Node Deployment Index for IT System Graph Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large-scale IT system management, existing graph drawing algorithms like the SUGIYAMA Framework struggle to balance the visibility of detailed configurations between nodes and the entire system configuration, often leading to local solutions where application and virtual machine nodes are deployed far apart, making it difficult to display both on the same screen image, especially when zooming in or out.
Innovation Solution
A display information processing apparatus that sets an index for relevancy between nodes, calculates distances based on this index, and adjusts node positions to improve the visibility of detailed configurations while maintaining overall system visibility, by deploying application nodes closer to relevant virtual machine nodes and infrastructure resources based on importance and relevance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If graph drawing algorithms like SUGIYAMA Framework are used to minimize link length and crossing points, then the overall system configuration visibility is improved, but the detailed configuration visibility between related nodes degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the layout optimization approach for different regions of the graph. Related nodes (application and VM nodes) are placed in a local region where link minimization is prioritized to maintain detailed configuration visibility, while other nodes are arranged to minimize overall crossing points for system-wide visibility. This creates different layout qualities in different regions of the same graph visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the graph nodes into different categories (application nodes, VM nodes, infrastructure nodes) and applies different layout strategies to each segment. By identifying and grouping related nodes together in specific regions, the segmentation principle allows the system to optimize for both detailed relationships within segments and overall system structure across segments.
2Productivity
If nodes are deployed to minimize total link distance, then link efficiency is improved, but related nodes (application and VM nodes) may be spaced far apart on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates equipotential regions where related nodes (application and VM nodes) are placed in the same local region with similar layout priorities. This ensures that nodes requiring close monitoring remain in proximity while still allowing the overall layout to optimize link efficiency. The equipotential approach maintains equal importance for both link efficiency and node proximity in the layout calculation.
3Area of stationary object
If the entire IT system is displayed at once, then overall system overview is improved, but detailed configuration of problematic locations cannot be grasped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested visualization structure where the complete IT system topology is displayed as the outer context, while related nodes (application and VM nodes) are nested together in localized regions within the overall layout. This nested arrangement allows users to view the entire system at once while simultaneously accessing detailed configurations of specific problematic locations by focusing on nested regions, effectively providing multiple levels of detail within a single view.
Data Source
AI summary
Visibility of relevance of detailed configurations is improved while deterioration of the visibility of a general configuration between nodes is suppressed. A node coordinate calculation process calculates, upon calculation of deployment coordinates of each node, a degree of importance of an infrastructure resource and a degree of importance of an application, and weights the distance between the application node and the infrastructure node with the reciprocal of the degree of importance of the infrastructure node. Then, the node coordinate calculation process determines deployment of the application node such that the application node is deployed in the proximity of a comparatively important infrastructure node, and determines deployment of the application node on the basis of the degrees of importance of the applications such that a comparatively important application is deployed closely to the infrastructure node.