Data Center Alert Timeline System for Faster Issue Resolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Data center administrators face challenges in efficiently monitoring and managing numerous assets, leading to difficulties in identifying and remediating issues due to the complexity and volume of event logs, which can result in prolonged issue resolution times and decreased user satisfaction.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for data center monitoring and management that includes a processor, data bus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with executable code to monitor data center assets, identify issues, associate them with specific times, and provide graphical user interfaces to inform users about these issues, facilitating quicker remediation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional event log monitoring methods are used to track data center assets, then comprehensive monitoring coverage is achieved, but issue identification time increases and user satisfaction decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveissue identification accuracyVSAvoidissue resolution time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex event log data into structured alert objects with specific fields (timestamp, severity, source, message). This segmentation organizes the monitoring data into manageable, queryable units that can be quickly searched and analyzed, reducing issue identification time while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary alerting system that acts as a mediator between raw event logs and users. The alerting system processes, filters, and presents relevant information in a standardized format, reducing the time users need to spend analyzing raw logs while improving issue identification accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If detailed monitoring of numerous data center assets is implemented, then monitoring completeness is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of operation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring completenessVSAvoidsystem operability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is segmented into distinct functional components: asset monitoring, alert generation, alert storage, and alert presentation. Each component handles specific tasks independently, making the overall complex system easier to operate and maintain while ensuring comprehensive monitoring coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies homogeneity by standardizing alert information into a consistent object structure with uniform fields (timestamp, severity, source, message). This standardized format simplifies the presentation and analysis of alerts from diverse data center assets, improving ease of operation while maintaining monitoring completeness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

3Loss of information

If comprehensive alert information is provided to users, then issue understanding is improved, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealert information completenessVSAvoidinformation processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Alert information is segmented into distinct, well-defined fields (timestamp, severity, source, message). This segmentation allows the system to provide comprehensive alert information while simplifying processing, as each field can be independently handled, stored, and presented without requiring complex integrated processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11606246B2System for enterprise alert timeline of a system and service
Publication Date: 2023.03.14 DELL PROD LP
  • US11606246B2 patent drawing
  • US11606246B2 patent drawing
  • US11606246B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for performing a data center monitoring and management operation. The data center monitoring and management operation includes: monitoring data center assets within a data center; identifying an issue within the data center, the issue being associated with an operational situation associated with a particular component of the data center; associating the issue with a particular point in time; and, informing a user about the issue, the informing including information regarding the particular point in time, the informing including a graphical depiction of the particular component of the data center and the issue within the data center.