User interface for managing multiple network resources

• US 20020149601A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nedungadi, Kishnan, Hodge, Kevin, Rohwer, Cary, Rajarajan, Vij, Johnston, James, Gallagher, Lauren, Ganesan, Anandha, Hayes, Andrew, Hall, Annette B., Kiernan, Casey, MacMahon, Mel, Zimnicks, Audrius, Bhatia, Brijesh, Martino, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 displaying information related to a plurality of resources in a network environment. The system uses web 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. In accordance with one method, a request is received to display object information from different network resources. In response, attribute and task information is retrieved from the appropriate different network resources and this information is displayed. A graphical user interface (GUI) displays information related to network resource objects. The GUI includes a console displaying a tool zone and a work zone. A module is displayed in the work zone having an object zone displaying a list of objects and a task zone displaying a list of tasks.

Claims

1. A method of displaying management information related to managed resources, each resource having at least one object, each object having associated attribute and task information, the method comprising:

receiving a request to display object information;

retrieving attribute and task information, the attribute information and the task information originating from different resources; and

displaying the attribute information and the task information.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the task information is static task information applicable to each object of a predetermined type.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the attribute information and the task information are displayed in a window of a web browser.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the attribute information relates to an instance of an object.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the act of receiving a request to display object information comprises receiving a request to display information related to two or more instances of an object.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the act of displaying task information displays static task information applicable to each of the two or more instances of an object.

7. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

requesting dynamic task information related to a first instance of the two or more instances of an object;

requesting dynamic task information related to a second instance of the two or more instances of an object;

determining what dynamic task information relates to the first and the second two or more instances of an object; and

displaying the dynamic task information that relates to the first and second instances of the two or more instances of an object.

8. A method as defined in claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a request to display task information related to at least two instances of an object;

retrieving related task information; and

displaying related task information.

9. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the attribute information and the task information are displayed in a module within a window of a web browser;

the module including an object pane displaying a list of the two or more instances of an object and the task pane displaying the static task information applicable to the two or more instances of an object.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the module further includes a work pane displaying attribute information relating to a single instance of the two or more instances of an object.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the module further includes a work pane displaying attribute information related to each of the two or more instances of an object.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein attribute information comprises a property sheet.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the static task information applicable to the two or more instances of an object is displayed as a list in the task pane.

14. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the dynamic task information applicable to the two or more instance of an object is displayed in a single window.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the retrieved attribute information is displayed in an object pane in the window of the web browser application.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the retrieved task information is displayed in a task pane in the window of the web browser application.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the retrieved task information is static task information and wherein the static task information is displayed as a list in the task pane.

19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the object pane and the task pane are displayed as windows in a module in the window of the web browser application.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the module further includes a work pane.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the module further includes a search pane.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the module is displayed as a window in a workspace in the window of the web browser application.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein two or more modules are displayed as windows in the workspace.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the work space is displayed as a window in a console in a window of the web browser application.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the console further includes a first zone including one or more tools that are operable to populate the work space.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the console further includes a second zone including one or more tools that are operable to display information related to the two or more resources.

27. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the console further includes a toolbar and a means located within the toolbar for modifying the contents of the console.

29. A graphical user interface as in claim 28, further comprising a work zone displayed in the module, the work zone displaying information related to one of the network resource objects.

30. A graphical user interface as in claim 28, further comprising a work zone displayed in the module, the work zone displaying information related to two or more of the network resource objects.

31. A graphical user interface as in claim 29, wherein the information related to the one network resource object includes a property sheet.

32. A graphical user interface as in claim 29, wherein the information related to the one network resource object includes a list of property pages.

33. A graphical user interface as in claim 30, wherein the information related to the two or more network resource objects includes property pages associated with each of the two or more network resource objects.

34. A graphical user interface as in claim 29, wherein the at least one module is displayed in a workspace displayed in the console.

35. A graphical user interface as in claim 33, wherein at least two modules are displayed in the work zone.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein the act of displaying the retrieved property sheets comprises displaying a list of the property sheets from the two or more resources.

38. A method as in claim 36, wherein the act of displaying the retrieved property sheets further comprises displaying a list of the property pages included in one of the property sheets from the two or more resources.

39. A method as in claim 37, wherein the act of displaying the retrieved property sheets further comprises displaying one of the property pages included in one of the property sheets from the two or more resources.

40. A method as in claim 37, wherein the act of displaying the retrieved property sheets further comprises displaying a property page from each of the two or more resources.

15. A method of displaying management information related to two or more managed resources in a window of a web browser application, each of the two or more resource having an object, each object having associated attribute and task information, the method comprising:

receiving a request to display object information from the two or more resources;

retrieving attribute and task information from each of the two or more resources; and

displaying the retrieved attribute and task information in the window of the web browser.

28. A graphical user interface for displaying information related to network resource objects comprising:

a console displaying at least one tool zone and at least one work zone;

at least one module displayed in the work zone;

an object zone displayed in the module, the object zone displaying a list of two or more objects;

a task zone displayed in the module, the task zone displaying a list of one or more static tasks applicable to each of the two or more objects.

36. A method of displaying management information related to network resources in a window of a web browser application, each of the network resources having at least one property sheet associated therewith, each property sheet including one or more property pages:

requesting property sheets from two or more of the network resources; and

displaying the retrieved property sheets from each of the two or more resources in the window of the web browser application.