US 8,301,940 B2Granted

Method for monitoring data processing system availability

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsSalvatore D'Alo, Arcangelo Di Balsamo, Alessandro Donatelli

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method, system, and product for monitoring the availability of a data processing system are proposed. The system runs a management application involving the periodic transmission of blocks of data from multiple local computers to a central computer. Whenever a block of data must be transmitted by a generic local computer, an expected transmission delay of a next block of data (with respect to the current one) is estimated and attached to the block of data. The central computer receiving the updated block of data can calculate an expected receiving time of the next block of data accordingly. If the next block of data is not received in due time, the central computer determines a failure of the local computer. The central computer also scans a subset of ports of the local computer, to ascertain whether the problem is due to a temporary unavailability of the application.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for monitoring availability of a data processing system, including at least one local unit and a central unit, for running an application involving repeated transmissions of blocks of data from the at least one local unit to the central unit, wherein for each local unit the method includes the steps of:

providing a block of data to be transmitted to the central unit;
determining expected transmission delay of a next block of data with respect to the block of data;
updating the block of data by attaching an indication of the expected transmission delay;
transmitting the updated block of data to the central unit, the updated block of data providing the indication of the expected transmission delay such that not receiving the next block of data within an expected receiving time corresponding to the expected transmission delay causes a detection of a failure of the local unit;
receiving a refresh request to the local unit in response to an approaching of the expected receiving time;
determining an indication of a new expected transmission delay of the next block of data in response to the refresh request;
and
transmitting the indication of the new expected transmission delay from the local unit to the central unit, the new expected transmission delay providing a basis for an update for the expected receiving time.

5 more elements

A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for monitoring availability of a data processing system, including at least one local unit and a central unit, for running an application involving repeated transmissions of blocks of data from the at least one local unit to the central unit, wherein for each local unit the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for providing a block of data to be transmitted to the central unit;
computer usable code for determining expected transmission delay of a next block of data with respect to the block of data;
computer usable code for updating the block of data by attaching the indication of the expected transmission delay;
computer usable code for transmitting the updated block of data to the central unit;
computer usable code for extracting the indication of the expected transmission delay from the updated block of data;
computer usable code for detecting a failure of the local unit if the next block of data is not received within an expected receiving time corresponding to the expected transmission delay;
computer usable code for sending a refresh request to the local unit in response to an approaching of the expected receiving time;
computer usable code for the local unit determining an indication of a new expected transmission delay of the next block of data in response to the refresh request;
computer usable code for transmitting the indication of the new expected transmission delay from the local unit to the central unit;
and
computer usable code for updating the expected receiving time according to the new expected transmission delay.

8 more elements

A data processing system for monitoring availability of a data processing system, including at least one local unit and a central unit, for running an application involving repeated transmissions of blocks of data from the at least one local unit to the central unit, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code;
and
a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein for each local unit the computer usable program code comprises:
computer usable code for providing a block of data to be transmitted to the central unit;
computer usable code for determining expected transmission delay of a next block of data with respect to the block of data;
computer usable code for updating the block of data by attaching the indication of the expected transmission delay;
computer usable code for transmitting the updated block of data to the central unit;
computer usable code for extracting the indication of the expected transmission delay from the updated block of data;
computer usable code for detecting a failure of the local unit if the next block of data is not received within an expected receiving time corresponding to the expected transmission delay;
computer usable code for sending a refresh request to the local unit in response to an approaching of the expected receiving time;
computer usable code for the local unit determining an indication of a new expected transmission delay of the next block of data in response to the refresh request;
computer usable code for transmitting the indication of the new expected transmission delay from the local unit to the central unit;
and
computer usable code for updating the expected receiving time according to the new expected transmission delay.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/328,521Filed 4 Dec 2008 · continuation
Priority: EP 0410483010 Jan 2004
Published: US 2009/0204854 A113 Aug 2009
Granted: 30 Oct 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G06F 11/0757
By exceeding limits: by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application11/230,339Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Sep 2005
US 7,536,632 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 May 2009
US 2009/0204854 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Aug 2009
US 2006/0010357 A1Published application
US 8,301,940 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.