Mainframe Application Failure Root Cause Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mainframe environments, identifying the root cause of failures in interrelated applications is inefficient due to the complexity of relationships between applications, databases, and the need for multiple tools and manual adjustments, leading to lengthy searches and lack of contextual data for troubleshooting.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that create a repository to store information about interrelated applications, identify the application associated with a failure, determine relationships between them, and display these relationships via a user interface to facilitate identifying the root cause, using a web-integrated framework that includes modules for data processing, reporting, and user authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional search routines are used to locate problematic applications, then the search process can be automated to some extent, but the search takes a long time and may not retrieve the actual causing applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a repository that stores relationship information between applications, databases, and other mainframe components before failures occur. This pre-organized structure enables rapid querying and identification of root causes without time-consuming search routines when failures happen.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary component - a repository storing relationship information - that mediates between the failure detection and the identification of root cause applications. This intermediary structure contains pre-analyzed relationships, allowing the system to quickly identify problematic applications without performing exhaustive searches through all interrelated components.
2Loss of information
If multiple screens are used to display application data from the mainframe environment, then comprehensive data can be retrieved, but the display provides no context or relational data to assist in understanding the problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously separate information sources into a unified repository that stores relationship information between applications, databases, and mainframe components. This consolidated structure presents comprehensive data with contextual relationships in a single integrated view, eliminating the need for multiple isolated screens and helping users understand problems through displayed relational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a new dimension to data presentation by incorporating relational context information alongside application data. Instead of merely displaying application details across multiple screens, the repository structure adds dimensional context showing how applications interrelate with databases and other components, providing both completeness and understandability simultaneously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different databases with varying structures are used by interrelated applications, then applications can be customized to meet specific requirements, but common components require re-development for each database
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a repository structure that can store and manage relationship information across multiple different database types and structures. This universal framework allows common components to be developed once and reused across different database environments, as the repository abstracts the underlying database variations and maintains relationship information in a database-agnostic manner.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for identifying a relationship between multiple interrelated applications running in a mainframe environment. A repository is created to store information describing the multiple interrelated applications from the mainframe environment. A target application among the multiple interrelated applications is identified, and a frequency and a dependency relationship between the application and the multiple interrelated applications is determined. The relationship is displayed via a user interface. The relationship may be used to identify a cause of a failure in a mainframe environment.