Storage System Agent for Automated Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems lack an interface for customers to perform advanced operations, diagnostics, and reporting, limiting their ability to gather information about the state of the system, which is typically accessible only to skilled service technicians.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method where boot code determines if a flag is set to gather information, executing an agent that communicates with a central location at predetermined intervals to obtain and report information about the data storage system's state, including pending work items, status, and potential corrective actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a limited interface is provided for customers, then ease of operation is improved, but information accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
An agent is introduced as an intermediary component that runs on the data storage system and collects detailed system information, then transmits it to a central location. This allows customers to access comprehensive system state information through the simple interface without requiring direct access to complex diagnostic tools or skilled technician intervention.
2Device complexity
If advanced diagnostic operations are restricted to service technicians, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing customers to automatically gather and report system information through the agent mechanism. The agent autonomously collects diagnostic data, performs monitoring, and transmits reports to the central location, eliminating the need for customers to manually perform complex diagnostic operations or wait for technician intervention.
3Measurement precision
If manual information gathering is required, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The agent continuously monitors and pre-gathers system information in the background, maintaining an up-to-date record of system state. When diagnostic needs arise, this pre-collected information is immediately available for analysis, eliminating the time delay associated with manual information gathering while preserving diagnostic accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The agent operates continuously to collect and transmit system information at predetermined time intervals, ensuring that diagnostic data is always current and available. This continuous monitoring maintains measurement precision while significantly reducing the time required for information gathering compared to manual methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are techniques for obtaining information about a data storage system. Boot code is executed on the data storage system and determines whether a flag is set. If the flag is set, an agent is executed which communicates with a central location at predetermined time intervals. At a first predetermined time interval, a first message is sent to the central location polling for a pending work item. If there are any work items pending for the data storage system, first processing is performed which includes sending a second message to the data storage system indicating whether there are any pending work items for the data storage system and including at least one work item if there are any pending work items. The at least one work item describes second processing to obtain first information about a state of the data storage system.