# US 9,521,052 B1 · Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for utilizing application programming interfaces for accessing key performance indicator information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,052 B1 - Document ID: US9521052B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/137,398 - Filed: 2013-12-20 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-20 - Assignees: VCE Company, LLC - Applicants: VCE Company, LLC - Inventors: Rajesh Nandyalam; Bayi Peng; Xiaohong Fu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521052B1 ## CPC - H04L 43/08: Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters - G06F 11/3003: {Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored} - H04L 41/5009: Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF] - H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for implementing an attribute into a network system are disclosed. According to one method, the method includes collecting raw data from a network node and defining a performance indicator definition associated with the collected raw data. The method can also include integrating the performance indicator definition into an attribute monitoring entity, and injecting the entity into a repository during system runtime. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by one or more computers, a metadata file specifying a performance indicator definition for a network system, wherein the metadata file specifies a type of raw data to collect, one or more network node addresses, and at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data, and wherein the performance indicator definition additionally specifies a new performance indicator previously undefined in a database system implementing a database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators, and wherein the metadata file comprises multiple markup language dimension definition labels for identifying the type of raw data to collect, the one or more network node addresses, and the at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data; collecting, by the one or more computers, raw data from a network node in accordance with the type of raw data and the one or more network node addresses specified in the performance indicator definition, wherein the network node comprises a physical computing platform including one or more processors and memory, and wherein the raw data comprises system attribute data for the physical computing platform; processing, by the one or more computers, the raw data into processed data in accordance with the at least one data processing operation specified in the performance indicator definition; and storing, by the one or more computers and in response to receiving the metadata file, the processed data in the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators without changing a schema of the database for performance indicators, including storing at least a portion of the processed data in a generic portion of the database; wherein storing the processed data in the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators comprises storing the processed data while the database system continues storing other performance data and without shutting down the database to accommodate the new performance indicator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein collecting raw data from a network node comprises collecting the system attribute data from at least one converged infrastructure system via a model collector module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein collecting raw data further comprises: defining a data source based on a user request; integrating the data source definition into a key performance indicator (KPI) definition; and collecting data from the data source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein defining a performance indicator definition comprises defining a key performance indicator (KPI) definition associated with the collected raw data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein defining a key performance indicator (KPI) definition comprises incorporating a mathematical formula into the KPI definition configured to process the collected raw data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 comprising injecting a metadata entity into the database system, wherein the metadata entity includes at least one key performance indicator (KPI) definition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: designating the processed data with a numerical identifier; and storing the processed data in the database using at least one generic column. ### Claim 8 A system for dynamically monitoring a system attribute, the system comprising: a processor; and a data management module executing on the processor, wherein the data management module is configured to perform operations comprising: receiving a metadata file specifying a performance indicator definition for a network system, wherein the metadata file specifies a type of raw data to collect, one or more network node addresses, and at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data, and wherein the performance indicator definition additionally specifies a new performance indicator previously undefined in a database system implementing a database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators, and wherein the metadata file comprises multiple markup language dimension definition labels for identifying the type of raw data to collect, the one or more network node addresses, and the at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data; collecting raw data from a network node in accordance with the type of raw data and the one or more network node addresses specified in the performance indicator definition, wherein the network node comprises a physical computing platform including one or more processors and memory, and wherein the raw data comprises system attribute data for the physical computing platform; processing the raw data into processed data in accordance with the at least one data processing operation specified in the performance indicator definition; and storing, in response to receiving the metadata file, the processed data in the database without changing a schema of the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators for performance indicators, including storing at least a portion of the processed data in a generic portion of the database; wherein storing the processed data in the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators comprises storing the processed data while the database system continues storing other performance data and without shutting down the database to accommodate the new performance indicator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the data management module is further configured to define a data source based on a user request, integrate the data source definition into a key performance indicator (KPI) definition, and collect data from the data source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the data management module comprises a key performance indicator (KPI) collector module configured to process the received raw data according to the performance indicator definition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the performance indicator definition is a key performance indicator (KPI) definition configured to monitor system performance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the key performance indicator (KPI) definition comprises a mathematical formula designed to process the received raw data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise designating the processed data with a numerical identifier, and storing the processed data in the database using at least one generic column configured to store the numerical identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the attribute monitoring entity comprises a metadata entity configured to include at least one performance indicator definition. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising: receiving a metadata file specifying a performance indicator definition for a network system, wherein the metadata file specifies a type of raw data to collect, one or more network node addresses, and at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data, and wherein the performance indicator definition additionally specifies a new performance indicator previously undefined in a database system implementing a database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators, and wherein the metadata file comprises multiple markup language dimension definition labels for identifying the type of raw data to collect, the one or more network node addresses, and the at least one data processing operation to apply to collected raw data; collecting raw data from a network node in accordance with the type of raw data and the one or more network node addresses specified in the performance indicator definition, wherein the network node comprises a physical computing platform including one or more processors and memory, and wherein the raw data comprises system attribute data for the physical computing platform; processing the raw data into processed data in accordance with the at least one data processing operation specified in the performance indicator definition; and storing, in response to receiving the metadata file, the processed data in the database without changing a schema of the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators for performance indicators, including storing at least a portion of the processed data in a generic portion of the database; wherein storing the processed data in the database storing performance data for a plurality of different types of performance indicators comprises storing the processed data while the database system continues storing other performance data and without shutting down the database to accommodate the new performance indicator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein collecting raw data further comprises: defining a data source based on a user request; integrating the data source definition into a key performance indicator (KPI) definition; and collecting data from the data source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein defining a performance indicator definition comprises defining a key performance indicator definition associated with the collected raw data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein defining a key performance indicator definition comprises incorporating a mathematical formula into the KPI definition configured to process the collected raw data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 comprising injecting a metadata entity into the database system, wherein the metadata entity includes at least one key performance indicator (KPI) definition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the steps further comprise: designating the processed data with a numerical identifier; and storing the processed data in the database using at least one generic column.