Topology View Resource Compression for Large-Scale System Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems management user interfaces are limited in their ability to visualize and manage large numbers of resources on a single display screen, typically only allowing 50-500 resources to be depicted at once, which becomes impractical as the number of resources exceeds 100, making it difficult to illustrate complex relationships among resources.
Innovation Solution
A method that compresses resources into subgroups based on a common attribute, with each subgroup represented by a display element on the screen, allowing for the visualization of a large number of resources by using icons, labels, and geometric symbols to convey status information, enabling administrators to select attributes for organizing and displaying resources in a topology view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all resources are displayed individually on the screen, then each resource can be visualized with detailed information, but the number of resources that can be displayed on a single screen is limited to 50-500 resources
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual resource icons are merged into a single aggregated display element that represents a collection of resources. The aggregated element shows summary information about the group (such as total count, status distribution) while allowing users to drill down to view individual resources if needed. This merging approach enables displaying thousands of resources on a single screen by consolidating them into manageable visual groups.
2Loss of information
If detailed information is displayed for each resource, then resource characteristics can be fully visualized, but the screen can only accommodate a limited number of resources
Solution Approach 1:
The display element adopts different levels of information detail based on the viewing context. When viewed from a distance or in summary mode, it presents aggregated statistics. When users interact with or zoom into the element, it reveals detailed information about individual resources within the group. This local quality approach allows the same display element to serve multiple information needs without requiring proportional screen space for each level of detail.
3Loss of information
If complex relationships among resources are illustrated, then system topology can be visualized, but the display becomes increasingly difficult to achieve as resources exceed 100
Solution Approach 1:
The complex network of resource relationships is segmented into multiple hierarchical levels. Instead of showing all relationships among all resources simultaneously, the system divides resources into groups and displays relationships at the group level first. Users can then drill down into specific groups to view internal relationships, effectively segmenting the complexity management across multiple viewing levels rather than presenting it all at once.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided in association with a managed system having a substantial number of resources. The method includes the step of selecting an attribute that is common to all of the resources, wherein each resource has a status in regard to the selected attribute that is one of a plurality of prespecified statuses that are available for the attribute. The method further includes compressing the group of resources into a set of subgroups, wherein each subgroup corresponds to a different prespecified status of the plurality, and each resource having a given status is placed into the subgroup that corresponds to the given status. Each of the subgroups is represented by a display element on a single computer display screen, and specified information is displayed with each display element, wherein the specified information for a display element pertains to all of the resources placed into the subgroup that are represented by the display element.