Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing therein a computer program that causes a computer to perform:obtaining information indicative of a state a managed device;identifying rhea symptom of the managed device by checking the information obtained by the obtaining against a symptom database, which includes a state of the managed device and the symptom of the managed device specified by the state associated with each other;determining a countermeasure to solve the symptom of the managed device by checking the symptom identified by the identifying against a countermeasure database, which includes information related to determination of the countermeasure with respect to each symptom;taking the countermeasure determined by the determining;evaluating whether the countermeasure taken at the taking has solved the symptom; andupdating the countermeasure database based on an evaluation result, wherein the updating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures to solve the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, whereina countermeasure with a higher rate is determined as the countermeasure to be taken. 2. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining a countermeasure with a highest rate as the countermeasure to be taken. 3. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by multiplying efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate. 4. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate to a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure. 5. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, further evaluating whether the countermeasure taken at the taking has caused a side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance associated with the countermeasure, and storing a number of times the countermeasure has caused the side effect in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a primary rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures and a secondary rate at which the side effect associated with the countermeasure has occurred, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the primary rate to a product of multiplication of a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the secondary rate. 6. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe evaluating includes storing, when the symptom of the managed device is solved by the countermeasure taken at the taking, date and time at which the symptom is solved in the countermeasure database associated with the countermeasure, andthe determining includes obtaining, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, the date and time stored in the countermeasure database associated with each of the countermeasures, and determining the countermeasure with a most recent date and time as the countermeasure to be taken. 7. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the symptom database with respect to each symptom that is to be solved by the countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe identifying includes calculating a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking the countermeasures based on information stored in the symptom database at the evaluating, and identifying the symptom occurring in the managed device in priority of a symptom with a high rate. 8. A system management apparatus comprising:an information obtaining unit that obtains information indicative of a state of the managed device;a symptom identifying unit that identifies the symptom of the managed device by checking the information obtained by the information obtaining unit against a symptom database, which includes the state of the managed device and the symptom of the managed device specified by the state associated with each other;a countermeasure determining unit that determines a countermeasure to solve the symptom of the managed device by checking the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit against a countermeasure database, which includes information related to determination of the countermeasure with respect to each symptom;a countermeasure taking unit that takes the countermeasure determined by the countermeasure determining unit; anda countermeasure-result evaluating unit that evaluates whether the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit has solved the symptom, and updates the countermeasure database based on an evaluation result, whereinthe countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, andthe countermeasure determining unit calculates, when the countermeasure I database includes a plurality of countermeasures to solve the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures anda countermeasure with a higher rate is determined as the countermeasure to be taken. 9. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein,when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, the countermeasure determining unit calculates a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determines a countermeasure with a highest rate as the countermeasure to be taken. 10. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, whereinthe countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, andwhen the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, the countermeasure determining unit calculates a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determines, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by multiplying efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate. 11. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, whereinthe countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, andwhen the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, the countermeasure determining unit calculates a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determines, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate to a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure. 12. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, whereinthe countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, further evaluates whether the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit has caused a side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance associated with the countermeasure, and stores a number of times the countermeasure has caused the side effect in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure, andwhen the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, the countermeasure determining unit calculates a primary rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures and a secondary rate at which the side effect associated with the countermeasure has occurred, and determines, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the primary rate to a product of multiplication of a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the secondary rate. 13. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, whereinwhen the symptom of the managed device is solved by the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, the countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores date and time at which the symptom is solved in the countermeasure database associated with the countermeasure, andwhen the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified by the symptom identifying unit, the countermeasure determining unit obtains the date and time stored in the countermeasure database associated with each of the countermeasures, and determines the countermeasure with a most recent date and time as the countermeasure to be taken. 14. The system management apparatus according to claim 8, whereinthe countermeasure-result evaluating unit stores a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the symptom database with respect to each symptom that is to be solved by the countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken by the countermeasure taking unit, andthe symptom identifying unit calculates a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking the countermeasures based on information stored in the symptom database by the countermeasure-result evaluating unit, and identifies the symptom occurring in the managed device in priority of a symptom with a high rate. 15. A system management method for identifying a symptom of a problem occurring in a managed device, determining a countermeasure to solve the symptom, and taking the countermeasure, the system management method comprising:obtaining information indicative of a state of the managed device;identifying the symptom of the managed device by checking the information obtained the obtaining against a symptom database, which includes the state of the managed device and the symptom of the managed device specified by the state associated with each other;determining a countermeasure to solve the symptom of the managed device by checking the symptom identified by the identifying against a countermeasure database, which includes information related to determination of the countermeasure with respect to each symptom;taking the countermeasure determined by the determining;evaluating whether the countermeasure taken at the taking has solved the symptom; andupdating the countermeasure database based on an evaluation result, wherein the updating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database I includes a plurality of countermeasures to solve the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures anda countermeasure with a higher value is determined as the countermeasure to be taken. 16. The system management method according to claim 15, wherein,the determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining a countermeasure with a highest rate as the countermeasure to be taken. 17. The system management method according to claim 15, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by multiplying efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate. 18. The system management method according to claim 15, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the rate to a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure. 19. The system management method according to claim 15, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, further evaluating whether the countermeasure taken at the taking has caused a side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance associated with the countermeasure, and storing a number of times the countermeasure has caused the side effect in the countermeasure database with respect to each countermeasure, andthe determining includes calculating, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, a primary rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking each of the countermeasures and a secondary rate at which the side effect associated with the countermeasure has occurred, and determining, as the countermeasure to be taken, a countermeasure with a highest value obtained by adding a product of multiplication of efficiency stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the primary rate to a product of multiplication of a value indicative of a level of side effect stored in the countermeasure database in advance with respect to each countermeasure by the secondary rate. 20. The system management method according to claim 15, whereinthe evaluating includes storing, when the symptom of the managed device is solved by the countermeasure taken at the taking, date and time at which the symptom is solved in the countermeasure database associated with the countermeasure, andthe determining includes obtaining, when the countermeasure database includes a plurality of countermeasures corresponding to the symptom identified at the identifying, the date and time stored in the countermeasure database associated with each of the countermeasures, and determining the countermeasure with a most recent date and time as the countermeasure to be taken. 21. The system management method according to claim 15, whereinthe evaluating includes storing a number of times the countermeasure has been taken and a number of times the symptom of the managed device has been solved by taking the countermeasure in the symptom database with respect to each symptom that is to be solved by the countermeasure based on the evaluation result of the countermeasure taken at the taking, andthe identifying includes calculating a rate at which the symptom has been solved by taking the countermeasures based on information stored in the symptom database at the evaluating, and identifying the symptom occurring in the managed device in priority of a symptom with a high rate.