# US 11,121,919 B2 · Methods and apparatus to determine a duration estimate and risk estimate of performing a maintenance operation in a networked computing environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,121,919 B2 - Document ID: US11121919B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/037,684 - Filed: 2018-07-17 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13 - Assignees: VMware, Inc. - Applicants: VMware, Inc. - Inventors: Marin Nozhchev; Denitsa Gencheva - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121919B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/14: Network analysis or design - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 11/3006: {where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50)} - G06F 11/301: {where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems (virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077)} - G06F 11/3051: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs (verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247)} - G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment} - G06F 11/3447: {Performance evaluation by modeling} - G06F 11/3495: {for systems} - H04L 41/0813: characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings - H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events - H04L 41/0859: by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation - H04L 43/065: related to network devices - G06F 11/3089: {Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents (software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466)} - G06F 2201/815: Virtual - H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route - H04L 43/20: the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for determining a duration and/or risk estimate of performing a maintenance operation in a networked computing environment. An example apparatus includes a client data datastore to store telemetry data, associated with the maintenance operation, system configuration data, and a first secret, all received from a first virtual computing component operating in a virtual computing environment. The apparatus further includes a configuration comparator to identify configuration changes between a previous and current configuration of the virtual computing environment. A client data analyzer selects, based on the changes, an analysis model, and applies the model to generate results including the duration estimate or a risk of failure. The client data analyzer stores the results with the first secret and the configuration data, and a result interface retrieves and transmits the stored analysis results associated with the first secret matching a second secret included in a request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: memory; and processor circuitry to execute computer readable instructions to at least: store telemetry data associated with performing a maintenance operation, system configuration data, and a first secret, the telemetry data, the system configuration data, and the first secret received from a first virtual computing component operating within a virtual computing environment, and the system configuration data identifying a current configuration of at least a portion of the virtual computing environment; identify configuration changes between a previous configuration of the at least the portion of the virtual computing environment and the current configuration of the at least the portion of the virtual computing environment; select, based on the configuration changes, an analysis model; apply the analysis model to the telemetry data to generate analysis results, the analysis results including at least one of a duration estimate for the maintenance operation to be performed at the virtual computing environment and a risk of failure of the maintenance operation to be performed at the virtual computing environment; store the analysis results in association with the first secret, and in association with the system configuration data; and in response to a request for the analysis results, the request including a second secret: retrieve the stored analysis results when the first secret matches the second secret; and cause the stored analysis results to be transmitted to a source of the request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the telemetry data is first telemetry data, and the processor circuitry is to: retrain the analysis model using the first telemetry data and second telemetry data from a second virtual computing environment having a same or similar system configuration; and provide the retrained analysis model for use in analyzing incoming telemetry data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the processor circuitry is to: store the second telemetry data; and store the analysis model. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the processor circuitry is to generate a recommendation to perform the maintenance operation based on a schedule of maintenance operations to be performed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein the processor circuitry is to: receive a request to poll the analysis results and the second secret; and retrieve the stored analysis results when the second secret matches the first secret stored with the analysis results. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is to transmit a configuration file to the virtual computing environment, the configuration file to identify additional information to be collected by the virtual computing environment from the first virtual computing component and transmitted with the telemetry data, the additional information related to performing the maintenance operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is to supplement the stored analysis results with at least one of a recommendation of whether to proceed with the maintenance operation, a recommendation to perform a software upgrade or a hardware replacement before performing the maintenance operation, or a recommendation to forego the maintenance operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the first secret is at least one of a password, a certificate, or a pre-shared key. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least: store telemetry data and a first secret, the telemetry data and the first secret received from a first virtual computing component operating within a virtual computing environment; select, based on a maintenance operation to be performed within the virtual computing environment, an analysis model; apply the analysis model to the telemetry data to determine an analysis result; store the analysis results in association with the first secret; and in response to a request for the analysis results, the request including a second secret: retrieve the stored analysis results when the first secret matches the second secret; and cause the stored analysis results to be transmitted to a source of the request. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable medium defined in claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the machine to select the analysis model based on a system configuration of at least a portion of the virtual computing environment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium defined in claim 10, wherein the system configuration is a current system configuration of the at least the portion of the virtual computing environment virtual, and the instructions cause the machine to: identify a set of configuration changes between the current system configuration and an earlier system configuration; and select the analysis model based on the configuration changes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable medium defined in claim 9, wherein the telemetry data is first telemetry data, and the instructions cause the machine to: retrain the analysis model using the first telemetry data and second telemetry data from a second virtual computing environment; and provide the retrained analysis model for use in analyzing incoming telemetry data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable medium defined in claim 9, wherein the stored analysis results identify at least one of an estimate of a duration of the maintenance operation and a risk of failure of the maintenance operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable medium defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the machine to: store the second telemetry data; and store the analysis model. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein the analysis results include at least one of a recommendation regarding whether to perform the maintenance operation, a recommendation to perform a software upgrade before or after performing the maintenance operation, or a recommendation to reconfigure the virtual computing environment before or after performing the maintenance operation. ### Claim 16 A method to process telemetry data in networked computing environments, the method comprising: storing, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, telemetry data and a first secret, the telemetry data and the first secret received from first a virtual computing component operating within a virtual computing environment; selecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, and based on a maintenance operation, an analysis model; applying, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, an analysis model to the telemetry data to determine an analysis result, the analysis results including at least one of a duration estimate for the maintenance operation to be performed at the virtual computing environment and a risk of failure of the maintenance operation to be performed at the virtual computing environment; storing, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the analysis results in association with the first secret; and in response to a request including a second secret: retrieving, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the stored analysis results associated with the first secret, the first secret matching the second secret; and transmitting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the stored analysis results to a source of the request. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method defined in claim 16, wherein the selecting of the analysis model further includes selecting the analysis model based on a system configuration of the virtual computing environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method defined in claim 16, wherein the telemetry data is first telemetry data, and further including: storing second telemetry data; and storing the analysis model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method defined in claim 16, wherein the analysis results further include at least one of a recommendation of whether to proceed with the maintenance operation, a recommendation to perform a software upgrade or a hardware replacement before performing the maintenance operation, or a recommendation to forego the maintenance operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method defined in claim 16, wherein the telemetry data is first telemetry data, and further including retraining the analysis model using the first telemetry data and second telemetry data from a second virtual computing environment and provide the retrained analysis model for use in analyzing third telemetry data.