Patent ID: 7181651

Claim:
A method for detecting a failure sequence or other undesirable system behavior in a computer system and subsequently taking a corresponding remedial action, comprising: receiving instrumentation signals from the computer system while the computer system is operating; determining from the instrumentation signals if the computer system is in a failure sequence that is likely to lead to undesirable system behavior, such as a system crash, wherein determining if the computer system is in a failure sequence involves: determining correlations between instrumentation signals in the computer system, wherein determining the correlations involves using a non-linear, non-parametric regression technique to determine the correlations, whereby the correlations can subsequently be used to generate estimated signals, deriving estimated signals for a number of instrumentation signals, wherein each estimated signal is derived from correlations with other instrumentation signals, and comparing an actual signal with an estimated signal for a number of instrumentation signal to determine whether the computer system is in a failure sequence; wherein the determination involves considering predetermined multivariate correlations between multiple instrumentation signals and a failure sequence that is likely to lead to undesirable system behavior; and if the computer system is in a failure sequence that is likely to lead to undesirable system behavior, taking a remedial action.