Method and apparatus for increasing the functionality and ease of use of lights out management in a directory enabled environment

• US 20030131113A1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Neufeld, E. David, Reeves, Drue A., Davenport, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A technique is provided for managing network devices and computer systems via a remote directory environment. The remote directory environment organizes various resources, such as servers, in a directory structure and provides access rights and restrictions to the resources based on groups or roles. A user with the proper access rights is then able to access the desired resource, such as a server, and create or modify management operations, device configurations, and other tasks. The subject device may then be notified of the new or modified operation, configuration, or task. The subject device also may routinely or periodically retrieve various management tasks from the remote directory environment.

Claims

1. A method of remote control for a networked device, comprising the acts of:

integrating the networked device into a remote directory service comprising user logins and access rights for a plurality of authorized users;

providing a device control feature for the networked device in the remote directory service; and

controlling access to the device control feature based on the user logins and access rights for the plurality of authorized users.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of creating the remote directory service for a plurality of devices, including the networked device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act of creating the remote directory service comprises the act of forming a hierarchical directory structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing the device control feature comprises the act of facilitating remote configuration of the networked device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing the device control feature comprises the act of facilitating remote control of a lights out management board disposed on the networked device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of controlling access to the device control feature comprises the act of associating authorized user groups of the plurality of authorized users to the networked device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of providing an interface for the plurality of authorized users to interact with the remote directory service from a remote console.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of notifying the networked device of a control task generated by the device control feature.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of providing an interface for the networked device to retrieve a control task generated by the device control feature.

10. A method of remote device control, comprising the acts of:

facilitating interaction between a remote client and a desired device of a plurality of networked devices via a directory server, which comprises user logins and access rights to the networked devices for a plurality of authorized users;

providing device controls for the networked devices in the directory server;

controlling access to the device controls based on the user logins and access rights; and

transmitting to the desired device a control task generated by the remote client using one of the device controls.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of facilitating interaction comprises the act of providing a hierarchical directory structure based on groups of the plurality of authorized users, each of the groups having at least one of the plurality of networked devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of providing the device controls comprises the act of facilitating remote configuration of the desired device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of providing the device controls comprises the act of facilitating remote control of a management module disposed on the desired device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of controlling access to the device controls comprises the act of associating authorized user groups of the plurality of authorized users to each of the networked devices.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of transmitting the control task comprises the act of notifying the desired device of the control task generated by the device control feature.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of transmitting the control task comprises the act of responding to a task request from the desired device.

17. A system of remote control for the networked device, comprising:

a directory server, comprising;

a directory database, comprising;

a plurality of authorized users and user login data for each of the plurality of authorized users;

a plurality of networked devices;

access rights to the networked devices for each of the plurality of authorized users;

a device management system for the plurality of networked devices;

a directory structure for the directory database; and

an interface for the directory structure adapted to facilitate interaction between the directory server, a remote console, and the plurality of networked devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the access rights of the resource access control database comprise device rights and restrictions to manage each of the plurality of networked devices with the device management system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the directory structure comprises a plurality of organizational groups associated with at least one of the plurality of networked devices.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the device management system comprises a plurality of control functions for each of the plurality of networked devices.