System and method for mapping management objects to console neutral user interface

• US 20030132963A1
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thorpe, James, Sweitzer, John W., Salahshoor, Mohamad R., Diller, John E., Hedstrom, Margaret M., Gay, James L., Barker, Kevin S., Persche, Carol J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A generic management definition object, described using a CIM MOF file or an Extensible Markup Language document, can be used to format display panels that are independent of a management console. A generic integration layer is created between the management data and the display and behavior of such data. A transformation engine is used to convert data definitions included in management data to a formatted structure that is stored in a repository. A translation engine renders the formatted structure into graphical user interface constructs that are independent of any particular management console architecture. The transformation and translation engines coordinate a set of processes that facilitate the display and manipulation of the management data object'"'"'s data model. GUI display panels that support the management model are generated in a console neutral manner so that the same panels are displayed from a variety of management consoles.

Claims

1. A method of generating display information from management definition data, said method comprising:

receiving a display panel identifier;

locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object;

retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes reading the management definition object;

creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions; and

writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the management definition object includes a common information model managed object format file.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

associating one of the data control objects with an external data source.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names; and

writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the data control objects is selected from the group consisting of a text box control, a list box control, a combo box control, a check box control, and a radio button control.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the data definitions include one or more data specifications corresponding to at least one of the data control objects, and wherein at least one of the data specifications are selected from the group consisting of a minimum value, a maximum value, a data type, and a valid values list.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors; and

a display generation tool for generating display panels from management information, the display generation tool including;

input logic for receiving a display panel identifier;

identification logic for locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object;

means for retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes means for reading the management definition object;

creation logic for creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions;

output logic for writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel; and

storage logic for storing the data panel in the nonvolatile storage area.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the management definition object includes a common information model managed object format file.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

association logic for associating one of the data control objects with an external data source.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

identification logic for identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

creation logic for creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names; and

output logic for writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein at least one of the data control objects is selected from the group consisting of a text box control, a list box control, a combo box control, a check box control, and a radio button control.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

retrieval logic for retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

output logic for writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the data definitions include one or more data specifications corresponding to at least one of the data control objects, and wherein at least one of the data specifications are selected from the group consisting of a minimum value, a maximum value, a data type, and a valid values list.

15. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for generating display information from management definition data, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a display panel identifier;

means for locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object;

means for retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes reading the management definition object;

means for creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions; and

means for writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the management definition object includes a common information model managed object format file.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for associating one of the data control objects with an external data source.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

means for creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names; and

means for writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein at least one of the data control objects is selected from the group consisting of a text box control, a list box control, a combo box control, a check box control, and a radio button control.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

means for writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the data definitions include one or more data specifications corresponding to at least one of the data control objects, and wherein at least one of the data specifications are selected from the group consisting of a minimum value, a maximum value, a data type, and a valid values list.

22. A method of generating display information from management definition data, said method comprising:

receiving a display panel identifier;

locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object, wherein the management definition object includes a common information model managed object format file;

retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes reading the management definition object;

creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions;

writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel;

identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names; and

writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names.

23. A method of generating display information from management definition data, said method comprising:

receiving a display panel identifier;

locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object, wherein the management definition object includes a common information model managed object format file;

retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes reading the management definition object;

creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions;

writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel;

retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.

24. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors; and

a display generation tool for generating display panels from management information, the display generation tool including;

input logic for receiving a display panel identifier;

identification logic for locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object;

means for retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes means for reading the management definition object;

creation logic for creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions;

output logic for writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel;

storage logic for storing the data panel in the nonvolatile storage area

identification logic for identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

creation logic for creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names;

output logic for writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names

retrieval logic for retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

output logic for writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.

25. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for generating display information from management definition data, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a display panel identifier;

means for locating the display panel identifier in a management definition object;

means for retrieving one or more qualifier values and one or more data definitions corresponding to the display panel identifier, wherein the retrieving includes reading the management definition object;

means for creating one or more data control objects using the data definitions;

means for writing the qualifier values and data control objects to a data panel;

means for identifying one or more menu tab names from the retrieved qualifier names;

means for creating a menu tab within the data panel corresponding to each of the menu tab names;

means for writing a tab label for each of the menu tabs, wherein the tab labels correspond to the menu tab names

means for retrieving one or more text labels from the management definition object, wherein each of the text labels corresponds to one of the data control objects; and

means for writing the text labels in the display panel in a position adjacent to each text label'"'"'s corresponding data control object.