Configuration Change Data Correlation with Application Events

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network managers face challenges in understanding and managing the impact of numerous configuration changes in computer systems, as existing monitoring methods struggle to correlate changes with application installation/removal events, leading to difficulties in identifying the source and potential impact of these changes.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for correlating configuration change data with application installation/removal events by retrieving and analyzing configuration change records, using correlation criteria such as directory locations, registry key ranges, and time periods to identify and group related changes, thereby simplifying the evaluation of changes and reducing the number of items for network administrators to consider.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If configuration change monitoring is implemented to track all changes, then complete change tracking capability is improved, but the volume of change data increases making it difficult to understand causes and impact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechange tracking capabilityVSAvoidvolume of change data

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large volume of configuration change data by correlating changes with specific application installation/removal events. Instead of presenting all changes as a single undifferentiated list, the system divides changes into groups associated with particular applications, making the data more manageable and understandable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary correlation process that links configuration change data with application installation/removal events. This intermediary layer provides context by identifying which application caused which changes, transforming raw change data into meaningful information without reducing the completeness of tracking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If all configuration change records are analyzed individually, then complete evaluation is improved, but the complexity and time required for evaluation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevaluation completenessVSAvoidevaluation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual configuration change records into single application installation/removal events. By combining related changes that occur together as part of an application installation or removal, the system reduces the number of items administrators must evaluate individually while maintaining complete evaluation coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary correlation analysis to pre-group configuration changes with their corresponding application events before presentation to administrators. This preliminary action of organizing and contextualizing data reduces the cognitive load and time required for subsequent evaluation by administrators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9021464B2Methods, systems and computer program products for rationalization of computer system configuration change data through correlation with product installation activity

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 MICRO FOCUS LLC

AI summary

Methods for correlating configuration change data to an application installation/removal event for a computer system are provided. Configuration change data records for the computer system are retrieved. The application installation/removal event is identified. Correlation criteria are determined. A plurality of the configuration change data records are automatically identified as being associated with the identified application installation/removal event based on the determined correlation criteria and a characteristic of the configuration change data records.