Performance problem detection in arrays of similar hardware

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016154688-A1
Application number	US-201414558581-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include detecting under-performing devices using a correlational matrix in which devices are compared with one another in order to establish which devices are performing significantly different, e.g. under-performing, than the rest. According to one embodiment, a method includes generating a vector for each of a plurality of hardware devices. Using a hardware processor, a correlational matrix representing projections of the vectors against each other is created. A determination is made as to which hardware device is least like the other hardware devices based on the correlational matrix. A result of the determining is output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
generating a vector for each of a plurality of hardware devices; creating, using a hardware processor, a correlational matrix representing projections of the vectors against each other; determining which hardware device is least like the other hardware devices based on the correlational matrix; and outputting a result of the determining.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vector for each of the hardware devices is based on at least two performance metrics of the hardware device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , comprising calculating a statistical value for each of the performance metrics, the statistical value being derived from values from all of the hardware devices for the respective performance metric.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the vectors is based on a deviation of the associated performance metric from the statistical value.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising calculating the projections of the vectors against each other.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the projections of the vectors against each other are calculated using a trigonometric function applied to pairs of the vectors.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed for a predetermined number of iterations, wherein the hardware device least like the other hardware devices in each iteration is stored.

8 . The method of claim 7 , comprising comparing a number of times the hardware device found most often to be least like the other hardware devices to a value and outputting a result of the comparing.

9 . A computer program product for detecting an underperforming hardware device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
generate, by the processor, a vector for each of a plurality of hardware devices; create, by the processor, a correlational matrix representing projections of the vectors against each other; determine, by the processor, which hardware device is least like the other hardware devices based on the correlational matrix; and output, by the processor, a result of the determining.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the vector for each of the hardware devices is based on at least two performance metrics of the hardware device.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , comprising program instructions readable and/or executable by the processor to calculate a statistical value for each of the performance metrics, the statistical value being derived from values from all of the hardware devices for the respective performance metric.

12 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein each of the vectors is based on a deviation of the associated performance metric from the statistical value.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 , comprising program instructions readable and/or executable by the processor to calculate the projections of the vectors against each other.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the projections of the vectors against each other are calculated using a trigonometric function applied to pairs of the vectors.

15 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the operations of the program instructions are repeated for a predetermined number of iterations, wherein the hardware device least like the other hardware devices in each iteration is stored.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , comprising comparing a number of times the hardware device found most often to be least like the other hardware devices to a value, and outputting a result of the comparing.

17 . A system, comprising:
a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to:
generate a vector for each of a plurality of hardware devices;
create a correlational matrix representing projections of the vectors against each other;
determine which hardware device is least like the other hardware devices based on the correlational matrix; and
output a result of the determining.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the vector for each of the hardware devices is based on at least two performance metrics of the hardware device.

19 . The system of claim 18 , comprising logic configured to calculate a statistical value for each of the performance metrics, the statistical value being derived from values from all of the hardware devices for the respective performance metric.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein each of the vectors is based on a deviation of the associated performance metric from the statistical value.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barajas Felipe A

Classifications

• G06F11/079 Primary

  Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis (in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36) · CPC title

• G06F11/0721

  within a central processing unit [CPU] · CPC title

• G06F11/0727 Primary

  in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system (drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F11/0751

  Error or fault detection not based on redundancy (power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06) · CPC title

• G06F11/34

  Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation {; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment} · CPC title