Weighted Device Prioritization for IT Resource Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data center environments, IT administrators face challenges in efficiently managing a large number of information handling systems, as existing methods lack effective mechanisms to identify and prioritize devices based on their significance and need for attention, leading to inefficient allocation of IT resources.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine a 'degree of interest' for managed devices by assigning significance and interest factors to management operations, calculating weighting factors, and displaying high-priority devices to IT administrators, allowing for focused resource allocation based on priority.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If IT administrators manage all managed devices uniformly, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but resource allocation efficiency deteriorates due to inability to prioritize high-impact devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different management priorities and resource allocation levels to different devices based on their individual characteristics. Each device receives a weighting factor that reflects its relative importance, allowing administrators to focus resources on high-priority devices while maintaining adequate coverage of lower-priority devices. This resolves the contradiction by making resource allocation non-uniform and adaptive to device-specific needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of resource allocation from a uniform distribution to a weighted distribution based on calculated weighting factors. These factors are derived from multiple parameters including management operation frequency, device criticality, and administrator interest. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes resource allocation efficiency without overwhelming administrators with complex manual prioritization.
2Productivity
If IT administrators focus on high-priority devices, then resource allocation efficiency improves, but measurement precision deteriorates due to lack of standardized criteria for priority determination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor management operations and device states, using this information to dynamically adjust weighting factors. The system tracks which devices require the most attention and feeds this information back into the priority calculation algorithm, ensuring that priority determination remains accurate and adaptive. This resolves the measurement precision issue by providing objective, data-driven criteria for priority assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces subjective administrator judgment with an automated computational system that calculates weighting factors based on objective parameters. Instead of manually assessing device priority, the system uses algorithms to process management operation data, device metadata, and performance metrics, producing precise and consistent priority rankings. This substitution eliminates human bias and improves measurement precision in priority determination.
3Reliability
If monitoring frequency is increased for all devices, then device health monitoring quality improves, but energy consumption and administrative overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by monitoring and managing devices at different frequencies based on their priority levels. High-priority devices receive more intensive monitoring and management attention, while low-priority devices are monitored less frequently. This approach maintains adequate system health monitoring quality for critical devices while reducing administrative resource consumption for less critical devices, resolving the contradiction between monitoring quality and resource usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A management resource and method monitor management operations associated with a group of managed devices, assign significance factors the management operations, and record instance information, identifying the managed device and the management operation, for each management operation performed. For each managed device, an interest factor is determined for each management operation. Weighting factors are determined for each managed device based on the interest factors and the significance factors. A management console display may be generated wherein the display indicates, whether in graphical or textual form, high priority managed devices, where the high priority devices are selected from the entire population of managed devices, based on the weighting factors. The IT administrator may adjust a weighting factor threshold to adjust the magnitude or extent of the filtering.