Method for monitoring network distributed computing resources using distributed cellular agents

A method of resource monitoring in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of machines, comprising the steps of:

• deploying instances of a runtime engine across a subset of the machines to create a distributed runtime environment in the distributed computer network;
• associating a set of one or more agents with the subset of the machines, each agent associated with a respective one of the set of given computing resources and having a set of one or more attributes whose values collectively define a state of the agent;
• and
• upon change of a given attribute of a given agent that effects a change in agent state, propagating the attribute change across each agent directly or indirectly impacted by the agent state change.

A method of automated distributed monitoring in a large distributed computing environment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) associating a given computing resource in the distributed computing environment with a monitoring cell, wherein each monitoring cell has a set of one or more attributes whose values collectively define a state of that cell;
• (b) organizing the set of monitoring cells into a hierarchy having at least a first level and a second level, wherein at least one cell in the first level has attributes that depend on attributes in one or more cells in the second level;
• and
• (c) upon a change of state of a given cell in the second level, automatically propagating new attribute values to at least one cell in the first level.

A system for use in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising:

• a plurality of software agents for implementing a resource monitoring task, each software agent deployed at a given computing resource and having a set of one or more attributes whose values collectively define a state of that software agent;
• a plurality of instances of a runtime environment installed at given managed computers, wherein the runtime environment includes a runtime engine for executing a software agent to effect the resource monitoring task;
• and
• means associated with a given software agent and responsive to a change of state of that software agent for automatically propagating new attribute values to at least one other software agent.

A computer connected within a distributed computing environment having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising:

• a processor;
• an operating system;
• instruction means executed by the operating system for implementing a resource monitoring task as a function of a set of one or more attributes whose values collectively define a state;
• and
• control means responsive to a change of the state for automatically propagating new attribute values to at least one other computer within the distributed computing environment implementing the resource monitoring task.