Identifying software responsible for a change in system stability

Abstract

A computer-implemented method detects a stability change in a first computer system, and compares a first set of software applications installed on the first computer system to each set of software applications installed on a plurality of other computer systems. The method then identifies a second computer system from among the plurality of other computer systems, wherein the set of software applications installed on the second computer system includes all of the first set of software applications except for a given software application. The given software application is then identified as the cause of the stability change in the first computer system. The computer systems are preferably virtual machines being managed by a management module, such as a provisioning manager. The method may be used to detect both increases in stability and instability.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.