Dynamic, policy based management of administrative procedures within a distributed computing environment

• US 20020091939A1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Swart, Rose Anne, Garrison, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,769,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

An administrative management system comprising an administrative server and a client is disclosed. In response to a selection of an administrative procedure to be executed on the client, the administrative server determines if an execution of the administrative procedure on the client is in compliance with one or more corresponding policies. If the execution is in compliance with the corresponding policy or policies, the administrative server determines the storage location of the administrative procedure. If the selected administrative procedure is stored on the client, the administrative server executes the administrative procedure on the client. If the selected administrative procedure is stored on the administrative server, the administrative server pushes a corresponding script of the administrative procedure from the administrative server to the client and then installs and executes the script on the client. If the selected administrative procedure is stored at a remote location, the administrative server pushes a corresponding script of the administrative procedure from the remote location to the client and then installs and executes the script on the client.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing a first set of at least one administrative procedure on an administrative server;

storing a second set of at least one administrative procedure on a client; and

centralizing a management of said first set of at least one administrative procedure and said second set of at least one administrative within said administrative server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a first administrative procedure to execute on said client; and

determining if said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing said first administrative procedure on said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said second set of at least one administrative procedure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pushing a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from said administrative server to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said first set of at least one administrative procedure.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

installing said first script on said client;

executing said first script on said client; and

uninstalling said first script from said client upon completing said execution of said first script on said client.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing a third set of at least one administrative procedure on a file server, wherein

said administrative server centrally manages said first set of at least one administrative procedure, said second set of at least one administrative procedure, and said third set of at least one administrative procedure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

pushing a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from said file server to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said third set of at least one administrative procedure.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

installing said first script on said client;

executing said first script on said client; and

uninstalling said first script from said client upon completing said execution of said first script on said client.

9. A method, comprising:

storing a set of at least one administrative procedure on a client;

selecting a first administrative procedure to execute on said client; and

determining if said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

executing said first administrative procedure on said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said set of at least one administrative procedure.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

pushing a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from a remote location to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is excluded from said set of at least one administrative procedure.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

installing said first script on said client;

executing said first script on said client; and

uninstalling said first script from said client upon completing said execution of said first script on said client.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy, wherein

said pushing of said first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from a remote location to said client is performed when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy.

16. The distributed computing system of claim 15, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to determine if an execution of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy.

17. The distributed computing system of claim 15, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to execute said first administrative procedure on said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within first second set of at least one administrative procedure.

18. The distributed computing system of claim 17, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to push a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from said administrative server to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said second set of at least one administrative procedure.

19. The distributed computing system of claim 18, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to install and execute said first scrip on said client;

and

said administrative server is operable to uninstall said first script from said client upon completing an execution of said first script on said client.

20. The distributed computing system of claim 16, further comprising:

wherein

a file server operable to store a third set of at least one administrative procedure, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to centrally manage said first set of at least one administrative procedure, said second set of at least one administrative procedure, and said third set of at least one administrative procedure.

21. The distributed computing system of claim 20, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to push a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from said administrative server to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said third set of at least one administrative procedure.

22. The distributed computing system of claim 21, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to install and execute said first scrip on said client;

and

said administrative server is further operable to uninstall said first script from said client upon completing an execution of said first script on said client.

24. The distributed computing system of claim 23, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to execute said first administrative procedure on said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is included within said set of at least one administrative procedure.

25. The distributed computing system of claim 23, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to push a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from a remote location to said client when said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy and said first administrative procedure is excluded from said set of at least one administrative procedure.

26. The distributed computing system of claim 25, wherein

said administrative server is further operable to install and execute said first scrip on said client;

and

said administrative server is further operable to uninstall said first script from said client upon completing an execution of said first script on said client.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

a means for determining whether an execution of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with said set of at least one policy.

13. A method, comprising:

selecting a first administrative procedure to execute on a client;

pushing a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from a remote location to said client.

15. A distributed computing system, comprising:

a client operable to store a first set of at least one administrative procedure; and

an administrative server operable to store a second set of at least one administrative procedure, said administrative server is further operable to centrally manage said first set of at least one administrative procedure and said second set of at least one administrative procedure.

23. A distributed computing system, comprising:

a client operable to store a set of at least one administrative procedure on a client; and

an administrative server to determine if an execution of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy.

27. A computer program product in a computer useable medium, comprising:

a means for selecting a first administrative procedure to execute on a client;

a means for determining if said executing of said first administrative procedure on said client is in compliance with a corresponding set of at least one policy; and

a means for pushing a first script corresponding to said first administrative procedure from a remote location to said client.