Monitoring overall service-level performance using an aggregate key performance indicator derived from machine data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9584374-B2
Application number	US-201414528906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

One or more processing devices derive a value for each of a plurality of key performance indicators (KPIs). Each KPI indicates a different aspect of how the same service provided by one or more entities is performing at a point in time. Each KPI is defined by a search query that derives the value for that KPI from machine data associated with the one or more entities that provide the same service. The one or more processing devices calculate a value for an aggregate KPI for the same service from the values for each of the plurality of KPIs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
deriving a value for each of a plurality of key performance indicators (KPIs) by executing for each KPI, automatically on a time basis, a search query that defines the KPI and that derives the value for that KPI from machine data identified in one or more stored entity definitions referenced in a stored service definition, each KPI indicating a different aspect of how a same service represented by the service definition and provided by one or more entities represented by the entity definitions is performing at a point in time or during a period of time;
mapping the value for each of the plurality of KPIs to one of a plurality of states, each state defined by a range of values;
assigning a weighting to each of the plurality of KPIs based on the state to which the value for that KPI has been mapped;
calculating a value for an aggregate KPI for the same service from the values for each of the plurality of KPIs, including applying the assigned weightings for each of the plurality of KPIs to the respective values for each of the plurality of KPIs;
wherein the machine data is produced by one or more components within an information technology environment and reflects activity within the information technology environment, the machine data received over a network and reflected in computer storage in representations of events each having a segment of the machine data; and
wherein the method is performed by a computing system, the computing system comprising one or more processing devices coupled to computer memory for storing the service definition, entity definitions, and at least one search query defining at least one KPI.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
causing generation of an alert based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
generating a notable event based on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
generating an entry in an incident-review dashboard based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
causing a user-specified action based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value of the aggregate KPI is periodically updated.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine data includes at least one from among unstructured data, log data, and wire data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine data identified in at least one entity definition includes data that comes from at least two different sources having heterogeneous formats.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search query defining a KPI derives the value for that KPI in part by applying a late-binding schema to machine data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search query defining a KPI derives the value for that KPI in part by applying a late-binding schema to events containing raw portions of the machine data.

11. A method comprising:
deriving a value for each of a plurality of key performance indicators (KPIs) by executing for each KPI, automatically on a time basis, a search query that defines the KPI and that derives the value for that KPI from machine data identified in one or more stored entity definitions referenced in a stored service definition, each KPI indicating a different aspect of how a same service represented by the service definition and provided by one or more entities represented by the entity definitions is performing at a point in time or during a period of time;
mapping the value for each of the plurality of KPIs to one of a plurality of states, each state defined by a range of values;
assigning a rating to each of the plurality of KPIs based on the state to which the value for that KPI has been mapped, the rating to be assigned based on particular state mapping being user entered;
calculating a value for an aggregate KPI for the same service, including mapping the state-based rating to the values for each of the plurality of KPIs;
wherein the machine data is produced by one or more components within an information technology environment and reflects activity within the information technology environment, the machine data received over a network and reflected in computer storage in representations of events each having a segment of the machine data; and
wherein the method is performed by a computing system, the computing system comprising one or more processing devices coupled to computer memory for storing the service definition, entity definitions, and at least one search query defining at least one KPI.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
at least one from among:
causing generation of an alert based on the comparison,
generating a notable event based on the comparison,
generating an entry in an incident-review dashboard based on the comparison, and
causing a user-specified action based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the machine data identified in at least one entity definition includes data that comes from at least two different sources having heterogeneous formats.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the search query defining a KPI derives the value for that KPI in part by applying a late-binding schema to events containing raw portions of the machine data.

15. A method comprising:
deriving a value for each of a plurality of key performance indicators (KPIs) by executing for each KPI, automatically on a time basis, a search query that defines the KPI and that derives the value for that KPI from machine data identified in one or more stored entity definitions referenced in a stored service definition, each KPI indicating a different aspect of how a same service represented by the service definition and provided by one or more entities represented by the entity definitions is performing at a point in time or during a period of time;
receiving a user-selected weighting for each of the plurality of KPIs,
receiving a user-selected rating for each of a plurality of states to which a derived value for a KPI can be mapped;
calculating a value for an aggregate KPI for the same service from the values for each of the plurality of KPIs, including applying to the derived value for each of the plurality of KPIs a weighting based on both the user-selected weighting for the KPI to which the derived value corresponds and the user-selected rating for the state to which the derived value maps;
wherein the machine data is produced by one or more components within an information technology environment and reflects activity within the information technology environment, the machine data received over a network and reflected in computer storage in representations of events each having a segment of the machine data; and
wherein the method is performed by a computing system, the computing system comprising one or more processing devices coupled to computer memory for storing the service definition, entity definitions, and at least one search query defining at least one KPI.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
comparing the value for the aggregate KPI to a threshold; and
at least one from among:
causing generation of an alert based on the comparison,
generating a notable event based on the comparison,
generating an entry in an incident-review dashboard based on the comparis

Assignees

• Splunk Inc

Inventors

• Bingham Brian John
• Fletcher Tristan Antonio
• Choudhary Hemendra Singh

Classifications

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• H04L41/0213

  Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F16/334

  Query execution (filtering based on additional data G06F16/335) · CPC title

• G06F16/24542

  Plan optimisation · CPC title