Patent ID: 7882210

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for monitoring a distributed computing system comprising: determining, at an agent formation node of the distributed computing system, a first quantity of first agents reporting to the agent formation node and limiting the first quantity of first agents to not exceed a first predetermined threshold, the first agents configured to directly report to the agent formation node a first information corresponding to management of a first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents, the agent formation node and the first agents forming a first hierarchy; determining a second quantity of second agents reporting to the agent formation node through one of the first agents, the second agents reporting a second information corresponding to management of a second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents, wherein when the second quantity of second agents exceeds a second predetermined threshold, dynamically forming a second hierarchy of agents; notifying the first agents to report to the agent formation node the first information corresponding to the management of the first portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the first agents; and notifying the second agents to report to the one of first agents the second information corresponding to the management of the second portion of the distributed computing system being monitored by the second agents.