Method and system for application installation and management using an application-based naming system including aliases

• US 20050015761A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, David Yu, Apte, Ajay Arvind, Williamson, Leigh Allen, Edwards, William Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method is presented for managing applications using application-based names. A naming service registers an alias name; the alias name represents a first compound name that includes an application name that is associated with an application and a deployment name that is associated with a deployment attribute that characterizes a deployment of an instance of the application. The naming service is also able to generate an application-based name associated with an application; the application-based name represents a context within a naming system, and the application-based name is a second compound name that includes the alias name. Applications are managed within a data processing system using application-based names. The first compound name can be associated with a first topology-based name that represents a first context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

Claims

1. A method for managing application files within a data processing system, the method comprising:

registering an alias name, wherein the alias name represents a first compound name that includes an application name that is associated with an application and a deployment name that is associated with a deployment attribute that characterizes a deployment of an instance of the application;

generating an application-based name associated with an application, wherein the application-based name represents a context within a naming system, and wherein the application-based name is a second compound name that includes the alias name; and

managing an application within the data processing system using the application-based name.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a deployment attribute is a metadata value that characterizes a manner in which the instance of the application is deployed within the distributed data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alias name represents the application name and multiple deployment names associated with multiple deployment attributes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of registering the alias name further comprises:

associating the alias name with the first compound name that includes the application name and the deployment name; and

storing the association of the alias name with the first compound name in a datastore.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

associating the first compound name with a first topology-based name, wherein the first topology-based name represents a first context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

moving files that are related to the instance of the application; and

associating the first compound name with a second topology-based name, wherein the second topology-based name represents a second context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

installing multiple versions of the application in the data processing system; and

registering an alias name for each version of the application.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

installing multiple instances of the application in the data processing system; and

registering an alias name for each instance of the application.

9. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing application files within a data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

means for registering an alias name, wherein the alias name represents a first compound name that includes an application name that is associated with an application and a deployment name that is associated with a deployment attribute that characterizes a deployment of an instance of the application;

means for generating an application-based name associated with an application, wherein the application-based name represents a context within a naming system, and wherein the application-based name is a second compound name that includes the alias name; and

means for managing an application within the data processing system using the application-based name.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein a deployment attribute is a metadata value that characterizes a manner in which the instance of the application is deployed within the distributed data processing system.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the alias name represents the application name and multiple deployment names associated with multiple deployment attributes.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the means for registering the alias name further comprises:

means for associating the alias name with the first compound name that includes the application name and the deployment name; and

means for storing the association of the alias name with the first compound name in a datastore.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

means for associating the first compound name with a first topology-based name, wherein the first topology-based name represents a first context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

means for moving files that are related to the instance of the application; and

means for associating the first compound name with a second topology-based name, wherein the second topology-based name represents a second context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

means for installing multiple versions of the application in the data processing system; and

means for registering an alias name for each version of the application.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

means for installing multiple instances of the application in the data processing system; and

means for registering an alias name for each instance of the application.

17. An apparatus for managing application files within a data processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for registering an alias name, wherein the alias name represents a first compound name that includes an application name that is associated with an application and a deployment name that is associated with a deployment attribute that characterizes a deployment of an instance of the application;

means for generating an application-based name associated with an application, wherein the application-based name represents a context within a naming system, and wherein the application-based name is a second compound name that includes the alias name; and

means for managing an application within the data processing system using the application-based name.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein a deployment attribute is a metadata value that characterizes a manner in which the instance of the application is deployed within the distributed data processing system.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the alias name represents the application name and multiple deployment names associated with multiple deployment attributes.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for registering the alias name further comprises:

means for associating the alias name with the first compound name that includes the application name and the deployment name; and

means for storing the association of the alias name with the first compound name in a datastore.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

means for associating the first compound name with a first topology-based name, wherein the first topology-based name represents a first context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

means for moving files that are related to the instance of the application; and

means for associating the first compound name with a second topology-based name, wherein the second topology-based name represents a second context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

means for installing multiple versions of the application in the data processing system; and

means for registering an alias name for each version of the application.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

means for installing multiple instances of the application in the data processing system; and

means for registering an alias name for each instance of the application.