Dynamically modified, multiple-platform computer programs, and methods and apparatus utilizing same

• US 20040083280A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Purdy, Paulene M., Houston, Edward Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method for operating a computer having an operating system platform and a virtual machine configured to interpret an instruction language, the computer also having a client program written in the instruction language. The method includes using the client program to determine the operating system platform and modifying operation of the client program in accordance with the determination. The method is particularly useful for operation of a client program running on a computer that controls a storage area network management server.

Claims

1. A computer having an operating system platform and a virtual machine configured to interpret an instruction language, said computer also having a client program written in said instruction language, the computer comprising:

said client program also having instructions written in said instruction language configured to determine said operating system platform and to modify the operation of said client program in accordance with said determination.

2. A computer in accordance with claim 1 wherein said client program includes instructions to communicate with a storage area network management server.

3. A computer in accordance with claim 2 wherein said computer further comprises a memory and wherein said client program includes instructions to read a specification file stored in said memory containing specifications for modifying the operation of said client program in accordance with said determination.

4. A computer in accordance with claim 3 wherein said computer further comprises a display, and said client program includes instructions for displaying a menu in response to user input, and said modification to the operation of said client program includes at least one modification to a platform dependent link or command on said menu.

5. A computer in accordance with claim 4 wherein said modification to at least one platform dependent link on said menu comprises launching an application stored at a location in memory indicated by said specification file for said determined operating system platform.

6. A computer in accordance with claim 5 wherein said application comprises a program to communicate with a remote computer.

7. A computer in accordance with claim 5 wherein said application comprises a program to issue commands to a remote computer.

8. A computer in accordance with claim 3 wherein said computer further comprises a display, and wherein said client program includes instructions for displaying a menu in response to user input, and said modification to the operation of said client program comprises displaying only menu items applicable to the determined operating system platform in said menu.

9. A management system comprising:

a management server computer having a management server program with instructions configured to instruct the management server computer to communicate with devices in a storage area network;

a plurality of client computers, each having an operating system platform but not all having the same operating system platform,

wherein each client computer also has a virtual machine configured to interpret the same language code as each other said client computer, and a client program written in the virtual machine language and including instructions configured to instruct the client computer to communicate with said management server computer;

wherein said client program includes instructions to determine the operating system platform of its client computer and to modify the operation of the client program in accordance with said determination.

10. A management system in accordance with claim 9 wherein each said client computer has a specification file stored in a memory, and wherein said specification file contains specification for modifying the operation of the client program in accordance with said determination.

11. A management system in accordance with claim 10 wherein each said client program includes instructions for displaying a menu in response to user input, and said modification of said client program includes at least one modification to platform dependent link or command on said menu.

12. A management system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said modification to at least one platform dependent link or command on said menu comprises invoking an application stored at a location indicated by said specification file for said operating system platform.

13. A management system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said application comprises a program to communicate with a remote computer in the storage area network.

14. A management system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said application comprises a program to issue commands to a remote computer in the storage area network.

15. A management system in accordance with claim 10 wherein each said client program includes instructions for displaying a menu in response to user input, and said modification of said client program includes displaying only menu items applicable to the determined operating system platform in said menu.

16. A method for operating a computer having an operating system platform and a virtual machine configured to interpret an instruction language, the computer also having a client program written in the instruction language and having instructions to configure the processor to communicate with a server;

said method comprising using the client program to determine the operating system platform and modifying operation of the client program in accordance with the determination.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising using the client program to display information received from, and to execute commands on the server.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising displaying a menu on a display of the computer in response to user input, and wherein said modifying the client program comprises reading a specification file stored in a memory of the computer and modifying at least one platform dependent command or link on the menu in accordance with contents of the specification file.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising launching an application selected by the user from a memory location indicated by the specification file for the determined operating system.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the application launched is a program to communicate with a remote computer.

21. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the application launched is a program to issue commands to a remote computer.

22. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising displaying a menu on a display of the computer in response to user input, and wherein said modifying the client program comprises reading a specification file stored in a memory of the computer and displaying only menu items applicable to the operating system, in accordance with contents of the specification file.

23. A machine-readable medium or media having recorded thereon instructions interpretable by a virtual machine, said instructions configured to instruct a computer having an operating system platform to:

determine the operating system platform of the computer, and

determine a menu of items to display on a display of the computer in response to a user input, wherein said determination of menu items is dependent upon said operating system platform determination.

24. A medium or media in accordance with claim 23 wherein said instructions further comprise instructions to read a specification file in a memory of the computer, and to use said specification file to determine said menu of items to display.

25. A medium or media in accordance with claim 24 wherein said instructions further include instructions to launch an application selected by a user from the menu, including loading the application from a memory location indicated by the specification file for the determined operating system.