Methods and apparatus for providing menu data to a storage automation library

• US 20050246662A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Curtis C. Ballard, William W. Torrey
• Inventors: Ballard, Curtis C., Torrey, William W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In a method for displaying menus on a storage automation library, a user'"'"'s input to the library is processed and, in response thereto, either 1) a menu derived from a local menu structure is displayed, or 2) a remote menu mode is activated. Between activation and deactivation of the remote menu mode, the library waits for a remote host to return remote menu data. A method by which a remote host retrieves the status of such an indicator, and apparatus for implementing these and other related methods, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying menus on a storage automation library, comprising:

processing a user'"'"'s input to the library and, in response to said processing, either i) displaying a menu derived from a local menu structure, or ii) activating a remote menu mode; and

between activation and deactivation of the remote menu mode,

waiting for a remote host to return remote menu data;

displaying one or more menus that are at least partly derived from the remote menu data; and

capturing user input to the library for processing by the remote host.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the remote menu mode comprises locally setting a remote menu mode indicator to “

active”

, said remote menu mode being retrievable by the remote host.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, between activation and deactivation of the remote menu mode, storing the captured user input for retrieval by the remote host.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the remote menu mode comprises sending a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) event to the remote host.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, between activation and deactivation of the remote menu mode, sending at least some of the captured user input to the remote host via one or more SNMP events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises keystrokes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, for said one or more menus derived from said remote menu data, dynamic portions of the menus are derived from the remote menu data and static portions of the menus are derived from the local menu structure.

8. A method for providing menu data to a storage automation library, comprising:

via a remote host, periodically polling the storage automation library to extract therefrom a remote menu mode status and stored user input, if any; and

via the remote host, providing menu data to the storage automation library, in response to a determination by the remote host that an extracted remote menu mode status is “

active”

, and in response to the remote host'"'"'s processing of the extracted user input, if any.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least some of the menu data provided to the storage automation library defines a user-selectable remote menu exit function for display by the storage automation library.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu data comprises code that links selection of the remote menu exit function to deactivation of the remote menu mode by the storage automation library, without further action from the remote host apparatus.

11. A storage automation library, comprising:

user input means;

user output means;

a remote host interface; and

control means for processing data received via the user input means and, in response to said processing, either i) outputting to the user output means a menu derived from a local menu structure, or ii) activating a remote menu mode, waiting for a remote host to return remote menu data via the remote host interface, outputting to the user output means one or more menus that are at least partly derived from the remote menu data, and capturing user input to the library for processing by the remote host.

12. The storage automation library of claim 11, wherein the user input means comprises a keyboard and the user output means comprises a display screen.

13. The storage automation library of claim 11, wherein the user input means and user output means comprise a touch screen.

14. A control system for a storage automation library, comprising:

a library I/O interface;

a command I/O interface; and

program code, comprising;

a local menu structure;

code to process user input received through the library I/O interface and, in response to said processing, either i) output, via the library I/O interface, a menu derived from the local menu structure, or ii) locally set a remote menu mode indicator to “

active”

; and

code to, between activation and deactivation of the remote menu mode,

receive remote menu data via the command I/O interface, and output via the library I/O interface, one or more menus derived from the remote menu data; and

store for retrieval via the command I/O interface, user input received via the library I/O interface.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises code to process library configuration commands received via the command I/O interface.

16. The control system of claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises code to install firmware updates received via the command I/O interface.

17. The control system of claim 14, wherein the command I/O interface is a SCSI interface.

18. The control system of claim 14, wherein the command I/O interface provides a means for a remote host to set the remote menu mode indicator to “

inactive”

.

19. The control system of claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises code to set the remote menu mode indicator to “

inactive”

, in response to certain user input received through the library I/O interface.

20. The control system of claim 14, wherein the program code is embodied in firmware.

21. Remote host apparatus for providing menu data to a storage automation library, comprising:

computer readable storage media; and

program code stored on the computer readable storage media, comprising;

code to periodically poll a command I/O interface of the storage automation library to extract therefrom a remote menu mode status and stored user input, if any; and

code to provide menu data to the command I/O interface, in response to a determination that an extracted remote menu mode status is “

active”

, and in response to the extracted user input, if any.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program code further comprises code, responsive to the extracted user input, to cause the storage automation library to reset the remote menu mode status to “

inactive”

.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the code to poll the command I/O interface issues SCSI Read_Buffer commands, and wherein the code to provide menu data to the command I/O interface issues SCSI Write_Buffer commands.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said code undertakes communications with the command I/O interface via TCP/IP over a packetized SCSI protocol.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the extracted user input comprises stored keystrokes.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the menu data comprises extended help information.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program code further comprises code, responsive to the extracted user input, to execute diagnostic tests for the storage automation library.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program code further comprises code, responsive to the extracted user input, to provide configuration commands to the storage automation library.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program code further comprises code, responsive to the extracted user input, to provide firmware updates to the storage automation library.