System for managing a network

• US 20030055939A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Isokawa, Hiromi, Kayashima, Makoto, Ishida, Yasuji, Senoo, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 41/0253 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 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

In an integrated management system for providing a network system having a plurality of computers with a security function and managing a plurality of target products, implementation of the management system itself is facilitated by providing the management system with setting information templates prepared for respective target products, a management program for managing setting information files of target products actually used in a target network, an edit program for editing setting information files, and an install program for installing setting information files created by using the management program and the edit program in respective target devices.

Claims

1. An integrated management system for managing a plurality of target products used to provide a network system having a plurality of computers with a security function, the integrated management system comprising:

a setting information template for forming a basis of setting a target product to be added to the network system;

an edit program for editing a setting information file based on the setting information template, in association with the target product;

an install program for conducting setting of the target product in accordance with the setting information file; and

a management program for managing the setting information file created based on the setting information template,

wherein the target product is managed by using the setting information template and the setting information file.

2. The integrated management system according to claim 1, wherein

the integrated management system comprises an integrated management server connected to a network, and a plurality of target servers,

the edit program and the management program are disposed in the integrated management server,

the install program is disposed in the target servers connected to the network, and

the install program installs the created setting information file in the target servers.

3. The integrated management system according to claim 2, wherein the target product is software that operates on the target servers.

4. The integrated management system according to claim 3, wherein the setting information template and the setting information file are defined by using an XML form.

5. The integrated management system according to claim 1, wherein the edit program comprises a browser program, a server program, a CGI program started by the server program, and an XSL file for creating a screen layout.

6. The integrated management system according to claim 5, wherein the browser program is disposed on another client computer that can communicate with the integrated management server.

7. The integrated management system according to claim 1, wherein

setting information that functions as a basis for a product category to which the target product belongs is described in the template, and

the integrated management system further comprises a converter for creating a setting information template for the target product from the setting information template.