Zenprise, Inc.

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Waheed Qureshi

Kelly Brian Roach

Tanvir Hassan

A method of encoding knowledge is disclosed, which can be used to automatically detect problems in software application deployments. The method includes accessing a source of knowledge describing a problem known to occur in deployments of a particular software application, and which identifies a plurality of conditions associated with the problem. An encoded representation of the knowledge source is generated according to a predefined knowledge encoding methodology. The encoded representation is adapted to be applied automatically by a computer to analyze data representing a current state of a monitored deployment of the software application to detect whether the conditions and the problem exist therein. In various implementations, the encoded representation of the knowledge can include queries for deployment information, information concerning the relative importance of the conditions to a detection of the problem, and/or logical constructs for computing a confidence value in the existence of the problem and for determining whether to report the problem if some of the conditions are not true. The knowledge source can comprise a text document (such as a knowledge base article), a flowchart of a diagnostic troubleshooting method, and the like. Also disclosed are methods of at least partially automating the encoding process.

Systems and methods for encoding knowledge for automated management of software application deployments

A rule stored in a tangible computer-readable memory is adapted to be programmatically applied by a computer to automatically detect occurrences of a particular problem in a deployment of a software application. The rule comprises a plurality of atomic gates and a plurality of operator gates. The atomic gates have predicates for detecting occurrences of a plurality of conditions in the software application deployment. The operator gates are configured to detect predefined logical combinations of outputs of the atomic gates to generate a rule output that indicates whether the problem is currently detected in the deployment. The rule contains a plurality of free logical variables which can be assigned values. The free logical variables are configured for use in input pattern matching and output binding substitutions to supply information to a remedy for the problem. Each substitution comprises an assignment of a value to a variable.

Encoded software management rules having free logical variables for input pattern matching and output binding substitutions to supply information to remedies for problems detected using the rules

A system for managing a deployment of a software application is disclosed. The system includes a telemetry component that collects data values of state metrics associated with the deployment, an application model that represents the deployment, a repository of encoded knowledge describing known problems associated with the software application, and an analysis subsystem that programmatically maps logical combinations of features associated with the deployment to known problems. The application model includes a representation of physical and logical objects in a domain of the deployment, and configuration data about the objects. The analysis subsystem is adapted to query the application model for information about the deployment. The application model can implement a discovery process to construct itself by using an abstract model of a generalized deployment of the software application, the discovery process including obtaining information from the managed deployment.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

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