Method and system for task based management of multiple network resources

• US 20020143949A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nedungadi, Kishnan, Rajarajan, Vij, Kiernan, Casey, MacMahon, Mel, Bhatia, Brijesh, Hodge, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• 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 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 : Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method and system for task-based management of a plurality of resources in a network environment. The system uses web technology, preferably XML-technology, to receive and store information related to back-end resources and to provide a framework by which client computer systems can manage the plurality of back-end resources in a uniform manner. The method for managing a plurality of resources relates to receiving information from a resource related to a task for an object type and then receiving information from another resource related to a different task, but where the different task is associated with the same object type. The method then stores the information received from the second resource in association with the information received from the first resource. Next, the method receives a request to perform the management task in relation to the first managed object and determines which resource to call in response to the request; and then sends a task request to the determined resource to perform the management task.

Claims

1. A method of performing a management task, the task modifying information associated with one or more back-end resources in a distributed network, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first resource related to a first task, the first task information for a first managed object of a predetermined object type;

receiving information from a second resource related to a second task, the second task associated with the first managed object;

storing the information received from the second resource in association with the information received from the first resource;

receiving a request to perform the management task in relation to the first managed object;

determining which resource to call in response to the request; and

sending a task request to the determined resource to perform the management task.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to display task information related to the first object; and

displaying task information received from both back-end resources in response to the request to display task information.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the method further comprises

receiving static task information related to the object type of the first managed object;

storing the static task information in a task store;

receiving dynamic task information related to the first managed object, the dynamic task information including a task handler identification within the back-end resource; and

in response to the request to display task information, displaying both static and dynamic task information.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the task handler identification is a pointer to some executable code on the first resource.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the task handler identification relates to executable code on the first resource and the second resource.

6. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the request to display task information, retrieving static task information from the task store;

sending a request for dynamic task information to one of the resources using the handler identification, the request including instance information for the first managed object; and

receiving dynamic task information for the instance of the first managed object.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprising:

associating a first management task with a second management task; and

storing a script function, wherein the script function is callable and performs both the first management task and the second management task.

8. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 1.

9. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 2.

10. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 3.

11. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 6.

12. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 7.

14. A computer program product as defined in claim 13 wherein the notification includes the task information.

15. A computer program product as defined in claim 13 wherein the task information relates to an object type managed by the new resource, the method further comprising:

determining whether the task information relates to an existing managed object type;

if so, associating the task information with the existing object type; and

if not, associating the task information with a new object type.

16. A computer program product as defined in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a request to perform a management task with respect to an object type; and

performing the management task with respect to all instances of the object type.

17. A computer program product as defined in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a request to display available tasks for an object type; and

displaying the management tasks available with respect to the object type.

19. A system as defined in claim 18, wherein the management module comprises a task manager to receive and store task information, the task manager further communicates with the resources to perform the management task.

20. A system as defined in claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of resources provides information to the task manager in XML format.

21. A system as defined in claim 19 further comprising a scripting manager for combining multiple tasks into a single script function.

13. In a network environment having multiple resources, a computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a notification that a new resource has been installed on the network environment, the installation process including communication information with the new resource;

retrieving task information associated with new resource;

storing the task information associated with the new resource; and

sharing the task information with another resource on the network.

18. A system for task-based management of a plurality of resources comprising:

a management module in communication with the plurality of resources, the management module capable of receiving a request to access information related to one or more of the plurality of resources and to receive task information from the plurality of resources; and

in response to the receipt of a request to perform a task, the management module performing task functions on more than one resource.