CENTRALIZED CONTROL OF SOFTWARE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF A DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20020013839A1
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: CHAMPLIN, JONATHAN D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,598,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Multiple subroutines in one program, or a series of programs provide centralized network administration. The administrative program monitors communications software for consistency at both server and client locations, monitors logs, objects and files at server and/or client locations and assures that investigative measures be undertaken, either by providing automatic updates or by flagging monitored features for administrative follow-up.

Claims

1. A control facility for providing network administration for a network comprising at least one server locations and a plurality of client locations associated with each of said at least one server, comprising:

at least one processing component for gathering information about said network;

at least one storage component associated with said at least one processing component;

at least one communication component for effecting communication from said at least one processing component along said network.

2. The control facility of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing component comprises a querying component for generating a query to at least one of said locations in said network and a receiving component for receiving and processing information gathered in response to said query and for generating at least one response based upon the content of said information.

3. The control facility of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing component comprises a scanner component for scanning at least one of said locations in said network and a receiving component for receiving and processing information gathered from said scanning and for generating a response based upon said information.

4. The control facility of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing component comprises a querying component for generating a query to at least one of said locations in said network, a scanner component for scanning at least one of said locations in said network and a receiving component for receiving and processing information gathered by said processing component and for generating a response based upon the content of information gathered from at least one of said network locations.

5. The facility of claim 1 further comprising a response generating component for generating a response based upon the content of information gathered from at least one of said network locations.

6. The facility of claim 5 wherein said response generating component comprises at least means for identifying the network location from which said content was gathered.

7. The facility of claim 6 wherein said response generating component further comprises means for automatically replacing information at said network location.

8. A network comprising:

at least one server network location;

a plurality of client network locations, each associated with one of said at least one server locations;

an administrative control facility for gathering and utilizing information gathered from one or more of said network locations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said administrative control facility is located at one of said at least one server network locations.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said administrative control facility is located in a central control facility.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said at least one server network locations additionally comprises client information gathering means and at least one storage facility for storing information gathered by said client information gathering means.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said administrative control facility comprises:

at least one processing component for gathering information about said network;

at least one storage component associated with said at least one processing component;

at least one communication component for effecting communication from said at least one processing component along said network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one processing component comprises a querying component for generating a query to at least one of said locations in said network, a scanner component for scanning at least one of said locations in said network and a receiving component for receiving and processing information gathered by said processing component and for generating a response based upon the content of information gathered from at least one of said network locations.

14. A method for providing administration of a network comprising at least one server network location and a plurality of client network locations, each associated with a server network location comprising the steps of:

gathering information from at least one of said network locations;

preparing a response based upon the content of said information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said gathering comprises querying said locations for information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said gathering comprises scanning said locations and obtaining said information without involvement of processing components at said locations.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said preparing a response comprises flagging locations from which information is gathered.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising identifying replaceable information at said locations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein network information is stored and wherein said identifying comprises comparing gathered information to stored information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said preparing a response comprises automatically replacing replaceable information at said locations.