Information processing system and information processing method and service supplying method for use with the system

• US 20020099819A1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hideki Osaka, Koichi Okazawa, Ryuichi Hattori, Takashi Oeda, Toshihiko Ogura, Tsunehiro Tobita, Tsutomu Hara
• Original Assignee: Hideki Osaka, Koichi Okazawa, Ryuichi Hattori, Takashi Oeda, Toshihiko Ogura, Tsunehiro Tobita, Tsutomu Hara
• Inventors: Oeda, Takashi, Hara, Tsutomu, Ogura, Toshihiko, Osaka, Hideki, Hattori, Ryuichi, Tobita, Tsunehiro, Okazawa, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,519,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

In each of the information processing apparatuses connected to each other via a network, there is arranged a quality of service (QOS) table to which functions and performance thereof are registered. When an information processing apparatus is additionally linked with the network, a QOS table thereof is automatically registered to a local directory of the network such that an agent converts the contents of the QOS table into service information to be supplied via a user interface to the user. Thanks to the operation, information of functions and performance of each information processing apparatus connected to the network is converted into service information for the user. Consequently, the user can much more directly receive necessary services.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a directory connected to the network for controlling the tables of the respective information processing apparatuses; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for referencing contents of the control operation of the directory and supplying a user with the information of functions and performance of information processing apparatuses registered to the table.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the agent function includes:

a user associated operation for conducting a customizing operation for each user and thereby supplying the service information to the user; and

an operation for supplying the user with service information independent of any particular user.

3. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information of functions and performance to be registered to the table includes either one of a transfer speed, a random input/output performance, an access time, a bit error ratio, a mean time to data loss (MTTDL), a mean time for data availability (MTDA).

4. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information of functions and performance to be registered to the table includes either one of a name of the information processing apparatus and a type, function, performance of an input/output device of the information processing apparatus.

5. An information processing system comprising information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which functions and performance to be supplied via a network to a user is registered, wherein the apparatuses are connected to the network.

6. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other; and

a directory connected to the network for controlling the tables of the respective information processing apparatuses.

7. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a local directory connected to the network for controlling the tables of the respective information processing apparatuses; and

a global directory for controlling the local directory.

8. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a directory connected to the network for controlling the tables of the respective information processing apparatuses; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for referencing contents of the control operation of the directory and converting the information of functions and performance registered to the table into service information, thereby supplying a user with the obtained service information.

9. An information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the information of functions and performance to be registered to the table includes either one of a transfer speed, a random input/output performance, an access time, a bit error ratio, a mean time to data loss (MTTDL), a mean time for data availability (MTDA).

10. An information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the information of functions and performance to be registered to the table includes either one of a name of the information processing apparatus and a type, function, performance of an input/output device of the information processing apparatus.

11. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a local directory connected to the network for controlling a plurality of QOS tables in a unit of local areas, the local area being a set of small-sized areas;

a global directory for controlling a plurality of local directories in a global area of the unit of local areas; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for referencing contents respectively of the global and local directories and converting the information of functions and performance registered to the QOS table into service information representing quality of service, thereby supplying a user with the obtained service information.

12. An information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the agent function includes:

a user associated operation for conducting a customizing operation for each user and thereby supplying the service information to the user; and

an operation for supplying the user with service information independent of any particular user.

13. An information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the agent function includes reading contents of the plural QOS tables registered to the local directory, detecting a plurality of common functions registered to the QOS tables, and creating a service menu therefrom.

14. An information processing system according to claim 13, wherein the agent function further includes generating a QOS menu for each of the services and supplying the user with the QOS menu.

15. An information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the QOS table includes as information of functions and performance of the information processing apparatus either one of a response time, a processing performance per unitary time, and a transfer speed.

17. An information processing system according to claim 16, wherein the local directory reads, when a new information processing apparatus is connected to the network, a QOS table of the new apparatus and registers the QOS table to the system.

18. An information processing system according to claim 16, wherein the local directory deletes, when one of the information processing apparatuses is disconnected from the network, the QOS table of the disconnected apparatus.

20. An information processing system according to claim 19, wherein the agent function in the information processing apparatus includes:

a service access agent for controlling the user interface; and

a personal agent service for achieving a customization corresponding to each user and supplying the service information to the user; and

a public agent service for supplying a plurality of services shared among the users.

21. An information processing system according to claim 20, wherein the personal agent service is disposed in a client which is a terminal equipment in any one of the plural information processing apparatuses and a copy of the personal agent service is arranged in a server which achieves a control operation in the plural information processing apparatuses.

22. An information processing system according to claim 19, wherein the agent function in the information processing apparatus includes monitoring a state of each application software initiated by each user and changing, according to a state of operation of the application software, contents of the service information supplied to the user via the user interface.

24. An information processing method according to claim 23, wherein the notification is achieved by a broadcast communication.

27. An information processing method according to claim 26, wherein the registration is achieved by a broadcast communication.

16. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a local directory connected to the network for controlling a plurality of QOS tables in a unit of local areas, the local area being a set of small-sized areas;

a global directory for controlling a plurality of local directories in a global area of the unit of local areas and receiving, when contents of the local directory are changed, a notification of change in the contents from the local directory; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for supplying a user with the information of functions and performance of the apparatus, wherein

the agent modifies, according to contents of the change in the global directory, contents of service information to be supplied to the user.

19. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a local directory connected to the network for controlling a plurality of QOS tables in a unit of local areas, the local area being a set of small-sized areas;

a global directory for controlling a plurality of local directories in a global area of the unit of local areas; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for referencing contents respectively of the global and local directories and converting the information of functions and performance registered to the QOS table into service information representing quality of service, thereby supplying the obtained service information to a user via a user interface, wherein

the agent changes, according to a utilization frequency of each service of the user and contents of utilization of services, contents of the service information supplied to the user via the user interface.

23. An information processing method, comprising the steps of collecting by an information processing apparatus information of each input/output device connected to a network when the apparatus is activated and notifying the information to other information processing apparatuses via the network.

25. An information processing method, comprising the steps of transmitting a request for input/output device information from an information processing apparatus when the apparatus is activated to other information processing apparatuses via a network and thereby collecting input/output information of the information processing apparatuses.

26. An information processing method, comprising the steps of executing a predetermined benchmark program for a new information processing apparatus connected to a network and registering a result of the test to a QOS table of a directory.

28. A service supplying method for use with an information processing system including a network and information processing apparatuses connected thereto, comprising the steps of:

collecting, when a request for information of a state of each section of the information processing apparatus is received via the network, the information of the state of each section independently of operation of the apparatus; and

transmitting the information to the network via a network interface of state monitor means for monitoring the state of each section.

29. A service supplying method for use with an information processing system including a network and information processing apparatuses connected thereto, comprising the steps of:

collecting, when a request for information of a state of each section of the information processing apparatus is received according to a communication protocol via the network, the information of the state of each section independently of operation of the apparatus;

converting the information according to the communication protocol; and

transmitting the resultant information to the network via a network interface of state monitor means for monitoring the state of each section.

30. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered; and

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

wherein

any desired one of the information processing apparatuses includes an agent function for referencing contents of the QOS tables of the plural apparatuses connected to the network and converting the information of functions and performance of the apparatuses registered to the QOS tables into service information representing quality of service, thereby supplying a user with the obtained service information.

31. A service supplying method for use with an information processing system in which a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered are connected to each other via a network, comprising the steps of:

referencing, in an agent function of any desired one of the apparatuses, contents of the QOS tables of the plural apparatuses connected to the network; and

converting the information of functions and performance of the apparatuses registered to the QOS tables into service information representing quality of service, thereby supplying a user with the obtained service information.

32. An information processing system, comprising a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to each other via a network, wherein

any desired one of the apparatus collects, when the apparatus is activated, information of input/output devices connected to the network and notifies the information to other information processing apparatuses via the network.

33. An information processing system according to claim 32, wherein the notification is achieved by a broadcast communication.

34. An information processing system, comprising a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to each other via a network, wherein

any desired one of the apparatus issues, when the apparatus is activated, a request for input/output device information to another information processing apparatus via the network and acquires the input/output information thereof.

35. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having a QOS table to which information of functions and performance is registered;

a network for connecting the plural information processing apparatuses to each other;

a local directory for controlling a plurality of QOS tables in a unit of local areas;

a global directory for controlling the local directory in a global area of the unit of local areas; and

an agent function operable in either one of the information processing apparatuses for referencing, when a service request is received from a user, contents of the local directory to which an agent function belongs;

referencing, when there is missing a QOS table matching the service requested by the user, the local directory of a local area at a hierarchic level higher than that of the local area to which the agent function belongs or the global directory of the global area; and

converting, when there exists a QOS table matching the service requested by the user, the information of functions and performance of the information processing apparatus registered to the QOS table into service information representing quality of service, thereby supplying the obtained service information to the user.