Agentless Service Mapping for Faster IT Outage Observability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring services on computer systems within organizations are inefficient and resource-intensive, particularly due to the need for agent-based installations, which consume system resources and require manual upkeep, complicating the identification of critical services during system outages.
Innovation Solution
An agentless method for monitoring services involves executing commands on computer systems to determine and map selected services to their corresponding applications and version numbers, storing this information in a data file or database, and displaying it on a dashboard for enhanced observability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If agent-based monitoring is used to monitor services on computer systems, then service information can be collected, but system resources are consumed and manual upkeep is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the monitoring agent from the monitored system by using a remote system to execute commands and collect service information. This eliminates the need for agents running on each monitored computer, thereby reducing system resource consumption while maintaining monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal monitoring approach where a single remote system can monitor multiple services across multiple computer systems using standard commands. This multi-functional capability replaces the need for dedicated agent software on each system, reducing overall resource consumption.
2Reliability
If agent-based monitoring is used to monitor services on computer systems, then service information can be collected, but manual upkeep and installation are required
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the monitoring functionality from installed agents to remote command execution, the patent eliminates installation and maintenance overhead. The monitoring system becomes easier to deploy and maintain since it relies on standard system commands rather than custom software installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitored systems effectively serve themselves by responding to standard commands with service information. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual agent installation and upkeep, as the systems provide monitoring data through their existing operational commands.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive service monitoring is implemented, then all services can be tracked, but identification of critical services during outages becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual analysis of service data with automated mapping and dashboard display. The system automatically correlates services with applications and presents them in an organized visual format, enabling rapid identification of critical services during outages without manual sifting through comprehensive data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mapping mechanism and dashboard as an intermediary between the comprehensive service data and the user. This intermediary organizes and presents information in a way that maintains completeness while enabling quick identification of critical services through visual prioritization and structured display.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for agentless adaptive service mapping for enhanced observability in information systems is described herein. The method includes executing various commands to access, from computers in a computer network, information regarding selected services executing thereon. The selected services are mapped to their respective applications and versions numbers. This mapping information is stored in a return dataset, and may be accessed through a dashboard display to provide IT personnel information at a glance. The accessing of service information and mappings is carried out without the use of agents that would otherwise be installed on each of the computer systems of the network.