Infrastructure configuration and inventory manager

• US 10,296,328 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaganti, Ravikanth, Ali, Rizwan, Patel, Dharmesh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T.
• Application Number:
  US15/588,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20180321934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 717120-123
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]

Abstract

A configuration management resource manages the solution-level configuration of an infrastructure that includes a plurality of deployed information handling resources. The management resource has access to a master manifest, corresponding to the solution infrastructure, that identifies one or more baselined configurations of the solution infrastructure. The master manifest may include a resource type identifier corresponding to each resource deployed in the infrastructure. For each resource type, the manifest may identify all compliance-capable resources, one or more baselined components for each of said resources, and one or more baseline-required attributes for each of said components. The management resource may register resource specific plugins to implement a standard set of REST-compliant methods. The management resource may determine the current configuration of deployed infrastructure, validate the current configuration against baseline configurations identified in the manifest, and incorporate a point in time configuration as a versioned baseline in master manifest.

Claims

1. A solution configuration management method performed by an information handling system, wherein the method comprises:

accessing, by a central processing unit of the information handling system, a master manifest indicating one or more baseline configurations for an infrastructure assembly, wherein the infrastructure assembly includes a heterogeneous plurality of information handling resources and wherein the master manifest indicates;

a resource type identifier corresponding to each of the heterogeneous plurality of information handling resources; and

one or more compliance-capable resources for each resource type identifier;

determining, by the central processing unit, a first configuration of a first infrastructure wherein the first infrastructure comprises a first plurality of deployed information handling resources;

associating a first information handling resource of the first plurality of deployed information handling resources with a first registered configuration plugin, wherein the first registered configuration plugin;

supports one or more representational state transfer (REST) compliant methods for communicating with the first information handling resource; and

defines one or more interfaces, compatible with the first information handling resource, for each of the one or more REST compliant methods; and

performing, by the central processing unit, a validation operation to determine whether the first configuration corresponds to any of the one or more baseline configurations.

2. The solution configuration management method of claim 1, wherein the master manifest indicates:

one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier;

one or more components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline-required attributes of each of the one or more components.

3. The solution configuration management method of claim 1, wherein the master manifest indicates a first component and an extended attribute for the first component, wherein the extended attribute is selected from:

a dependency attribute, wherein the dependency attribute indicates a second component and wherein the second component is required for each of the one or more baseline configurations that include the first component; and

an adjacency attribute, wherein the adjacency attribute indicates a second component to which the first component must be connected for each of the one or more baseline configurations that include the first component.

4. The solution configuration management method of claim 1, wherein the master manifest indicates one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier.

5. The solution configuration management method of claim 4, wherein the master manifest identifies indicates:

one or more baseline components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline configuration attributes for each of the one or more baseline components.

6. The solution configuration management method of claim 5, wherein the validation operation includes:

determining whether the first configuration includes baseline components and baseline configuration attributes identified in the master manifest.

7. The solution configuration management method of claim 1, wherein the one or more REST compliant methods includes a GET method for the first information handling resource, wherein the GET method is configured to:

retrieve component information indicative of a group of one or more components implemented in the first information handling resource; and

retrieve one or more component attributes for each of the group of one or more components implemented in the first information handling resource.

8. The solution configuration management method of claim 7, wherein determining the first configuration of the first infrastructure includes:

executing the GET method for the first information handling resource.

9. The solution configuration management method of claim 7, wherein the one or more REST compliant methods includes a TEST method and wherein the TEST method is configured to:

determine whether a first component attribute is compliant with a requirement for the first component attribute, wherein the requirement is set forth in the master manifest.

10. The solution configuration method of claim 9, wherein the one or more REST compliant methods includes a SET method and wherein the SET method is configured to:

incorporate the first configuration in the master manifest as one of the one or more baseline configurations.

11. The solution configuration management method of claim 1, wherein:

the infrastructure assembly comprises a plurality of information handling resources mounted in a rack cabinet; and

each resource type identifier is selected from a resource type group consisting of;

a rack mount server;

a rack mount chassis;

a storage enclosure;

a network switch;

a modular computer information handling resource;

a modular storage information handling resource; and

a modular switch information handling resource.

12. An information handling system, wherein the information handling system comprises:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a computer readable medium including process-executable program instructions that, when executed, cause the CPU to perform operations, wherein the operations include;

accessing a master manifest indicating one or more baseline configurations for a infrastructure assembly, wherein the infrastructure assembly includes a heterogeneous plurality of information handling resources and wherein the master manifest indicates;

a resource type identifier corresponding to each of the heterogeneous plurality of information handling resources; and

one or more compliance-capable resources for each resource type identifier;

determining a first configuration of a first infrastructure wherein the first infrastructure comprises a first plurality of deployed information handling resources;

associating a first information handling resource of the first plurality of deployed information handling resources with a first registered configuration plugin, wherein the first registered configuration plugin;

supports one or more representational state transfer (REST) compliant methods for communicating with the first information handling resource; and

defines one or more interfaces, compatible with the first information handling resource, for each of the one or more REST compliant methods; and

performing a validation process to determine whether the first configuration corresponds to any of the one or more baseline configurations.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein:

the master manifest indicates;

one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier;

one or more components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline-required attributes of each of the one or more components.

14. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein the master manifest indicates a first component and an extended attribute for the first component, wherein the extended attribute is selected from:

a dependency attribute, wherein the dependency attribute indicates a second component and wherein the second component is required for each of set of one or more baseline configurations that include the first component; and

an adjacency attribute, wherein the adjacency attribute indicates a second component to which the first component must be connected for each of the one or more baseline configurations that include the first component.

15. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein:

the master manifest indicates one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier.

16. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the master manifest indicates:

one or more baseline components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline configuration attributes for each of the one or more baseline components.

17. The information handling system of claim 16, wherein the validation process comprises:

determining whether each of the one or more baseline components and each of the one or components baseline attributes identifying baseline components and baseline configuration attributes consistent with the first configuration.

18. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more REST compliant methods includes a GET method for the first information handling resource, wherein the GET method is configured to;

retrieve component information indicative of a group of one or more components implemented in the first information handling resource; and

retrieve component attributes for each of the group of one or more components implemented in the first information handling resource; and

wherein determining the first configuration of the infrastructure assembly includes;

executing the GET method for the first information handling resource.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein the one or more REST compliant methods includes a TEST method and wherein the TEST method is configured to:

determine whether a first component attribute is compliant with a requirement for the first component attribute, wherein the requirement for the first component attribute is set forth in the master manifest.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, wherein the one or more REST complaint methods includes a SET method and wherein the SET method is configured to:

incorporate the first configuration in the master manifest as one of the one or more baseline configurations.