Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides apparatus including a data structure representing a fault tree for a system. The data structure comprises a plurality of events linked by propagations. Each event is classified as one of at least three possible event types. A first type of event is a problem event, which represents an underlying cause of misbehavior in the system. A second type of event is an error event, which represents an error in the system comprising an incorrect signal or datum. A third type of event is a report event, representing the formal detection by the system of an error. Each propagation in the fault tree denotes a cause and effect linkage from one event to another event. There are no propagations within the fault tree to a problem event.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for automated diagnosis for a system. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a fault tree representation of the system, the fault tree specifying propagations of errors generated in the system by problems to produce error reports. At least some of the propagations have timing information associated therewith. One or more error reports having timing information associated therewith are received and analysed using the fault tree representation to determine a suspect list of problems. The suspect list contains those problems that could have generated errors to produce the received error reports compatible with the propagations in the fault tree, and consistent with the timing information associated with the propagations and the received error reports.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method for simulating the operation of a system. The method includes providing a fault tree representation of the system. The fault tree defines a set of problems that may occur in the system, and specifies propagations in the system whereby a problem may create one or more errors that may in turn be detected by error detectors to produce corresponding error reports. The fault tree representation allows the presence of a problem in the system to be simulated, and the set of error reports resulting from the simulated problem to be determined. This simulation can be repeated for different problems to compare the sets of error reports potentially produced by the different problems.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for generating a data structure representative of a fault tree for a system. One embodiment of the method includes providing one or more input files comprising a source code description of the fault tree. The source code description has a plurality of statements specifying events and propagations in the fault tree, where a propagation represents a cause and effect linkage between events. The method further includes compiling the input files in source code into the data structure.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for performing automated management on a system. The method includes providing a fault tree representation of the system. The fault tree specifies propagations of errors generated in the system by problems to produce error reports. The method further includes receiving one or more error reports which are analyzed using the fault tree representation to determine one or more suspected problems. The suspected problems represent those problems that could have generated errors to produce the received error reports compatible with the propagations in the fault tree. The method further includes deconfiguring or reconfiguring one or more components in the system in response to the determination of the suspected problems.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product diagnosing and resolving faults is disclosed. A disclosed fault management architecture includes a fault manager suitable having diagnostic engines and fault correction agents. The diagnostic engines receive error information and identify associated fault possibilities. The fault possibility information is passed to fault correction agents, which diagnose and resolve the associated faults. The architecture uses logs to track the status of error information, the status of fault management exercises, and the fault status of system resources. Additionally, a soft error rate discriminator can be employed to track and resolve soft (correctible) errors in the system. The architecture is extensible allowing additional diagnostic engines and agents to be plugged in to the architecture without interrupting the normal operational flow of the computer system.