# US 2021/0243097 A1 · Composite key performance indicators for network health monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243097 A1 - Document ID: US20210243097A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/237,243 - Filed: 2021-04-22 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-10 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Scott Zhenlong Huang; Reda Haddad; Venkatabalakrishnan Krishnamurthy; Selvakumaran N. Subramanian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243097A1 ## CPC - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - H04L 41/0654: using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) - H04L 41/0681: Configuration of triggering conditions - H04L 41/069: using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications - H04L 41/5009: Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF] - H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A remote server monitors the health of a network of computing devices through hierarchical composite indicators by obtaining performance attributes from computing devices in the network. The server generates a composite indicator associated with one or more of the computing device based on a combination of at least two performance attributes of the computing device(s). The server monitors the composite indicator and, responsive to a determination that the composite indicator indicates an alert condition, generates an alert associated with the computing device(s). Additionally, if the alert condition is subject to remediation, the server causes at least one of the computing devices to execute a command to provide remediation of the alert condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for monitoring a health of a network of computing devices, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of performance attributes from a computing device in the network of computing devices; generating a composite indicator associated with the computing device and defined by a combination of at least two performance attributes of the computing device; monitoring the composite indicator; responsive to a determination that the composite indicator indicates an alert condition, generating an alert associated with the computing device; determining if the alert condition is subject to remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to remediation, causing the computing device to execute at least one command to provide remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the composite indicator comprises generating the composite indicator based on a definition of the composite indicator, the definition comprising a Boolean combination of the at least two performance attributes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of performance attributes comprises a plurality of metrics associated with the network of computing devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of performance attributes comprises Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the alert condition indicates a metric has exceeded a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the alert condition is subject to remediation comprises: determining if the alert condition is subject to automatic remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to automatic remediation, causing the computing device to execute the at least one command to provide automatic remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating a plurality of composite indicators associated with the computing device; and monitoring the plurality of composite indicators. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: a network interface configured to communicate with a network of computing devices; and a processor configured to: obtain via the network interface, a plurality of performance attributes from a computing device in the network of computing devices; generate a composite indicator associated with the computing device and defined by a combination of at least two performance attributes of the plurality of performance attributes; monitor the composite indicator; responsive to a determination that the composite indicator indicates an alert condition, generate an alert associated with the computing device; determine if the alert condition is subject to remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to remediation, cause the computing device to execute at least one command to provide remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to generate the composite indicator based on a definition of the composite indicator, the definition comprising a Boolean combination of the at least two performance attributes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of performance attributes comprises a plurality of metrics associated with the network of computing devices. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of performance attributes comprises Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the alert condition indicates a metric has exceeded a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 13 A method for monitoring a health of a network of computing devices, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of performance attributes from a plurality of computing devices in the network of computing devices; generating a composite indicator associated with at least two associated computing devices of the plurality of computing devices and defined by a combination of at least two performance attributes of the at least two associated computing devices; monitoring the composite indicator; responsive to a determination that the composite indicator indicates an alert condition, generating an alert associated with the at least two associated computing devices; determining if the alert condition is subject to remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to remediation, causing at least one of the at least two associated computing devices to execute at least one command to provide remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein generating the composite indicator comprises generating the composite indicator based on a definition of the composite indicator, the definition comprising a Boolean combination of the at least two performance attributes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of performance attributes comprises a plurality of metrics associated with the network of computing devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of performance attributes comprises Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the alert condition indicates that a metric has exceeded a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein determining if the alert condition is subject to remediation comprises: determining if the alert condition is subject to automatic remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to automatic remediation, causing at least one of the at least two associated computing devices to execute the at least one command to provide automatic remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: a network interface configured to communicate with a network of computing devices; and a processor configured to: obtain via the network interface, a plurality of performance attributes from a plurality of computing devices in the network of computing devices; generate a composite indicator associated with at least two associated computing devices of the plurality of computing devices and defined by a combination of at least two performance attributes of the at least two associated computing devices; monitor the composite indicator; responsive to a determination that the composite indicator indicates an alert condition, generate an alert associated with the at least two associated computing devices; determine if the alert condition is subject to remediation; and responsive to a determination that the alert condition is subject to remediation, cause at least one of the at least two associated computing devices to execute at least one command to provide remediation of the alert condition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to generate the composite indicator based on a definition of the composite indicator, the definition comprising a Boolean combination of the at least two performance attributes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of performance attributes comprises a plurality of metrics associated with the network of computing devices. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein one of the plurality of performance attributes comprises Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the alert condition indicates that a metric has exceeded a predetermined threshold.