Red Hat, Inc.

Seth Kelby Vidal

Adrian Karstan Likins

James Antill

Michael Paul Dehaan

Michael P DeHaan

Samuel H Kottler

Embodiments relate to generating predictive diagnostics via a package update manager. A processing device can identify a set of package updates available to update a set of installed software packages on a client machine. Using a diagnostic database and an event log, the processing device identifies a potential fault condition related to the set of package updates. The event log can include a state of the client machine. The processing device can generate a repair action in view of the potential fault condition and generate a modified set of package updates in view of the repair action. The processing device can send the modified set of package updates to the client machine.

Generating predictive diagnostics via package update manager

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating and storing translation information as package metadata. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and language resources available for the installed set. The package manager can host or access a set of package attributes which include language specifications which indicates a language that should be used for search, display, and/or other activities. The language specifications be used to link to remote a remote repository storing various language metadata, including translations of source text. The resulting translated descriptions of source text from applications or other objects can be received and locally stored as translation information on the client machine. Translations can be periodically generated and/or updated.

Generating and storing translation information as package metadata

Embodiments relate systems and methods for detecting network conditions based on derivatives of event trending. In embodiments, a network management server can monitor the status and operation of network machines, such as servers or targets, as well as network transmission hardware (e.g. routers). Streams of network operation data from those sources can be captured and stored. The management server or other logic can examine the network operation data to identify trend lines for network conditions, such as application faults, attempted intrusions, or other events or conditions. trend line data can be treated to generate second or other higher-order derivatives, such as third-order derivatives representing the rate of change of acceleration (or jerk) in the time series of one or more conditions. The presence of acceleration or jerk for one or more trend lines, such as attempted network intrusions, can reflect an event and trigger a flag or other automated response.

Detecting network conditions based on derivatives of event trending

Embodiments relate systems and methods for detecting network conditions based on a correlation between trend lines. In embodiments, a network management server can monitor the status and operation of network machines, such as servers or targets, as well as network transmission hardware (e.g. routers). Streams of network operation data from those sources can be captured and stored. The management server or other logic can examine the network operation data to identify trend lines for network conditions, such as application faults, attempted intrusions, or other events or conditions. Trend line data can be treated to generate second or other higher-order derivatives, such as third-order derivatives or others. A time correlation between two or more trend lines and/or their higher order derivatives, for instance, the occurrence of a peak value in the same time window, can be used to identify an event, state or condition.

Detecting network conditions based on correlation between trend lines

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a reverse installation file for network restoration. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management engine communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management engine can scan the managed network for kickstart, or provisioning answer files, that were used to install software to network nodes at a prior time. The network management engine can access the original kickstart file, and update that file to reflect a current state of the associated machine by inserting user-supplied updates, storage configuration updates, security credentials, and/or other data. Upon a crash or other malfunction of the associated machine, the network management platform can access the reverse kickstart file and generate a restoration of that node to a current state from the reverse kickstart data.

Generating reverse installation file for network restoration

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating exportable encoded identifications of networked machines based on installed package profiles. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of the entire package complement and/or selected subsets of those packages. In aspects, the encoded identification can be based on a set of attributes of the installed packages and/or their constituent files, such as file names, version numbers, size, and/or other attributes. The encoded identification for the client machine can be transmitted to one or more remote management platforms, such as package servers, network management servers, or others for remote operations on the client machine.

Exportable encoded identifications of networked machines

An administrator system can utilize a history generated by a tagging tool to determine the current configuration of computing systems. The administrator system can utilize the current configuration to verify that the computing systems have been configured properly and verify, over time, that the computing systems maintain the desired configuration. The administrator system can compare the current configuration with the desired configuration for the computing systems.

Utilizing history of changes associated with software packages to manage computing systems

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for detecting computing processes requiring reinitialization after a software package update. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. An restart tool can track the set of executing processes on the client, and identify both corresponding executable files which spawned those processes, and any installed package updates which correspond to those executable files. The restart tool can compare the timestamp or other indicator of the version of the executable file which spawned currently running processes, and the timestamp or other indicator of any newer executable files which may have been installed after the application or other process was initiated. A user can be alerted to terminate and restart any processes running off of out-of-date executable files, or in embodiments those reinitializations can be set to be performed automatically.

Detecting computing processes requiring reinitialization after a software package update

Systems and methods for integrated configuration management and monitoring. An example method may comprise assigning a plurality of parameter values to a plurality of configuration parameters of a computer system; monitoring a plurality of state parameters of the computer system; detecting a current state transition of the computer system, the current state transition involving a variation of a value of a state parameter such that a new value of the state parameter falls outside of a defined range; and identifying a root cause candidate configuration parameter having a value modified within a time period between the current state transition and the previous state transition of the computer system.

Integrated configuration management and monitoring for computer systems

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for depopulation of user data from a network. A network management platform can communicate with a set of managed machines in a network, and generally manage user accounts including user IDs, associated network processes, services, application files, data files, and/or other user data. In embodiments, a user may have a change in status, such as departing from the organization operating the network, changing their name or user name, or other updates. In such cases, a systems administrator may need to update or delete files, processes, services, and/or other user data associated with the user from the network. The network management platform can interrogate the network for files, processes, or other resources associated with the user ID of interest. The search can exhaustively interrogate every available node in the network, to update or purge all files associated with the subject user ID(s).

Depopulation of user data from network

Updating package manager software on a client. An update tool can interface with a package manager running a first version of the package manager software to inspect an available update to a package installed on the client. The update tool can determine that a second version of the package manager software is required to install the update to the package. The update tool can access the second version of the package manager software, remove the first version of the package manager software from the package manager, and unpack and install the second version of the package manager software on the package manager. Further, the update tool can install the update to the package installed on the client, and can update other resources associated with the client as appropriate.

Determining when to update a package manager software

A compatibility tool can certify compliance between software packages managers, used by or known to a user, and software packages to be updated or installed on a computing system. Additionally, the compatibility tool can identify a software package manager that is compatible with the software packages to be updated or installed, if the user does not have or know of a compatible software package manager. To certify software package managers or identify compatible software package managers, the compatibility tool can maintain a database of software package managers associated with software packages that are compatible with the software package managers.

Generating client qualification to execute package update manager

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for network management using a secure mesh command and control framework. A network management server can communicate with a set of supervisory hosts, which in turn communicate with an underlying set of targets. The set of targets can have associated digital certificates which can be authenticated by common certificate authorities. A controlled target can authenticate one or more other target requesting access to the controlled target via the trusted common certificate authority. One authenticated target can therefore mesh on a trusted basis with another target to perform installation, monitoring, testing, or other activities directly on the target of interest, without channeling commands through an intervening supervisory host.

Network management using secure mesh command and control framework

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a machine state verification using a number of installed package objects. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client machine can track the installed package complement, and updates available for those packages. To verify that a target of a package update is prepared and in the correct state to receive the update, the package manager inventory the set of package objects installed on the client machine. The resulting sum can be reported to a remote management platform, such as a package server. The counted package objects can be the packages themselves, and/or their set of component files. Machines having a package sum that does not match an expected target number can have a package re-installation performed, and/or other diagnostics carried out.

Generating machine state verification using number of installed package objects

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating predictive diagnostics via a package update manager. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user's selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database, a current state of the client machine, and/or other resources. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, before those updates are attempted and cause potential conflicts.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Seth Kelby Vidal