US 2007/0168915 A1 · Methods and systems to detect business disruptions, determine potential causes of those business disruptions, or both

Abstract

Multivariate analysis can be performed to determine whether a computing environment is encountering a business disruption (e.g., relatively long end-user response times) or other problem. Cluster analysis (comparing more recent data with a particular cluster of good operating data), predictive modeling, or other suitable multivariate analysis can be used. A probable cause analysis may be performed in conjunction with the multivariate analysis. A probable cause analysis may be used when one or more abnormal instruments, abnormal components, abnormal load patterns, suspicious actions (such as resource provisioning or deprovisioning activities), software or hardware updates or failures, recent changes to the computing environment (component provisioning, change of a control, etc.), or any combination thereof. The probable cause analysis can include ranking potential causes based on likelihood, and such ranking can include statistical analysis, policy violations, recent changes to the computing environment, or any combination thereof.

Claims53

Dependent claims

A method of determining whether a business disruption associated with a computing environment has occurred, the method comprising:

accessing an actual end-user response time, demand of the computing environment, and capacity of the computing environment;
and
determining whether the first end-user response time exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a function of the demand and capacity.

A method of operating a computing environment including a plurality of instruments comprising:

accessing first operating data associated with the computing environment, wherein:
the first operating data include first sets of readings from a first set of instruments associated with the computing environment;
and
the plurality of instruments includes the first set of instruments;
separating the first operating data into different sets of clustered operating data, including a first set of clustered operating data;
accessing second operating data associated with the computing environment,
wherein the second operating data include a second set of readings from the first set of instruments;
and
determining that the second operating data is closer to the first set of clustered operating data as compared to any other different set of clustered operating data.

6 more elements

A data processing system readable medium having code embodied within the data processing system readable medium, the code comprising:

an instruction to access an actual end-user response time, demand of the computing environment, and capacity of the computing environment;
and
an instruction to determine whether the first end-user response time exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a function of the demand and capacity.

A data processing system readable medium having code embodied within the data processing system readable medium, the code comprising:

an instruction to access first operating data associated with the computing environment, wherein:
the first operating data include first sets of readings from instruments associated with the computing environment;
and
the plurality of instruments includes the first set of instruments;
an instruction to separate the first operating data into different sets of clustered operating data, including a first set of clustered operating data;
an instruction to access second operating data associated with the computing environment, wherein the second operating data include a second set of readings from the first set of instruments;
and
an instruction to determine that second operating data is closer to the first set of clustered operating data as compared to any different set of clustered operating data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems to detect business disruptions, determine potential causes of those business disruptions, or both

Life of this patent

Methods and systems to detect business disruptions, determine potential causes of those business disruptions, or both

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims53