Alert Correlation Using Domain Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network devices generate multiple redundant alerts for a single failure, leading to unnecessary notifications and increased workload for engineering and administrative staff, as existing systems fail to effectively correlate alerts to identify their root cause.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses correlation domains to separate and correlate alert messages independently, allowing multiple alert correlation processes to operate in parallel, and employing placeholder correlation records to determine related alerts and generate a single event message for the root cause.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple alert correlation processes are implemented to handle different network zones independently, then processing speed and scalability are improved, but system complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple parallel processes and correlation domains
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the network monitoring space into multiple correlation domains based on network zones (e.g., production, non-production, public cloud, private cloud). Each correlation domain is handled by a separate alert correlation process that operates independently. This segmentation allows parallel processing of alerts from different network zones, improving throughput and scalability while keeping each individual process manageable in complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If alert correlation analysis is performed to identify root causes, then the number of redundant notifications is reduced, but the time required to process and analyze alerts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes correlation rules and relationships between network components before alerts are generated. When alerts arrive, the pre-configured correlation logic immediately matches them against known relationships, enabling rapid root cause identification without requiring complex real-time analysis. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces processing time while maintaining effective alert correlation.
3Measurement precision
If placeholder correlation records are used to track network component relationships, then correlation accuracy is improved, but memory usage and data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and stores only the essential correlation information needed for alert matching - specifically, the relationships between network components and their associated placeholder correlation records. Rather than storing complete network topology or all possible alert attributes, the system focuses on storing minimal necessary data (component identifiers and correlation relationships) that enables accurate root cause identification while keeping storage requirements manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are provided for correlating alert messages using correlation domains. Alert messages can be received that are related to computer network components. The alert messages can be partitioned using separate correlation domains and analyzed by separate alert processors. When an alert message is received, it can be analyzed to determine a correlation domain with which the alert message is associated. The alert message can then be correlated with other alert messages associated with the correlation domain, and alert messages that are not associated with the correlation domain can be ignored. Groups of alert messages associated with different correlation domains can be correlated independently by different alert processors. Events generated by an alert processor can include correlation domain information. Events associated with different correlation domains can be handled differently.