IT Asset Ontology for Automated Dependency Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing information technology assets across an enterprise network is labor-intensive due to the need for manual effort in generating and maintaining a portfolio of IT assets, which can expose the system to various risks and security threats without a comprehensive and automated means to identify dependencies and respond to events effectively.
Innovation Solution
An automated method using ontologies to create a knowledge graph of IT assets, monitoring for events, and applying remedial measures, which includes obtaining information about IT assets, identifying dependencies, and utilizing an IT asset ontology to detect affected assets and apply necessary measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to generate and manage IT asset portfolios, then comprehensive asset tracking can be achieved, but significant manual effort and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically discovers IT assets by monitoring network traffic and system logs, and self-updates the asset ontology without requiring manual intervention. The ontology generation process is automated through machine learning algorithms that learn from observed data patterns, enabling the system to maintain itself autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical processes of asset inventory and dependency mapping are replaced with automated electronic monitoring and analysis systems. The system uses automated tools to discover assets, analyze relationships, and generate ontologies, substituting human manual work with computational processes.
2Reliability
If comprehensive IT asset monitoring is implemented to identify all dependencies, then security risks can be better managed, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is divided into modular components: asset discovery module, dependency analysis module, ontology generation module, and event response module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the monitoring task, making the overall complex system manageable through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
An asset ontology serves as an intermediary data structure that mediates between raw monitoring data and security analysis. The ontology provides a standardized framework for representing asset relationships, simplifying the complexity of direct data analysis while maintaining comprehensive security monitoring capabilities.
3Productivity
If automated ontology generation is used to manage IT assets, then manual effort is reduced, but the complexity of implementing the automated system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining ontology schemas and data collection templates before actual asset monitoring begins. This preparation work establishes the framework for automated operation, reducing implementation complexity by having the structure ready in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by dynamically adjusting monitoring parameters and ontology detail levels based on organizational needs. Configuration options allow tuning of discovery depth, relationship types tracked, and ontology granularity, enabling the system to adapt its complexity to match productivity requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes obtaining information regarding a plurality of information technology assets in use across an enterprise system, identifying dependencies between the information technology assets in use across the enterprise system, and generating an information technology asset ontology comprising a knowledge graph with nodes representing the information technology assets and edges between the nodes representing dependencies between the information technology assets. The method also includes monitoring the information technology assets of the enterprise system to detect one or more events and, responsive to detecting a given one of the one or more events, utilizing the information technology asset ontology to identify one or more of the information technology assets of the enterprise system affected by the given event. The method further comprises applying one or more remedial measures to at least a given one of the identified information technology assets of the enterprise system affected by the given event.