Problem determination using dependency graphs and run-time behavior models

Abstract

Key challenges in managing an I/T environment for e-business lie in the area of root cause analysis, proactive problem prediction, and automated problem remediation. Our approach as reported in this paper, utilizes two important concepts: dependency graphs and dynamic runtime performance characteristics of resources that comprise an I/T environment to design algorithms for rapid root cause identification in case of problems. In the event of a reported problem, our approach uses the dependency information and the behavior models to narrow down the root cause to a small set of resources that can be individually tested, thus facilitating quick remediation and thus leading to reduced administrative costs. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2004.