Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Company

James R Greuel

Darren D Smith

Stephen Craig Booth

Robert Dwight Schettler

Toni Atkinson

John C Adams

Steven J Constant

Paul H Price

John T Ward

The invention facilitates improved configuration of computer network data collection. In one respect, the invention is a method for determining a network data collection configuration for an entity utilizing a computer network. The method determines which nodes in the network are associated with the entity, reads a view definition associated with the entity and determines which network variables are components of the health score, selects from the nodes associated with the entity those nodes that are components of the view, and produces a configuration file that specifies the network variables for each corresponding selected node. The data collection preferably utilizes the SNMP protocol. The determining step preferably queries a database that stores entity-node associations. The view definition is preferably an XML file and refers to all nodes of a particular device type, so that the selecting step can filter network nodes by device type. In a preferred form, the network is the Internet, the method is performed by an Internet service provider, and the entity is a customer of the Internet service provider. Optionally, the method reads and utilizes a template for the configuration file. In another respect, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first database that stores entity-node associations, a view definition associated with an entity, a second database that stores node device type information, and a network data collection configuration generation tool, connected to the above. The network data collection configuration generation tool generates a network data collection configuration file customized to the view definition.

Method and apparatus for configurable data collection on a computer network

Apparatus and methods facilitate customizable and extensible performance monitoring of a computer network. One method accepts a composite score definition in terms of N system variables, wherein N&#x2267;2; determines N raw data values, each raw data value corresponding to one of the N system variables; computes the composite score in accordance with the definition using the N raw data values as inputs; and outputs the composite score. The composite score definition is preferably in the form of a markup language, such as XML. The composite score definition preferably comprises, for each of the N system variables, a mapping and a weight. Preferably the composite score is displayed in at least one graphic form, such as a dial gauge, a bar indicator or a number, on a hypertext page. The hypertext page preferably contains one or more links to hypertext pages containing information regarding the scores and/or raw data values from which the composite score is derived. Another method accepts a mapping by which a raw data value associated with a corresponding system variable is mapped to a score, determines a raw data value corresponding to the system variable, converts the raw data value to a score in accordance with the mapping; and produces an output based on the score. One apparatus comprises a composite score definition, a data collector, a calculation logic and an output. The data collector collects a raw data value corresponding to one of the N system variables. The calculation logic is connected to the data collector and calculates the composite score in accordance with the definition using the N raw data values as inputs. The composite score is conveyed by way of the output. Preferably, the data collector comprises a database in which at least some of the raw data values are stored and a communication module by which at least some of the raw data values are transported, preferably according to the SNMP and/or the ICMP protocols. Another apparatus comprises a mapping, a data collector, a converter and an output. A raw data value associated with a corresponding system variable is mapped to a score, according to the mapping.

Method and apparatus for customizably calculating and displaying health of a computer network

A system and method synchronizes multiple data stores and achieves data consistency in a non-transactional multiprocessing computer system. Processes are paused and later resumed according to their position in a dependency tree of the system. The data input sources of the system are in effect disabled and any data flow currently in progress in the system is flushed out the various data flow paths to the different data stores. When this process is complete, each of the multiple data stores is synchronized and the data is in a consistent state.

Achieving consistency and synchronization among multiple data stores that cooperate within a single system in the absence of transaction monitoring

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

James R Greuel