Unified Log Interface for Data Center Application Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face challenges in troubleshooting due to the complexity of product lines and compatibility issues, leading to difficulties in pinpointing symptoms to specific components, which is time-consuming and costly, necessitating a converged support system.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that receives user requests to diagnose applications by identifying relevant log files, parsing events, and accessing a knowledge base to determine potential solutions, utilizing a support host or server with modules for discovery, log parsing, classification, and querying, integrated with a user interface and knowledge base server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate support systems are used for different product lines, then each subsystem can be optimized for its specific functionality, but the overall complexity of troubleshooting increases and time to resolve issues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate support systems into a single unified support system that can access and analyze log files from different product lines (NetWorker, Data Domain, etc.) through a common interface. This consolidation maintains the specialized functionality of each subsystem while eliminating the complexity of coordinating multiple separate systems, directly resolving the contradiction between support effectiveness and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified support system is designed with universal functionality to handle support requests across multiple product lines through a single interface. The system can identify, access, and analyze log files from various subsystems (NetWorker, Data Domain, etc.) using the same support workflow, making the system multi-functional without requiring separate specialized systems for each product line.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate support systems are used for different product lines, then each subsystem can operate independently, but the time required to pinpoint symptoms to specific components increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple support systems into one unified system with a common interface, the patent enables simultaneous access to log files from different product lines during a single troubleshooting session. This eliminates the sequential process of switching between separate systems and reduces the time required to pinpoint symptoms across multiple components while maintaining the versatility to handle various product lines.
3Productivity
If a unified support system is implemented, then troubleshooting efficiency improves and time is reduced, but the complexity of the support system itself increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified support system uses a universal interface and common workflow that can handle multiple product lines through standardized processes. This universality simplifies the user interaction layer while enabling efficient troubleshooting across different systems, achieving high productivity without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a log file interface as an intermediary layer between the unified support system and various product line subsystems. This intermediary standardizes the interaction by providing a common interface for accessing logs from different subsystems, thereby improving troubleshooting efficiency while managing the underlying complexity through abstraction.
4Loss of information
If support organizations exchange information back and forth between multiple systems, then comprehensive information can be gathered, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The unified support system merges the information gathering process by providing a single interface that can access and retrieve log files from multiple product lines simultaneously. This eliminates the need for support organizations to exchange information back and forth between separate systems, maintaining information completeness while dramatically reducing the time and cost associated with multi-system coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a computer system receives a user request from a user to diagnose an application, the request having information describing a symptom of a behavior of an application. In response to the request, the system identifies one or more components that provide services to the application. For each of the components, the system identifies a log file that logs events that have occurred during operations of the corresponding component, and parses the log file in view of the request to identify one or more events associated with the symptom of the behavior. The system analyzes the events associated with the symptom of the behavior to identify a potential problem. The system accesses a knowledgebase (KB) corresponding to the component to determine a potential solution to the problem.