Identifying defunct nodes in data processing systems

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor in communication with the memory, the processor being configured to perform a method comprising:
• generating, by a computer system, a lineage graph for a data processing system, the lineage graph containing one or more nodes, the lineage graph identifying a flow of data through the data processing system;
• determining, for each node in the lineage graph, a node type, wherein the node type for a respective node is based on a function performed by the respective node, the node type indicating whether the respective node is an active node or a passive node and whether the respective node is a source node, a consumer node, or a transformer node;
• determining, for each node in the lineage graph, a condition score, wherein the condition score for a particular node indicates a likelihood that the particular node is defunct, and wherein the condition score for the particular node is based, at least in part, on the node type for the particular node;
• identifying a first node in the lineage graph;
• determining that the first node is a defunct node;
• generating a report for the data processing system, the report including an explanation of why the first node is a defunct node;
• adding an indication that the first node is a defunct node into metadata of the first node, the indication that the first node is a defunct node including the explanation;
• providing the report to a user;
• and
• removing the first node from the data processing system.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• generating, by a computer system, a lineage graph for a data processing system, the lineage graph containing two or more nodes, the lineage graph identifying a flow of data through the data processing system;
• determining, for each node in the lineage graph, a node type, wherein the node type for a respective node is based on a function performed by the respective node, the node type indicating whether the respective node is an active node or a passive node and whether the respective node is a source node, a consumer node, or a transformer node;
• identifying a first node in the lineage graph, wherein the first node is an active node that processes protected health information about one or more individuals;
• determining, from metadata for the first node, a maximum amount of time that protected health information may be stored without being processed;
• determining an amount of time since the first node last processed the protected health information;
• comparing the amount of time to the maximum amount of time;
• determining, in response to the comparing, that the first node is a defunct node;
• identifying a second node in the lineage graph, the second node being an active transformer node that has a first input and a second input
• determining that the first input for the second node is defunct;
• determining that the second input for the second node is operational;
• determining, based on the first input being defunct and the second input being operational, that the second node is tainted;
• generating a report for the data processing system, the report including an indication that the first node is defunct, an explanation of why the first node is a defunct node, and an indication that the second node is tainted;
• adding an indication that the first node is a defunct node into metadata of the first node, the indication that the first node is a defunct node including the explanation;
• providing the report to a user;
• and
• removing the first node from the data processing system.