Managing client configuration data

• US 20050234931A1
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Rui, Chan, Kok Wai, Yip, Ying-Kin Tony, Toivonen, Anthony, Newaskar, Rahul Shrikant
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components

Abstract

Method for providing an interface to a function that manages a plurality of entities. Computer-executable instructions receive a request to implement a change in configuration data. The configuration data is stored in a memory area and relates to an operation of one or more entities. In response to the received request, computer-executable instructions identify a plurality of the entities affected by the change and implement the change for the identified plurality of entities in accordance with the function.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interface to a function that manages a plurality of entities, said method comprising:

receiving a request to implement a change in configuration data, said configuration data being stored in a memory area and relating to an operation of one or more entities; and

in response to the received request, identifying a plurality of the entities affected by the change; and

implementing the change for the identified plurality of entities in accordance with the function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from an interface component, and wherein the identified entities represent topology data provided to the interface component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the identified entities stores a version of the configuration data, and further comprising:

changing the version of the configuration data stored by each of the identified entities in accordance with the function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the identified entities stores a version of the configuration data, and further comprising:

receiving another request, said other request specifying the identified entities, and wherein said implementing the change in the configuration data comprises implementing the change in the version of the configuration data associated with the identified entities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received, other request further specifies a time interval to effect the change in the configuration data stored in the memory area, and wherein said implementing the change in the configuration data comprises effecting the change to the configuration data stored in the memory area in accordance with the specified time interval.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the received request to a memory area associated with an authorization service, said authorization service authorizing the received request; and

in response to sending the received request, receiving, from the authorization service, an indication whether the received request is authorized to implement the change in the configuration data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data defining a relationship between an operation of the identified entities and the configuration data,

in response to the received data, including the defined relationship in topology data in accordance with the function, and

wherein as a result of including the defined relationship in the topology data, the configuration data relates to an operation of the identified entities.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identified entities comprise a server included in a server group, said server group executing a service included in a service class, wherein the received data further defines a relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data, and further comprising storing in the memory area the defined relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data as topology data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received request to implement the change in the configuration data comprises a request to change the identified entities from an existing configuration state to a previous configuration state, said existing configuration state represented by existing configuration data, said previous configuration state represented by previous configuration data, and wherein the change in the configuration data represents a change from the existing configuration data to the previous configuration data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received request to implement the change in the configuration data comprises a request to change an operational state of the identified entities, said operational state being defined by the configuration data and indicating whether the identified entities are executing a service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the operational state of the identified entity to an interface component in accordance with the function.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

13. An application programming interface for managing a plurality of entities, said application programming interface having computer-executable instructions to:

receive a request to implement a change in configuration data, said configuration data being stored in a memory area and relating to an operation of one or more entities;

in response to the received request, identify a plurality of the entities affected by the change; and

implement the change for the identified plurality of entities in accordance with the function.

14. The application programming interface of claim 13, wherein the identified entities store a version of the configuration data, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further adapted to:

receive another request, said other request specifying the identified entities, and

implement the change in the version of the configuration data associated with the identified entities.

15. The application programming interface of claim 14, wherein the received, other request further specifies a time interval to effect the change in the configuration data stored in the memory area, and wherein said implementing the change in the configuration data comprises effecting the change in the configuration data stored in the memory area in accordance with the specified time interval.

16. The application programming interface of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further adapted to:

receive data defining a relationship between an operation of the identified entities and the configuration data;

including the defined relationship in topology data in response to the received data; and

wherein as a result of including the defined relationship in the topology data, the configuration data relates to an operation of the identified entities.

17. The application programming interface of claim 16, wherein the identified entities comprise a server included in a server group, said server group executing a service included in a service class, wherein the received data further defines a relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further adapted to store in the memory area the defined relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data as topology data.

18. The application programming interface of claim 13, wherein the received request to implement the change in the configuration data comprises a request to change the identified entities from an existing configuration state to a previous configuration state, said existing configuration state represented by existing configuration data, said previous configuration state represented by previous configuration data, and wherein the change in the configuration data represents a change from the existing configuration data to the previous configuration data.

19. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure for modeling metadata, said data structure comprising:

a namespace field storing data representing an entity namespace, said entity namespace defining an entity;

an entity field storing data identifying the defined entity;

a relationship field storing data representing an entity relationship, said entity relationship indicating a relationship between the defined entity and another entity;

a relationship type field storing data representing an entity relationship type, said entity relationship type describing a type of the relationship between the defined entity and the other entity; and

a property field storing data representing a property of an object, said object being defined by the entity identified in the entity field.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the entity field stores data identifying a first client and configuration data, said configuration data relating to an operation of the first client, and wherein the relationship field stores data indicating that the configuration data is associated with the first client.

21. The computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the first client is a server included in a server group, said server group executing a service included in a service class, wherein the relationship field stores data indicating a relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data.

22. The computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the property field stores data representing a property of the configuration data.

23. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the data structure further comprises a relationship template field storing data representing a formation of the relationship.

24. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the namespace field stores data representing one of more of the following entity namespaces:

an object type namespace storing data representing an object type, an object namespace storing data identifying an instance of the object type, a property namespace storing data defining the object type, and a property attribute namespace storing data defining a property of the object type.

25. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein said relationship type field stores data representing one or more of the following entity relationship types:

is an attribute of an object type, is a property of an object type, has all attributes of an object type, has all properties of an object type, is an attribute of a property, has all attributes of a property, is an instance of an object type, is a child of an object, and is associated with an object.

26. The computer-readable media of claim 19, further having stored thereon a second data structure for tracking a task to manage a plurality of clients, said second data structure comprising:

a processed task field storing data specifying a task being processed, and

a task status log field storing data representing a status log of the specified task.

27. The computer-readable media of claim 26, further comprising:

a task status field derived from the task status log field by indicating a current status of the specified task included in the task status log field, and

a task status type field derived from the task status log field by indicating a type of the specified task included in the task status log field.

28. In a computer system having a display and a user interface input device, a method of modeling network topology, said method comprising:

displaying on the display a hierarchical representation of a relationship between a first entity and a second entity;

receiving a first indication from a user via the user interface input device, said first indication indicating selection of the first entity displayed in the hierarchical representation;

displaying on the display a list of actions available for the selected first entity, said list of actions relating to management of the selected first entity; and

receiving a second indication from the user via the user interface input device, said second indication indicating selection of an action among the displayed list of actions to be performed on the selected first entity to manage the selected first entity.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected first entity represents a client, wherein the second entity represents configuration data relating to an operation of the selected first entity, and wherein the displayed list of actions includes an action to change the second entity.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the client is a server included in a server group, said server group executing one or more services included in a service class, and wherein the hierarchical representation indicates a relationship among the server, the server group, the service class, and the configuration data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the displayed list of actions includes an action to define a relationship between the selected first entity and a third entity, wherein the received second indication indicates selection of the action to define the relationship between the selected first entity and the third entity, and wherein the hierarchical representation represents a relationship between the selected first entity and the third entity in response to the received second indication.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

displaying on the display a user interface for scheduling the selected action, said user interface including a scheduling field for entry of a scheduling parameter relating to the selected action; and

receiving an input to the scheduling field from the user via the user interface input device, said input indicating the scheduling parameter entered by the user.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

displaying on the display a user interface for confirming selection of the action, said user interface including a commit option for committing selection of the action; and

receiving a signal from the user via the user interface input device, said signal indicating selection of the commit option included in the user interface.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected first entity represents configuration data, and wherein the selected first entity is displayed in a configuration data user interface in response to receiving the first indication.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the configuration data user interface includes a field for entry of a pending change value of the selected first entity, and further comprising receiving an input from the user via the user interface input device, said input indicating the pending change value of the selected first entity entered by the user, wherein in response to the received input, the configuration data user interface displays the pending change value of the selected first entity entered by the user.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the configuration data user interface includes an option to remove configuration data, and further comprising receiving a signal from the user via the user interface input device, said signal indicating selection of the option to remove configuration data, wherein the selected first entity is removed from the hierarchical representation in response to receiving the signal from the user.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

displaying on the display a notification task history user interface, said notification task history user interface identifying a task committed by the user, said task relating to management of a client;

receiving a signal from the user via the user interface input device, said signal indicating selection of the task identified in the notification task history user interface; and

providing data to the user via the display, said data indicating a status of the selected task.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 29.

39. A system for managing a plurality of entities, said system comprising:

means for receiving a request to implement a change in configuration data, said configuration data being stored in a memory area and relating to an operation of one or more entities;

means for identifying a plurality of the entities affected by the change in response to the received request; and

means for implementing the change for the identified plurality of entities in accordance with the function.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for receiving data defining a relationship between an operation of the identified entities and the configuration data,

means for including the defined relationship in topology data in response to the received data, and

means for relating the configuration data to an operation of the identified entities in response to including the defined relationship in the topology data.