Configuration management apparatus and related methods

• US 20050235340A1
• Filed: 04/16/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: To, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine

Abstract

An apparatus for managing configuration of an element. The apparatus includes a computer that connects with the element to receive data from the element, and a server in the computer that includes the data in one or more web pages.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing configuration of an element, the apparatus comprising:

a computer that connects with the element to receive data from the element; and

a server in the computer that includes the data in one or more web pages.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a browser in the computer configured to display the one or more web pages.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a configuration file for holding the data, the server configured to process data from the configuration file for inclusion in the one or more web pages.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising one or more web page descriptions accessible by the server and one or more constructs included in the web page descriptions, the computer further comprising a construct processing module configured with the server to use the data from the configuration file and the web page descriptions to produce the one or more web pages.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a script executable by the server to activate the construct processing module.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the construct processing module uses a common gateway interface of the server to obtain data from the configuration file.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element is included in a system having a management node, the computer further operable to deliver at least one of the data from the configuration file and the one or more web pages to the management node.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the computer further operable to perform at least one of updating software included in the element, collecting performance data from the element, and operating a troubleshooting tool relative to the element.

9. An apparatus for performing configuration management relative to an element, the apparatus comprising:

a computer; and

a configuration file that receives data from the element, the configuration file accessible by the computer;

wherein the computer formats the data from the configuration file for presentation as one or more web pages, said formatting performed standalone using a server module of the computer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a browser configured to present the one or more web pages.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the browser configured to display a web page based on input by a user to the computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the computer retrieves the data from the element using a simple network management protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a construct processing module that updates the one or more web pages using one or more constructs.

14. A method of managing configuration of an element, the method comprising:

connecting a computer to the element;

causing data to be transferred from the element to the computer; and

viewing the transferred data in one or more web pages formatted by the computer standalone.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a management function based on the transferred data, the selecting performed using one of the one or more web pages.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting a management function comprises selecting one of updating software included in the element, collecting performance data from the element, and operating a troubleshooting tool relative to the element.

17. A computer-implemented method of providing configuration management relative to an element, the method comprising:

connecting with and receiving data from the element; and

formatting the data in one or more web pages;

said formatting performed standalone.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the formatting is performed using a server.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a web page using a browser.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising transferring data to the element based on input from a user via one of the one or more web pages.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the data received from the element in a configuration file.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the formatting comprises processing one or more constructs to include dynamic content in a web page.