System for monitoring and managing computer resources and applications across a distributed computing environment using an intelligent autonomous agent architecture

A method for monitoring and managing computer system resources and applications utilizing at least one agent system, said agent system comprising a random access memory and a non-volatile data storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) storing, in the non-volatile data storage device, a plurality of data sets corresponding to information for monitoring and managing a plurality of computer resources and applications;
• b) storing, in the non-volatile data storage device, information indicating which computer resources or applications are to be monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• c) reading said information indicating which of said computer resources or applications are to be monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• d) responsive to information read in step (c), loading, into the random access memory, a first data set corresponding to a first computer resource or application to be monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• e) gathering information about said first computer resource or application responsive to information contained in said first data set;
• f) determining, responsive to a stored threshold and to information gathered in step (e), whether an event has occurred and, if so, what type of event;
• and
• g) storing, in the random access memory, information gathered in step (e) or information corresponding to events detected in step (f).

A method for monitoring and managing computer system resources and applications utilizing at least one agent system, at least one intermediate agent system, and at least one console system, where the at least one agent system, intermediate agent system and console system each comprise a random access memory and a non-volatile data storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) registering the at least one intermediate agent system with the at least one agent system, said registration specifying resources and applications for the at least one agent system to monitor or manage;
• (b) registering the at least one console system with the at least one intermediate agent system, said registration specifying resources and applications for the at least one intermediate agent system to monitor or manage;
• (c) gathering, by the at least one agent system, information about said resources and applications monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• (d) determining by the at least one agent system, responsive to registration information received from the at least one intermediate agent system, whether the at least one intermediate agent system should receive information about said resources and applications monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• (e) responsive to the outcome of step (d), transmitting a plurality of messages from the at least one agent system to the at least one intermediate agent system, said plurality of messages containing information about said resources and applications monitored or managed by the at least one agent system;
• (f) determining by the at least one intermediate agent system, responsive to registration information received from the at least one console system, whether the at least one console system should receive information about said resources and applications monitored or managed by the at least one intermediate agent system;
• (g) responsive to the outcome of step (f), transmitting a plurality of messages from the at least one intermediate agent system to the at least one console system, said plurality of messages containing information about said resources and applications monitored or managed by the at least one intermediate agent system.