Apparatus and method for providing a diagnostic problem determination methodology for complex systems
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPamela Ann Batten, Douglas Marvin Benignus, Arthur James Tysor
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for performing a diagnostic problem determination methodology for complex systems is provided. With the apparatus and method, a diagnostic application for a system may automatically invoke additional diagnostics for child devices and/or siblings of the child devices based on status of the child devices after testing the parent device. This allows for complete testing of a subsystem in a single diagnostic execution resulting in a more complete, accurate analysis of subsystems with complex configurations such as seen with redundant arrays of independent disk drive (RAID) systems.
Claims31
A method of diagnosing a fault in a system, comprising:
- applying a first diagnostic procedure to a parent device of the system;
- determining if the parent device is faulty;
- and
- automatically applying a second diagnostic procedure to one or more child devices if the parent device is not faulty.
A computer program product in a computer readable medium for diagnosing a fault in a system, comprising:
- first instructions for applying a first diagnostic procedure to a parent device of the system;
- second instructions for determining if the parent device is faulty;
- and
- third instructions for automatically applying a second diagnostic procedure to one or more child devices if the parent device is not faulty.
An apparatus for diagnosing a fault in a system, comprising:
- first means for applying a first diagnostic procedure to a parent device of the system;
- second means for determining if the parent device is faulty;
- and
- third means for automatically applying a second diagnostic procedure to one or more child devices if the parent device is not faulty.
An apparatus of diagnosing a fault in a system, comprising:
- a diagnostic testing tool;
- and
- a communications interface coupled to the diagnostic tool, wherein the diagnostic testing tool applies a first diagnostic procedure to a parent device of the system via the communications interface, attempts to restore one or more child devices to an original state based on results of the first diagnostic procedure, and applies a second diagnostic procedure to a subset of the one or more child devices, via the communications interface, if the subset does not return to the original state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.