System and method for resource management

• US 20030145074A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Penick, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• 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 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method of managing information objects on a resource that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages associated with previously developed systems and methods of resource management. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for of resource management that reduces dependence on local agents to perform management tasks. One embodiment of the present invention can include a method for resource management comprising (i) communicating with a resource program over a network according to said resource program'"'"'s software interface; (ii) generating a resource management command remote from said resource to perform a management task; and (iii) communicating said resource management command over said network to said resource in accordance with said resource program'"'"'s software interface to manage an information object at said resource.

Claims

1. A system of resource management comprising:

a resource further comprising;

a resource computer processor;

a resource computer network communication device electrically connected to said resource computer processor;

a resource computer readable memory electrically connected to said resource computer processor;

a resource program having a software interface stored on said resource computer readable memory, wherein said resource program defines an information object and wherein said resource program is executable by said resource computer processor to;

receive a resource management command; and

manage said information object based on said resource management command;

a network in communication with said resource computer network device; and

a management computer further comprising;

a management system processor;

a management computer network communications device electrically connected to said management computer processor and in communication with said network;

a management computer-readable memory electrically connected to said management computer processor; and

a management program stored on said management computer memory and executable by said management computer processor to;

communicate with said resource program over said network according to said software interface;

generate said resource management command to perform a management task; and

communicate said resource management command over said network to said resource in accordance with said software interface to manage said information object.

2. The system of claim 2, wherein said management program further comprises a resource adapter portion remote from said resource executable to:

load a set of resource configuration information; and

communicate with said resource according to said software interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a set of resource attributes necessary to communicate with said resource program.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a schema map for said resource.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a policy for said resource.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to load a user object comprising virtual attributes associated with said information object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said user object further comprises a set of account attributes.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said information object comprises a user account having a set of account attributes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to load a user object comprising said set of account attributes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a schema map for said resource mapping said account attributes to a set of resource-specific attributes defining said user account at said resource.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said management task comprises a Create Account task and said user object comprises the information needed to create an account at said resource.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said user object is based on an identity template.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said management task comprises a Get User task.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said resource adapter portion retrieves account information for a user in carrying out said Get User task.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein said management program further comprises a provisioning engine portion executable to call an instance of said resource adapter portion to issue said management command.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said provisioning engine portion is further executable to call multiple instances of said resource adapter portion to issue multiple management commands to said resource.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein said management program further comprises a configuration repository portion executable to store a set of resource attributes.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said configuration repository portion is further executable to store a set of account attributes.

19. A system of resource management comprising:

a resource further comprising;

a resource computer processor;

a resource computer network communication device electrically connected to said resource computer processor;

a resource computer readable memory electrically connected to said resource computer processor;

a resource program having a software interface stored on said resource computer readable memory, wherein said resource program defines an information object and wherein said resource program is executable by said resource computer processor to;

receive a resource management command;

manage said information object based on said resource management command; and

communicate reply data in response to said resource management command;

a network in communication with said resource computer network device; and

a gateway system further comprising;

a gateway computer processor;

a gateway computer network communications device electrically connected to said management computer processor and in communication with said network;

a gateway computer-readable memory electrically connected to said management computer processor; and

a gateway management program stored on said gateway management computer memory and executable by said gateway management computer processor to;

receive a management call over said network;

receive a set of resource configuration information over said network;

receive a set of information object attributes over said network;

communicate with said resource program over said network according to said software interface and said resource configuration information;

generate said resource management command to perform a management task;

communicate said resource management command over said network to said resource in accordance with said software interface to manage said information object;

receive said reply data from said resource program; and

communicate said reply data across said network; and

a management system comprising;

a management system computer processor;

a management system computer network communications device electrically connected to said management computer processor and in communication with said network;

a management system computer-readable memory electrically connected to said management system computer processor; and

a resource management program stored on said management system computer memory and executable by said management system computer processor to;

communicate with said gateway management over said network;

generate a management call to perform a management task;

communicate said management call over said network to said gateway management program;

communicate at least of portion of said set of resource configuration information over said network; and

communicate at least a portion of said set of information object attributes over said network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said resource management program further comprises a resource management program resource adapter portion remote from said gateway system executable to:

load said set of resource configuration information; and

communicate with said gateway management program.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said gateway management program further comprises a gateway management program resource adapter remote from said resource, further executable to communicate with said resource program according to said software interface.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a set of resource attributes necessary to communicate with said resource program.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a schema map for said resource.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said information object attributes comprises a user account defined by a set of account attributes.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a schema map for said resource mapping said account attributes to a set of resource-specific attributes defining said user account at said resource.

26. A system of resource management comprising a management software program stored on a computer readable medium and executable by a computer processor to:

communicate with a resource program over a network according to said resource program'"'"'s software interface;

generate a resource management command to perform a management task; and

communicate said resource management command over said network to said resource in accordance with said resource program'"'"'s software interface to manage an information object at said resource.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said management program further comprises a resource adapter portion executable to load a set of resource configuration information and to communicate with said resource program based on said resource configuration information.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a set of resource attributes necessary to communicate with said resource program.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said resource configuration information further comprises a schema map for said resource.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to load a set virtual attributes associated with said information object.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said information object comprises a user account having a set of account attributes.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to load a user object comprising said set of account attributes.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein said resource program'"'"'s software interface is standards-based.

34. A system of resource management comprising a gateway management program stored on a computer readable medium and executable by a computer processor to:

receive a prompt to initiate a management task over a network;

receive a set of resource configuration information over said network;

communicate with a resource program over said network according to said resource program'"'"'s software interface and said set of resource configuration information;

generate a resource management command to perform said management task; and

communicate said resource management command over said network to said resource computer in accordance with said resource program'"'"'s software interface to manage an information object on said resource.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said gateway management program further comprises a resource adapter portion executable to communicate with said resource program based on said resource program'"'"'s software interface.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said information object comprises a user account having a set of account attributes.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to receive a user object comprising said set of account attributes.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein said gateway management program is further executable to receive a set of reply data from said resource program and communicate said set of reply data to a centralized management program.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein said resource program'"'"'s software interface is standards-based.

40. A method for resource management comprising:

communicating with a resource program over a network according to said resource program'"'"'s software interface;

generating a resource management command remote from said resource to perform a management task; and

communicating said resource management command over said network to said resource in accordance with said resource program'"'"'s software interface to manage an information object at said resource.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

loading a set of resource configuration information; and

communicating with said resource based on said set of resource configuration information and said resource program'"'"'s software interface.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising storing a schema map in said resource configuration information.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising loading a set virtual attributes associated with said information object.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said information object comprises a user account having a set of account attributes.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said resource adapter portion is further executable to load a user object comprising said set of account attributes.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein said resource program'"'"'s software interface is standards-based.

47. A method of resource management comprising:

receiving a prompt to initiate a management task over a network;

receiving a set of resource configuration information over said network;

communicating with a resource program over said network according to said resource program'"'"'s software interface and said set of resource configuration information;

generating a resource management command to perform said management task; and

communicating said resource management command over said network to said resource computer in accordance with said resource program'"'"'s software interface to manage an information object on said resource.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said information object comprises a user account having a set of account attributes.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising receiving a user object comprising said set of account attributes.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising receiving a set of reply data from said resource program and communicating said set of reply data to a centralized management program.

51. The method of claim 49, further comprising remotely performing Get User task.

52. The method of claim 49, further comprising remotely performing a Create Account task.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein said resource program'"'"'s software interface is standards-based.