Distributed monitoring of desired configurations using rules
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsEdhi Sarwono, Frank Zakrajsek, Gregory Gicewicz, Roberta McAlpine
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for monitoring configuration information of computing devices is provided. The monitoring system generates a desired configuration monitor (“DCM”) document for each computing device that is to have its configuration monitored. The DCM document specifies configuration settings to be monitored along with rules that specify how to determine whether a configuration setting is correct. Each computing device may include a comparison engine that inputs the DCM document and applies the rules of the DCM document to determine which configuration settings of the computing device are not in compliance.
Claims20
A method for monitoring configuration information of computing devices, the method comprising:
- providing a desired configuration monitor document that specifies configuration settings and associated rules for determining whether a configuration setting is in compliance;
- and
- for each configuration setting specified in the desired configuration monitor document,
- determining whether the rule associated with the configuration setting indicates whether the configuration setting is in compliance;
- and
- when it is determined that the configuration setting is not in compliance, logging that the configuration setting is not in compliance;
- and
- reporting that the logged configuration settings are not in compliance.
A computer system for monitoring the configuration settings of computing devices, the method comprising:
- preparing a desired configuration monitor document that specifies configuration settings and associated rules for determining whether a configuration setting is in compliance;
- sending to the computing devices the desired configuration monitor document;
- receiving from the computing devices reports indicating configuration settings of the computing device that are not in compliance as specified by the rules of the desired configuration monitor document;
- and
- providing reports for analyzing the configuration settings that are not in compliance.
A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computing device to monitor configuration information, comprising:
- configuration settings and associated rules for determining whether a configuration setting is in compliance;
- a component that determines whether the rule associated with a configuration setting indicates whether the configuration setting is in compliance and that when the configuration setting is not in compliance, logs that the configuration setting is not in compliance;
- and
- a component that provides to a server the logged configuration settings that are not in compliance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.