Methods and systems for providing configuration data

• US 20030200286A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Barfurth, Joerg, Heilig, Joerg
• Application Number:
  US10/383,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200286A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture provide configuration data from a configuration server to a client. The configuration server receives a request to provide a value for a configuration data item. The configuration server then determines a set to which the configuration item is assigned, with the set being associated with a rule. Then, the configuration server determines a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set and transmits the determined value of the configuration item to the client.

Claims

1. A method in a configuration server having a program for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to provide the value for the configuration item;

determining a set to which the configuration item is assigned, the set being associated with a rule;

determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set; and

transmitting the determined value of the configuration item to the client.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one parameter from the client.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule comprises using the at least one parameter.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule comprises using a default value as a parameter.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one parameter from a plurality of clients.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration server receives a plurality of requests to provide a plurality of values to a plurality of clients.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration server receives the request to provide the value via a communication network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication network is the Internet.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration item comprises at least one item selected from group of items consisting of:

a display size, a display type, and a text string.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one parameter is selected from a group of parameters consisting of:

a user identification, a role of the user, a rank of the user, a level of the user, a client type, a connection property, and a preferred language.

11. A method in a configuration server having a program for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user identification information from the client;

receiving a request to provide values of the device type of the client and the display type of the client;

determining one of a plurality of sets to which the device type and the display type are respectively assigned, the sets each being associated with a respective rule;

determining a value of the device type based on the rule associated with the determined set to which the device type is assigned by using the user identification information;

determining a value of the display type based on the rule associated with the set to which the display type is assigned by taking using the user identification information; and

transmitting the determined values of the device type and display type to the client.

12. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a program for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to provide the value for the configuration item;

determining a set to which the configuration item is assigned, the set being associated with a rule;

determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set; and

transmitting the determined value of the configuration item to the client.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one parameter from the client.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule comprises using the at least one parameter.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule comprises using a default value as a parameter.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one parameter from a plurality of clients.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the configuration server receives a plurality of requests to provide a plurality of values to a plurality of clients.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the configuration server receives the request to provide the value via a communication network.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the communication network is the Internet.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the configuration item comprises at least one item selected from group of items consisting of:

a display size, a display type, and a text string.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the at least one parameter is selected from a group of parameters consisting of:

a user identification, a role of the user, a rank of the user, a level of the user, a client type, a connection property, and a preferred language.

22. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a program for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user identification information from the client;

receiving a request to provide values of the device type of the client and the display type of the client;

determining one of a plurality of sets to which the device type and the display type are respectively assigned, the sets each being associated with a respective rule;

determining a value of the device type based on the rule associated with the determined set to which the device type is assigned by using the user identification information;

determining a value of the display type based on the rule associated with the set to which the display type is assigned by using the user identification information; and

transmitting the determined values of the device type and display type to the client.

23. A configuration server for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, the configuration server comprising:

a memory comprising a program that receives a request to provide the value for the configuration item, determines a set to which the configuration item is assigned, the set being associated with a rule, determines a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set, and transmits the determined value of the configuration item to the client; and

a processing unit that runs the program.

24. The configuration server according to claim 23, further comprising a storage device for storing the configuration data.

25. The configuration server according to claim 24, wherein the configuration data is stored such that the configuration is assigned to the set.

26. The configuration server according to claim 24, wherein the storage device stores the rule associated with the set.

27. A configuration server for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration data comprising at least one configuration item having a value, the configuration server comprising:

means for receiving a request to provide the value for the configuration item;

means for determining a set to which the configuration item is assigned, the set being associated with a rule;

means for determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set; and

means for transmitting the determined value of the configuration item to the client.

28. A computer-readable memory device encoded with a program having a data structure, the program run by a processor of a configuration server in a data processing system having a client, the data structure having a plurality of entries, each entry comprising:

a configuration item value that is requested by the client and that is returned to the client by determining a set to which the configuration item is assigned, the set being associated with a rule, and determining a value of the configuration item by applying the rule associated with the set.

29. A method in a configuration server having a data structure including a plurality of configuration items, each configuration item having a value, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a client a first request to obtain the value for one of the configuration items in the data structure, the data structure having a set of predefined relationships between the data items;

returning to the client the value of the one configuration item;

receiving from the client a second request to obtain the value from the one configuration item in the data structure, the data structure having an additional relationship between the data items that is imposed through a mechanism that is external with respect to the data structure; and

returning to the client the value of the one configuration item.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the mechanism is a rule.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the mechanism is a parameter.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the mechanism is a database entry.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the data structure has an existing structure and wherein the step of receiving from the client the second request includes maintaining the existing structure.

34. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a program in a configuration server having a data structure including a plurality of configuration items, each configuration item having a value, to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a client a first request to obtain the value for one of the configuration items in the data structure, the data structure having a set of predefined relationships between the data items;

returning to the client the value of the one configuration item;

receiving from the client a second request to obtain the value from the one configuration item in the data structure, the data structure having an additional relationship between the data items that is imposed through a mechanism that is external with respect to the data structure; and

returning to the client the value of the one configuration item.

35. A configuration server for providing configuration data to a client, the configuration server having a data structure including a plurality of configuration items, each configuration item having a value, the configuration server comprising:

a memory comprising a program that receives from a client a first request to obtain the value for one of the configuration items in the data structure, the data structure having a set of predefined relationships between the data items, returns to the client the value of the one configuration item, receives from the client a second request to obtain the value from the one configuration item in the data structure, the data structure having an additional relationship between the data items that is imposed through a mechanism that is external with respect to the data structure, and returns to the client the value of the one configuration item; and

a processing unit that runs the program.