Method and system for management of multiple network resources

• US 20020156865A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nedungadi, Kishnan, Rajarajan, Vij, Ganesan, Anandha, Hayes, Andrew, Kiernan, Casey, MacMahon, Mel, Bhatia, Brijesh, Robison, Jeff, Zimnickas, Audrius
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 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. Using these communications, the management system uniformly associates information from the various resources via various multi-step, scenario-based functions, such as, for example, searches, monitoring, scripting, software deployment, etc. That is, the management system is able to provide easier, higher-level operation options to the administrator based on the associated information related to the various resources.

Claims

1. A system for managing 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

in response to the receipt of a request to access information, the management module accesses information from more than one resource.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the management module comprises a configuration manager for receiving information from a plurality of resources and a configuration store for storing predetermined information for the plurality of resources.

3. A system as defined in claim 2 wherein the configuration manager installs resources such that the management module can modify configuration information for the plurality of resources.

4. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of resources provides information to the configuration manager in XML format.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of resources manages one or more objects, each object comprising:

one or more attributes, each attribute having a data field and a value;

one or more associated tasks that may be performed on the object; and

wherein the management module accesses attribute and task information from the associated resources in response to a request to access information.

6. A system as defined in claim 5 wherein the attribute information for an object is provided by more than one resource.

7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein each object is defined by a property sheet and the attribute information is a property page in the property sheet.

8. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein the task information for an object is provided by more than one resource.

9. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein each object is defined by a property sheet and the task information is in a property page associated with the property sheet.

10. A system as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

a configuration manager for receiving and storing information from a plurality of resources relating to managed objects; and

a property sheet manager for receiving and storing property sheet information related to managed objects.

11. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a configuration manager for receiving information from a plurality of resources, each resource having associated objects;

a configuration store for storing predetermined information for the plurality of resources; and

a search manager adapted to receive predetermined search information from a plurality of resources;

a search data store adapted to store predetermined search information for the various resources; and

wherein the search manager searches the plurality of resources in response to a single search request.

12. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the management layer further comprises:

a configuration manager for receiving information from a plurality of resources, each resource having associated objects;

a configuration store for storing predetermined information for the plurality of resources; and

a task manager, wherein the task manager receives task information from the configuration manager related to tasks that may be completed in managing the plurality of resources.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the information received from the first resource comprises a first property page and wherein the information received from the second resource comprises a second property page and wherein the method further comprises:

creating a property sheet for the first managed object;

associating the first property page with the property sheet; and

associating the second property page with the property sheet.

15. A method as defined in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a search request from a client computer system; and

searching a plurality of resources in response to the single search request using information associated with the property sheet.

16. A method as defined in claim 15 further comprising the act of sharing search information between resources.

17. A method as defined in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a task request from a client computer system; and

in response to the task request, requesting task completion from a plurality of resources.

18. A method as defined in claim 17 wherein the act of requesting task completion from a plurality of resources comprises:

identifying two or more resources to configure in response to the task request; and

performing the task by accessing the two or more resources identified. perform a task from a client'"'"'s computer system.

19. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the act of receiving information from the first and second resources is performed by a configuration manager and wherein the method further comprises:

notifying a search manager that search information has been received.

20. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the act of receiving information from the first and second resources is performed by a configuration manager and wherein the method further comprises:

notifying a task manager that search information has been received.

21. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 13.

22. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 17.

23. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 18.

25. The computer program product as defined in claim 24 wherein the data structure further comprises task information provided by the first and second resources.

13. A method of managing a plurality of resources, each resource having managed objects, wherein each of the objects has associated attribute and task information, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first resource related to attribute information for a first managed object;

receiving information from a second resource related to attribute information for the first managed object, storing the information received from the second resource with the information received from the first resource in association with the first managed object;

receiving a request to access information related to the first managed object; and

accessing stored information from the first and second resources to access information related to the first managed object.

24. A computer program product readable by a computer and having stored thereon a data structure comprising information provided by a first resource relating to attribute information for a first managed object and information provided by a second resource relating to attribute information for the first managed object.