Automated Availability Calculation for Computing Resources

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Solution Overview

Problem

IT managers face challenges in accurately calculating and demonstrating the availability of computing resources, leading to difficulties in achieving high availability standards like 'five 9's, due to manual and non-standard methods that are time-consuming, prone to errors, and inconsistent across organizations.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for calculating computing resource availability by collecting and processing data on start and stop events to determine outage times, using monitoring agents, and an extensible database schema to store and report availability metrics, enabling automated and standardized calculations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual calculation methods using spreadsheets and custom-built tools are used, then some useful information regarding system availability can be obtained, but the calculations are time-intensive, expensive, and prone to errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability metric accuracyVSAvoidtime required for manual calculations

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical calculation processes with an automated computer-based system that collects event data, processes it through standardized algorithms, and generates availability metrics automatically. This substitution eliminates the time-intensive manual spreadsheet work while improving accuracy through consistent automated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service availability calculation by automatically collecting event data from monitoring agents, processing the data through standardized procedures, and generating reports without requiring manual intervention. The automated system serves itself by continuously monitoring, calculating, and reporting availability metrics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If custom-built spreadsheet calculations are created within each organization, then organization-specific availability information can be generated, but there is no standard mechanism for deriving system level availability making it difficult to understand and compare results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorganization-specific availability calculationVSAvoidavailability metric consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes a universal standardized mechanism for availability calculation that can be applied across different organizations and computing resources. The standardized event data collection and processing procedures ensure consistent availability metric generation while maintaining adaptability to different organizational needs through configurable parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows parameter changes in availability calculations by enabling organizations to configure specific event types, time periods, and calculation methodologies while maintaining a standardized core framework. This flexibility allows organization-specific adaptations without sacrificing measurement consistency through the standardized processing engine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If manual availability calculations are performed, then some availability information can be obtained, but incorrect results can lead to erroneous reporting, incorrect service level setting, and poor perception of system performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability data accuracyVSAvoidcorrectness of availability metrics

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces error-prone manual calculation mechanics with automated computer-based processing that systematically collects event data, applies standardized algorithms, and generates availability metrics. This substitution eliminates human errors in data collection, processing, and calculation while ensuring consistent and reliable results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring event data, comparing actual system state against expected availability levels, and generating reports that provide feedback on availability performance. This feedback loop ensures accuracy by continuously validating data and metrics against standardized criteria.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS7500150B2Determining the level of availability of a computing resource

Publication Date: 2009.03.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Data is collected relating to the availability of a computing resource such as data identifying a start event that indicates that the computing resource became available for use and data identifying a stop event that indicates that the computing resource became unavailable for use. The data relating to the availability of the computing resource is processed to determine the outage time for the computing resource during a period of time, such as a 24-hour period. The outage time is then utilized to calculate the level of availability for the computing resource during the period of time.