Method and apparatus for using java dynamic proxies to interface to generic, bean-like management entities

• US 20030069969A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Jean-Baptiste Renaud
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Jean-Baptiste Renaud
• Inventors: Renaud, Benjamin Jean-Baptiste
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols

Abstract

Dynamic management proxies provide type-safe, intuitive, and flexible interfaces to management entities. In an embodiment, a strongly-typed user interface is defined for each management entity. The dynamic proxy receives user requests via this user interface. The dynamic proxies converts user requests into generic requests in compliance with the management entities generic interface. The generic requests are communicated to the management entity via the generic interface. Dynamic management proxies are created at runtime. This allows the management interface to be seamlessly extended.

Claims

1. A proxy for controlling a management entity, comprising:

an application interface that communicates with an application, wherein the application interface includes at least one application function associated with the management entity for operating on a portion of the management entity;

a function translator that produces at least one management function corresponding to an application function; and

a management interface that communicates with the management entity via the corresponding management functions.

2. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

each application function associated with the management entity utilizes a specific data type associated with the management entity.

3. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the portion of the management entity is a management attribute.

4. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the portion of the management entity is a management function.

5. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the management entity is a Java MBean.

6. The proxy of claim 5, wherein:

the MBean is associated with a run-time operation.

7. The proxy of claim 5, wherein:

the MBean is associated with a network resource.

8. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the function translator and the management interface comprise a Java invocation handler.

9. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the application is a management application.

10. The proxy of claim 1, wherein:

the application is a MBean Server.

11. The proxy of claim 5, wherein:

the management interface communicates management functions to the management entity via an MBean Server.

12. The proxy of claim 5, wherein:

the management interface communicates management functions to the management entity via an MBeanHome.

13. The proxy of claim 2, wherein:

the management interface receives a data response to at least one of the communicated management functions from the management entity;

the function translator converts the data response to the specific data type utilized by the application function associated with the management entity; and

the application interface communicates the converted data response to the application via the application function.

14. A method for creating a proxy for controlling a management entity, comprising:

(a) retrieving entity information describing the management entity in response to an application request;

(b) evaluating the entity information to determine a management entity type instantiated by the management entity; and

(c) creating a proxy adapted to the management entity type and associated with the management entity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein Step (c) comprises:

creating an interface class object specifying an application interface associated with the management entity type;

creating an instance of an invocation handler associating at least the application interface with a corresponding management interface; and

invoking a proxy creation method on at least the instance of the invocation handler and the interface class object to create a proxy object associated with the management entity.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the application request specifies a management entity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

returning the proxy object to the application.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the application request specifies the value of at least one management attribute.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein Step (a) further comprises:

locating management entities having the specified management attribute; and

retrieving entity information for a located management entity matching the value of the specified management attribute.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

returning the proxy object to the application in an iterator;

21. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the management entity is a Java MBean.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the MBean is associated with a run-time operation.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the MBean is associated with a network resource.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the entity information is retrieved from an MBean Server.

45. An article of manufacture including an information storage medium wherein is stored information, the information comprising:

a group of processor readable instructions adapted to operate on a processing device, wherein the group of processor readable instructions are adapted to operate the processing device according to the method of claim 14.

25. A system for managing services of a distributed processing system, comprising:

a management entity of a specific management entity type associated with a service of the distributed processing system and having a management entity interface;

an application having an application interface; and

a management entity proxy for communicating information between the management entity and the application, wherein communication with the management entity is via the management entity interface, and wherein communication with the application is via the application interface.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the management entity interface includes at least one management entity function disassociated with the specific entity type; and

the application interface includes at least one application function associated with the specific management entity type.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the communication via the management entity interface utilizes the management entity function; and

the communication via the application interface utilizes the application function.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the application function utilizes a specific data type associated with the specific management entity.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein:

the management entity function utilizes a general data type disassociated with the specific management entity.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the management entity proxy converts information to the general data type for communication with the management entity; and

the management entity proxy converts information to the specific data type for communication with the application.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a management entity handler for communicating information between the management entity and the management entity proxy.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein:

the management entity handler is comprised of a Java MBean Server.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the management entity handler is further comprised of an MBeanHome .

34. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the service of the distributed processing system associated with the management entity is a management attribute.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the service of the distributed processing system associated with the management entity is a management function.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the management entity is a Java MBean.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the service of the distributed processing system is a run-time operation.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the service of the distributed processing system is a network resource.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the management entity proxy includes a Java invocation handler.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the application is an MBean Server.

41. A method for converting functions of a strongly-typed interface to functions of a generic interface, comprising:

receiving a function invocation from the strongly-typed interface;

identifying the function invocation as an invocation of a function of a specific function type;

selecting at least one generic function of the generic interface corresponding to the specific function type; and

invoking the generic function.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

in the step of receiving, receiving a function argument of a first data type associated with the function invocation;

converting the function argument to a generic function argument of a second data type associated with the generic function; and

in the step of invoking, invoking the generic function with the generic function argument.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving a generic function response of a first data type from the generic function;

converting the generic function response to a function response of a second data type associated with the function invocation from the strongly-typed interface; and

responding to the received function invocation with the function response of the second data type.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the generic function is a Java JMX function.

46. An article of manufacture including an information storage medium wherein is stored information, the information comprising:

a group of processor readable instructions adapted to operate on a processing device, wherein the group of processor readable instructions are adapted to operate the processing device according to the method of claim 41.

47. A proxy for controlling a management entity, comprising:

an application interface means for communicating with an application, wherein the application interface means includes at least one application function associated with the management entity for operating on a portion of the management entity;

a function translator means for producing at least one management function corresponding to an application function; and

a management interface means for communicating with the management entity via the corresponding management functions.