System and method for identifying application resources

• US 20070011179A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paval, Eugen
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying

Abstract

A system and method for simplifying resource management is provided. Resources are represented by resource objects in a resource object model. Each resource object represents a single resource and contains one or more resource attributes to describe the resource. At least one of the resource attributes for each resource object is a string identifier formed within the constraints of a query grammar. The string identifier is a text-based identifier that is based upon a unique property of the represented resource. A characteristic of the resources is selected as the basis for the relationship between resource objects in the resource object model. In one embodiment, an application identifies resources by generating a search query using the same query grammar used to create the string identifier. In another embodiment, a user manually enters the search query into a command line interpreter.

Claims

1. A method for managing resources, the method comprising:

generating a resource object model including one or more resource objects, wherein each resource object represents a resource, and wherein a characteristic of the resources is selected as the basis for the relationship between resource objects; and

describing each resource object with one or more resource attributes, wherein each resource is described by at least one resource attribute that is a string identifier formed within the constraints of a query grammar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the resource object model includes identifying application resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the resource object model includes identifying system resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the basis for the relationship between resource objects is a containment relationship.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each string identifier is based on a unique property of the represented resource.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating a resource by executing a search query against said resource object model, wherein the search query is a string formed within the constraints of said query grammar.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the search query comprises:

parsing the resource object model;

comparing string identifiers of resource objects in the resource object model to the string making up the search query;

identifying the resource objects in the resource object model that satisfy the search query; and

returning the identified resource objects.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the search query is a user input to a command line interpreter.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the search query is generated by an application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource objects and the resource object model are assimilated into an XML document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the query grammar is XPath.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource object model is a hierarchical search tree and resource objects are nodes in the hierarchical search tree.

13. A system for managing resources, the system comprising one or more processing devices collectively configured to:

generate a resource object model including one or more resource objects, wherein each resource object represents a resource, and wherein a characteristic of the resources is selected as the basis for the relationship between resource objects; and

describe each resource object with one or more resource attributes, wherein each resource is described by at least one resource attribute that is a string identifier formed within the constraints of a query grammar.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein building the resource object model includes identifying application resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein building the resource object model includes identifying system resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the basis for the relationship between resource objects is a containment relationship.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein each string identifier is based on a unique property of the represented resource.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to:

locate a resource by executing a search query against said resource object model, wherein the search query is a string formed within the constraints of said query grammar.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein executing the search query comprises:

parsing the resource object model;

comparing string identifiers of resource objects in the resource object model to the string making up the search query;

identifying the resource objects in the resource object model that satisfy the search query; and

returning the identified resource objects.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the search query is a user input to a command line interpreter.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the search query is generated by an application.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource objects and the resource object model are assimilated into an XML document.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the query grammar is XPath.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the resource object model is a hierarchical search tree and resource objects are nodes in the hierarchical search tree.

25. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for managing resources, the computer-executable instructions collectively configured to:

generate a resource object model including one or more resource objects, wherein each resource object represents a resource, and wherein a characteristic of the resources is selected as the basis for the relationship between resource objects; and

describing each resource object with one or more resource attributes, wherein each resource is described by at least one resource attribute that is a string identifier formed within the constraints of a query grammar.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein generating the resource object model includes identifying application resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein generating the resource object model includes identifying system resources, wherein each identified resource is represented by one or more resource objects in the resource object model.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the basis for the relationship between resource objects is a containment relationship.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein each string identifier is based on a unique property of the represented resource.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to:

locate a resource by executing a search query against said resource object model, wherein the search query is a string formed within the constraints of said query grammar.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein executing the search query comprises:

parsing the resource object model;

comparing string identifiers of resource objects in the resource object model to the string making up the search query;

identifying the resource objects in the resource object model that satisfy the search query; and

returning the identified resource objects.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the search query is a user input to a command line interpreter.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the search query is generated by an application.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the resource objects and the resource object model are assimilated into an XML document.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the query grammar is XPath.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the resource object model is a hierarchical search tree and resource objects are nodes in the hierarchical search tree.