APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANAGING SYSTEM, AND MACHINE READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING PROGRAM

• US 20020013855A1
• Filed: 08/18/1998
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: AKIYAMA, KAZUHITO, TOYOSHIMA, HIROBUMI, ISHII, SUGIO, YASUHIDE, NIIMURA
• Granted Patent: US 6,662,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A system management apparatus and method adapted for use in a network system that comprises a plurality of devices such as computers connected via a network, whereby it is possible to automatically manage device information unique to each of the devices in association with users of the devices and subordinate organizations that possess the devices. The system and method additionally allow for automatically creating a database for managing device information of each device that constitutes a network system, thereby reducing system administrator'"'"'s efforts required for system management operations. Moreover, in accordance with the system management apparatus and method of this invention, it is possible to interlock a database for managing device information of each device that constitutes a network system with another database for managing information of subordinate organizations having the devices and users of the devices such that a change in the users and the subordinate organizations is automatically reflected in the device information of each device, thereby facilitating maintenance and management of the device information.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a plurality of managed devices, a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item for each of said managed devices, comprising:

an information handler for handling a plurality of information data items about said system, each of said information data items having a keyword data item;

a device database for storing a plurality of device data items, each being unique to each of said plurlaity of managed devices, and for storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and

data change management means, being responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, for changing a corresponding one of said device data items.

3. The system management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, further comprising:

second device database updating means for updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.

5. The system management apparatus of claim 1 wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

7. The system management apparatus of claim 3 wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

2. In a computer system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, said system management apparatus comprising:

an information handler for handling a plurality of information data items, each having said keyword data item;

a device database for storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and for storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;

device change detecting means for scanning each of said managed devices, said device change detecting means being responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, for detecting at least one change including change to said devices and change to said device data items; and

first device database updating means for updating stored device data items and keyword data items, consistent with said detected device change.

4. The system management apparatus of claim 2, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, further comprising:

second device database updating means for updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.

6. The system management apparatus of claim 2 wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

8. The system management apparatus of claim 4 wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

9. In a system including a plurality of managed devices, a system management method for managing at least one device data item for each of said managed devices, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said system, each information data item having a keyword data item;

storing a plurality of device data items, each being unique to each of said managed devices, and storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and

responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, changing a given one of said device data items.

11. The system management method of claim 9, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, additionally comprising the step of:

updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.

13. The system management method of claim 9, wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

15. The system management method of claim 11, wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

10. In a system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item for each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, a system management method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said system, each information data item having said keyword data item;

storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;

scanning each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, detecting a device change including at least one of a change to a managed devices and a change to one of said device data items; and

updating said device data item and said keyword data item, responsive to said detected device change.

12. The system management method of claim 10, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, additionally comprising the step of:

updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.

14. The system management method of claim 10, wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

16. The system management method of claim 12, wherein said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.

17. A machine readable storage medium for storing a program adapted for use in a system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item of each of said managed devices, said program being executable by a computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out machine-effected steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said computer, each information data item having a keyword data item;

storing a plurality of device data items, each being unique to each of said managed devices, and storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and

responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, changing a given one of said device data items.

19. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, and wherein said program is executable by said computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out an additional machine-effected step of:

updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.

18. A machine readable storage medium for storing a program adapted for use in a system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, said program being executable by a computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out machine-effected steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said system, each information data item having said keyword data item;

storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;

scanning each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, detecting a device change including at least one of a change in a given one of said managed devices and a change in a given one of said device data items; and

updating said device data item and said keyword data item, which are stored in said device database and are assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said detected device change.

20. The machine readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein said information data item and said device data item partly overlap each other, and wherein said program is executable by said computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out an additional machine-effected step of:

updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, which is stored in said device database and is assigned to a given one of said managed devices, in line with said information data item that is stored in said information database and has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated.