Computer system manager for monitoring events and operating parameters and generating alerts

For a computer network having at least one computer system operable therein, said computer system having a plurality of components interconnected by a system bus for transferring information between said components, a manager for said computer system, comprising:

• means for monitoring information transfers along said system bus;
• a processor connected to said monitoring means;
• means for providing information related to at least one external operating condition to said processor;
• said processor determining alert conditions comparing said monitored information transfers and said provided information to corresponding threshold values and generating a first alert upon determining that a monitored information transfer exceeds said threshold value for said monitored information transfer and generating a second alert upon determining that said provided information exceeds said threshold value for said provided information;
• a console for receiving alerts from said processor;
• and
• means for transferring said alerts generated by said processor to said console.

A system manager for a computer system having a plurality of system components and a system bus for transferring information between said components, comprising:

• an object space, said object space having a plurality of objects stored therein;
• means for passively monitoring signals being transferred along said system bus;
• a voltage/temperature monitor for monitoring temperature of and power supplied to said system manager;
• and
• a processor coupled to said passive monitoring means and said object space, said processor comprising:
• an object manager for receiving, from said passive monitoring means, said passively monitored signals;
• and
• an alert manager coupled to said object manager, for composing alert messages;
• said voltage/temperature monitor coupled to said object manager and said control manager, said voltage/temperature monitor transferring said monitored voltage and temperature information to said object manager for performing updates to voltage and temperature objects and notifying said control manager if power is interrupted for generation of an alert;
• said object manager updating one of said objects within said object space using said received passively monitored signals, comparing said updated object to a threshold value and issuing an alert request to said alert manager if said updated object exceeds said threshold value:
• and
• a control manager coupled to said alert manager, said control manager transmitting alert messages composed by said alert manager to a first receiving unit coupled with said system manager.

A computer network comprising:

• a file server having a computer system board with a system bus installed therein;
• at least one computer station having a console;
• a network connecting said at least one computer station to said file server;
• a network operating system for controlling information transfers between said file server and said at least one computer station via said network;
• means for supplying power to said computer system board;
• means for monitoring a voltage level for power supplied to said computer system board;
• means for determining operating temperature for said computer system board;
• a system manager for managing said computer system board, said system manager comprising:
• a monitoring device connected to said system bus, said monitoring device receiving a plurality of signals transferred along said system bus;
• a control processor connected to said monitoring device;
• a memory connected to said control processor, said memory having a first plurality of objects, a second plurality of objects, a voltage level object and a temperature level object stored therein;
• each of said plurality of signals received by said monitoring device corresponding to one of said plurality of first objects stored in said memory;
• an interface connecting said network operating system and said control processor, said network interface receiving a plurality of signals from said network operating system, each of said signals received by said network operating system corresponding to one of said plurality of second objects stored in said memory;
• means for transferring said plurality of signals received by said monitoring device, said plurality of signals received by said network interface, said level of voltage supplied to said computer system board and said operating temperature of said computer system board to said control processor;
• said control processor further comprising:
• means for updating said first and second plurality of objects stored in said memory using said corresponding ones of said plurality of signals received from said monitoring means and said network interface, respectively;
• means for updating said voltage level object stored in said memory with said supplied voltage level;
• means for updating said temperature level object stored in memory with said supplied temperature;
• means for determining an alert condition when one of said updated voltage level, temperature level, first plurality and second plurality of objects exceeds a corresponding threshold value;
• and
• means for generating an alert upon determination of said alert condition.