
• comparing the network device criteria to the state information to diagnose that the state of the network device is similar to the states of each of the plurality of other network devices at the time the defect occurred on the plurality of other network devices;
• and
• comparing the network device criteria to the operational information to diagnose that the network device has been operated similarly to each of the plurality of other network devices before the defect occurred on each of the plurality of other network devices have been operated;
• and
• based on the determination, informing a defect alert recipient that the defect potentially applies to the network device.