DAG Subgraph Collapse for IT Service Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex IT service models represented as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) pose challenges in visualization due to their complexity, making it difficult to present important data within limited screen displays and requiring multiple interactions to expand or collapse nodes, leading to user interface inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method for collapsing and expanding multi-node subgraphs of a DAG with a single user interaction, using expansion indicators to retain important service context information and minimize temporal noise, allowing users to collapse or expand critical paths while maintaining visible nodes with impacting events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If complex user interface components are used to provide comprehensive data about events, then information availability to users is improved, but screen display area complexity increases and requires more screen switching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service model visualization into collapsible subgraphs that can be independently expanded or collapsed. Each subgraph represents a logical grouping of services, allowing users to focus on specific areas of interest while hiding less relevant details. This segmentation enables comprehensive information to be organized in a manageable, hierarchical structure that reduces visual complexity while maintaining information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the visualization by implementing collapsible/expandable subgraphs that can be dynamically adjusted. This allows the interface to transition between different levels of detail over time, presenting comprehensive information when needed while maintaining a simplified view during normal operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between information completeness and interface simplicity.
2Loss of information
If the service graph is expanded to display all problem nodes, then complete problem visibility is improved, but screen display area requirements increase and user interaction time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary organization of services into logical subgraphs with defined collapse/expand states. This preliminary structuring allows the system to present an optimized default view that shows only essential problem information, while pre-prepared collapse/expand mechanisms enable rapid access to complete problem details when needed, significantly reducing user interaction time compared to manual node-by-node expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the service graph dynamic by implementing collapsible and expandable subgraphs that can be adjusted based on user needs and problem severity. This dynamic structure allows the visualization to adapt between compact and expanded states, enabling complete problem visibility when necessary while minimizing screen real estate and interaction time during normal monitoring, thus resolving the contradiction between problem visibility and interaction efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If multiple mouse clicks are required to expand or collapse service graph nodes, then granular control is improved, but operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual node expansion/collapse operations into a single subgraph-level operation. By allowing users to collapse or expand entire subgraphs with a single click rather than individually expanding each node, the system maintains granular control over which services are visible while dramatically improving operational efficiency. This merging approach preserves the ability to control visibility at a fine level (through subgraph selection) while eliminating the repetitive clicking required by traditional node-by-node expansion.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for allowing collapse or expansion of a multi-node subgraph of a directed acyclic graph is disclosed. The subgraph may be collapsed or expanded with a single user interaction, retaining the important service context information and relations, while minimizing information of lesser importance in the service model.