Operational Element Fingerprinting in Application Performance Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Monitoring and managing application performance in large, distributed computer systems is complex due to dynamic configurations and geographic dispersion, making it difficult to detect and diagnose issues effectively across multiple processors and applications.
Innovation Solution
An application performance management system that uses a dynamic discovery agent to monitor operational elements by generating fingerprints based on static parameters, allowing for the recognition and management of operational elements across different instances, even when they are moved or reconfigured, thereby enabling efficient detection and diagnosis of performance problems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If monitoring systems are configured to monitor all operational elements in large distributed systems, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual representation (fingerprint) of each operational element that copies only the essential identifying characteristics. This fingerprint serves as a simplified model that can be stored and compared without requiring full monitoring of all system parameters, thus reducing monitoring complexity while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the monitoring approach by changing from monitoring all operational parameters to monitoring a specific subset of parameters that form the fingerprint. This parameter selection focuses on static or slowly changing attributes that uniquely identify operational elements, reducing the monitoring burden while preserving detection capability.
2Reliability
If the system tracks all instances of operational elements across distributed processors, then reliability is improved, but loss of information increases due to dynamic reconfigurations
Solution Approach 1:
The fingerprint acts as a persistent copy of the operational element's identity that survives dynamic reconfigurations. When operational elements move between processors or are reconfigured, the fingerprint remains unchanged, providing a stable reference for tracking and maintaining reliable service levels across the distributed system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary fingerprinting of operational elements before they move or reconfigure. This advance creation of the fingerprint ensures that even when the operational element changes location or configuration, its identity can be immediately recognized and tracked, preventing information loss during dynamic transitions.
3Ease of operation
If the system generates and compares fingerprints for all operational elements, then ease of operation is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential identifying parameters from each operational element to create the fingerprint, separating these from the full set of operational parameters. This extraction process reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed and compared, lowering energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation for element management.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of processing all operational parameters, the system performs partial processing by focusing only on the fingerprint parameters. This selective approach uses less energy than complete parameter analysis while still providing sufficient information for effective operational element management and identification.
Data Source
AI summary
An application performance management system is disclosed. Operational elements are dynamically discovered and extended when changes occur. Programmatic knowledge is captured. Particular instances of operational elements are recognized after changes have been made using a fingerprint/signature process. Metrics and metadata associated with a monitored operational element are sent in a compressed form to a backend for analysis. Metrics and metadata from multiple similar systems may be used to adjust/create expert rules to be used in the analysis of the state of an operational element. A 3-D user interface with both physical and logical representations may be used to display the results of the performance management system.