Device Snapshot Engine for Virtual IHS Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information handling system (IHS) troubleshooting methods are inefficient and costly due to the difficulty in reproducing complex system failures, which often do not materialize when physically replicated, leading to time-consuming and expensive attempts at remote problem-solving.
Innovation Solution
An IHS troubleshooting system that automatically creates a device snapshot upon failure detection, storing and transmitting it over a network to a support IHS for immediate virtual recreation and analysis, allowing for rapid and accurate diagnosis of issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical reproduction of IHS situation is performed to troubleshoot problems, then troubleshooting can be conducted remotely, but it is time-consuming and expensive, and problems often do not materialize upon reproduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy (device snapshot) of the customer IHS state instead of physically reproducing the situation. The device snapshot engine captures the complete system state including hardware configuration, software state, and operational parameters, then transmits this digital copy to the support IHS where it is loaded into a virtualization environment. This allows remote technicians to troubleshoot the exact replicated state without time-consuming physical reproduction attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary capture of the device snapshot immediately when a problem is detected, preserving the exact state before any changes occur. This preliminary action ensures that the troubleshooting state is captured at the precise moment of failure, eliminating the need for repeated physical reproduction attempts to recreate the conditions.
2Ease of operation
If physical reproduction of complex IHS situations is attempted, then remote support can be provided, but the complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physically reproducing hardware configurations with a digital information-based system. Instead of manually configuring physical systems to match customer environments, the device snapshot engine automatically captures and transmits the complete system state as data. This information handling approach eliminates the complexity of physical reproduction while maintaining full remote troubleshooting capability.
3Measurement precision
If immediate device snapshot is created upon failure detection, then troubleshooting accuracy improves, but system resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The device snapshot is triggered automatically and immediately upon detection of a failure condition, capturing the precise failure state before any remediation or system changes occur. This preliminary capture ensures maximum diagnostic accuracy by preserving the exact conditions under which the failure manifested, including register states, memory contents, and hardware status at the moment of failure.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system (IHS) troubleshooting system includes a customer IHS including a plurality of components. A customer management system in the customer IHS detects a failure in a managed system and, in response, immediately triggers a device snapshot of the customer IHS. At least one managed system in the customer IHS includes a device snapshot engine that, in response to the customer management system triggering the device snapshot of the customer IHS, immediately create the device snapshot of the customer IHS. A device snapshot storage in the customer IHS stores the device snapshot of the customer IHS. A snapshot communication engine in the customer IHS sends the device snapshot of the customer IHS over the network to a support IHS. The support IHS may load the device snapshot into a virtual IHS and manage the virtual IHS to replicate the failure detected in the managed system for troubleshooting.