# US 2017/0255349 A1 · Systems and Methods For Monitoring And Analyzing Performance In A Computer System With Node Pinning For Concurrent Comparison Of Nodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0255349 A1 - Document ID: US20170255349A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/582,191 - Filed: 2017-04-28 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2013-04-30 - Assignees: Splunk Inc. - Applicants: Splunk Inc. - Inventors: TRISTAN FLETCHER; CARY GLEN NOEL; ALOK BHIDE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255349A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 9/45533: {Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors} - G06F 11/323: {Visualisation of programs or trace data} - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H10N 30/01: Manufacture or treatment - G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment} - G06F 2201/815: Virtual - G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract In some embodiments, in response to the user selecting a first node in the tree to be pinned, the system displays a first detail panel for the first node, wherein the first detail panel displays state information for the first node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning. Moreover, in response to the user selecting a second node in the tree to be pinned, the system displays a second detail panel for the second node, wherein the second detail panel displays state information for the second node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning. Note that the first detail panel is displayed concurrently with the second detail panel to facilitate comparing state information between the first and second nodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for displaying performance data for a computing environment, the method comprising: displaying the computing environment as a tree including nodes representing a plurality of entities that comprise the computing environment and edges representing parent-child relationships between the plurality of entities, wherein the displayed tree indicates associated values of a first performance metric for nodes in the tree; in response to the user selecting a first, node in the tree to be pinned, displaying a first detail panel for the first node, wherein the first detail panel displays state information for the first node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; and in response to the user selecting a second node in the tree to be pinned, displaying a second detail panel for the second node, wherein the second detail panel displays state information for the second node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; wherein the first detail panel is displayed concurrently with the second detail panel to facilitate comparing state information between the first and second nodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: configuration information for the first node; and a graph displaying values of the first performance metric for the first node over a time interval. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the first node is a parent node in the tree, the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: aggregated configuration information for one or more descendants of the first node; and one or more graphs displaying values of the first performance metric for the one or more descendants of the first node. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the first node is a parent node in the tree, the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: aggregated configuration information for one or more leaf nodes that are descendants of the first node; and one or more graphs displaying values of the first performance metric for the one or more leaf nodes that are descendants of the first node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the first node and the second node are the same node, and if the user selects a second performance metric prior to selecting the second node to be pinned, displaying the first detail panel involves displaying state information, for the first performance metric; displaying the second detail panel involves displaying state information for the second performance metric; and wherein the concurrent display of the first and second detail panels enables the user to view state for the first and second performance metrics for the same node at the same time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein prior to displaying the tree, the method further comprises; receiving, from a user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and obtaining the values for the first performance metric for the plurality of entities from the performance data for the computing environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein an entity can include: a virtual machine; a host system that executes one or more virtual machines; a cluster comprising one or more host systems; and a virtual center comprising one or more clusters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first performance metric relates to one or more of: central-processing unit (CPU) utilization; memory utilization; disk utilization; network utilization; and power consumption. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the performance metric is measured over a specific time interval. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for displaying performance data for a computing environment, the method comprising: displaying the computing environment as a tree including nodes representing a plurality of entities that comprise the computing environment and edges representing parent-child relationships between the plurality of entities, wherein the displayed tree indicates associated values of a first performance metric for nodes in the tree; in response to the user selecting a first node in the tree to be pinned, displaying a first detail panel for the first node, wherein the first detail panel displays state information for the first node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; and in response to the user selecting a second node in the tree to be pinned, displaying a second detail panel for the second node, wherein the second detail panel displays state information for the second node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; wherein the first detail panel is displayed concurrently with the second detail panel to facilitate comparing state information between the first and second nodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: configuration information for the first node; and a graph displaying values of the first performance metric for the first node over a time interval. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein if the first node is a parent node in the tree, the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: aggregated configuration information for one or more descendants of the first node; and one or more graphs displaying values of the first performance metric for the one or more descendants of the first node. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein if the first node and the second node are the same node, and if the user selects a second performance metric prior to selecting the second node to be pinned, displaying the first detail panel involves displaying state information for the first performance metric; displaying the second detail panel involves displaying state information for the second performance metric; and wherein the concurrent display of the first and second detail panels enables the user to view state for the first and second performance metrics for the same node at the same time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein prior to displaying the tree, the method further comprises: receiving, from a user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and obtaining the values for the first performance metric for the plurality of entities from the performance data for the computing environment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein an entity can include: a virtual machine; a host system that executes one or more virtual machines; a cluster comprising one or more host systems; and a virtual center comprising one or more clusters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first performance metric relates to one or more of: central-processing unit (CPU) utilization; memory utilization; disk utilization; network utilization; and power consumption. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the performance metric is measured over a specific time interval. ### Claim 18 A system that displays performance data for a computing environment, the method comprising; a computing cluster comprising a plurality of processors and associated memories; and a performance-monitoring mechanism that executes on the computing cluster and is configured to, display the computing environment as a tree including nodes representing a plurality of entities that comprise the computing environment and edges representing parent-child relationships between the plurality of entities, wherein the displayed tree indicates associated values of a first performance metric for nodes in the tree; in response to the user selecting a first node in the tree to be pinned, display a first detail panel for the first node, wherein the first detail panel displays state information for the first node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; and in response to the user selecting a second node in the tree to be pinned, display a second detail panel for the second node, wherein the second detail panel displays state information for the second node, wherein the state information is frozen at the time of pinning; wherein the first detail panel is displayed concurrently with the second detail panel to facilitate comparing state information between the first and second nodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: configuration information for the first node; and a graph displaying values of the first performance metric for the first node over a time interval. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein if the first node is a parent node in the tree, the state information for the first node displayed in the first detail panel includes: aggregated configuration information for one or more descendants of the first node; and one or more graphs displaying values of the first performance metric for the one or more descendants of the first node. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein if the first node and the second node are the same node, and if the user selects a second performance metric prior selecting the second node to be pinned, while displaying the first detail panel, the performance-monitoring mechanism is configured to display state information for the first performance metric; while displaying the second detail panel, the performance-monitoring mechanism is configured to display state information for the second performance metric; and wherein the concurrent display of the first and second detail panels enables the user to view state for the first and second performance metrics for the same node at the same time. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein prior to displaying the tree, the performance-monitoring mechanism is configured to: receive, from a user, a selection of the first performance metric from a set of monitored performance metrics; and obtain the values for the first performance metric for the plurality of entities from the performance data for the computing environment.