The Distributed System Monitor: A Practical Implementation of System-Level Diagnosis
M. Bearden · 2006
Monitoring the operation of a distributed system makes it possible to take preventative measures that can increase system reliability, but only when the monitoring function itself is reliable. This thesis describes the Distributed System Monitor (DSM), a system monitoring tool for use in distributed systems. The DSM uses system-level diagnosis theory as its foundation to achieve reliable distributed operation in the: presence of system component failures. The distributed mondtor is designed to be a general purpose tool. A specification i:s presented which allows for configuration of the values monitored, and which provides the application designer with a toolkit of monitoring functions, al?lowing a measure of intelligent behavior to be programmed into the monitor’s operation. Operational overhead is shown to be minimum, and an implementation is discussed. The distributed system monitor represents an initial step toward developng a class of practical applications of distributed slystem-level diagnosis. Disclaimer: Any opinions, finding, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Introduction The Distributed System Mon, itor