System Configuration Comparison for Root Cause Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Installed computerized systems often malfunction or function suboptimally in production environments due to differences in hardware, software, and configuration settings, making it difficult to identify and correct issues, especially when compared to functioning testing environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for comparing two instances of a computerized system by retrieving and analyzing differences in parameters such as hardware, software, and configuration settings between a functioning testing platform and a malfunctioning production platform, providing a report on these differences and potential recommendations for resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If system installation and execution proceed without comprehensive checking, then installation speed and time-to-market improve, but system reliability and functionality deteriorate due to undetected configuration errors and environment mismatches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary checking of system configurations, installed components, and environment parameters before and during installation. The checking mechanism proactively identifies potential issues with database installations, J2EE versions, .NET versions, services, and other dependencies before they cause installation failures or runtime errors, thus maintaining both installation speed and system reliability.
2Reliability
If comprehensive system checking and comparison mechanisms are implemented, then system reliability and problem detection improve, but device complexity and checking time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the system checking mechanism into distinct modular components: a checking module that identifies system parameters and configurations, a comparison module that compares checked systems against each other or against expected configurations, and a reporting module that generates diagnostic information. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring the entire system to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary checking mechanism that acts as a mediator between the installed system and the diagnostic analysis process. This checking mechanism systematically collects information about hardware, software, services, and configurations, then presents this information in a standardized format for comparison and analysis, simplifying the overall diagnostic process.
3Measurement precision
If detailed system parameter collection and comparison is performed, then measurement precision of system differences improves, but loss of time for data collection and processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant system parameters and configurations needed for comparison, such as database installation status, J2EE and .NET versions, service states, and key configuration settings. By selectively extracting only the necessary information rather than collecting all possible system data, the mechanism achieves high measurement precision for detecting meaningful differences while minimizing data collection time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for comparing two computing platforms installed with instances of an application, a portal or another computerized unit, wherein one computerized unit malfunctions when executed by the corresponding computing platform.The method and apparatus query the two computing platforms and the two instances for a multiplicity of values associated with a multiplicity of parameters that may influence the functionality, compare the parameter values and report the differences to a user, in order to enable the user to locate the root cause of the problem. The parameters may relate to the instances as well as to the computing platforms and their environment.The parameter retrieval and comparison can be performed by the apparatus, or by components of the instances for handling proprietary data types.