Patent ID: 8756459

Claim:
A method executed on one or more processors for detecting faults in a system, the method comprising: maintaining diagnostic history for one or more system components; receiving system information about operational state and relational interaction among system components; determining if one or more system components are to be examined, in response to performing an analysis of the diagnostic history, wherein the analysis is performed to determine if the diagnostic history includes any information that may indicate that certain system components or combinations of components are suspected of causing a problem detected in the system, wherein the diagnostic history is maintained based on an at least one examination performed on said one or more components when said one or more components were installed in a system other than the system in which the problem is detected; and wherein the other system includes a test system at a vendor's location, wherein said vendor manufactures, distributes or is otherwise concerned about the proper functionality of said one or more system components in combination with each other.