METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING DEPLOYMENT OF APPLICATIONS AND CONFIGURATION CHANGES IN A NETWORK OF DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 20070266128A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Polozoff, Alexandre, Bhogal, Kulvir
• Application Number:
  US11/382,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266128A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method includes storing status information relating to the implementation of operational updates for various data processing systems in a network of such systems. The status information may be stored in the form of a log of various actions related to the implementation of the operational updates. In response to a monitoring request generated by a user interface process, a subset of the status information specified by the monitoring request is collected and displayed at a display device. The subset of status information is displayed in a form specified by the user interface process, and may include a series of operational update items, each item associated with a respective data processing system which is to implement a respective operational update. This method allows a network administrator to conveniently view a desired subset of the status information to monitor the implementation of the operational updates.

Claims

1. A method including:

(a) storing status information relating to implementation of operational updates for respective data processing systems in a network that includes a number of data processing systems;

(b) receiving a monitoring request generated by a user interface process, the monitoring request specifying a subset of the status information; and

(c) in response to the monitoring request, collecting the subset of the status information and displaying the subset of the status information at a display device in a form specified by the user interface process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the status information includes maintaining a log of actions relating to the implementation of the operational updates.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring request includes a status value which limits the subset of the status information to status information related to the status value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the monitoring request also includes a filter value which limits the subset of status information to status information that passes the filter value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring request includes a filter value which limits the subset of status information to status information that passes the filter value.

6. The method of claim 1 further including generating the monitoring request in connection with the start up of the user interface process.

7. The method of claim 1 further including generating the monitoring request in response to a user input received through the user interface process.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

(a) receiving an entry selection input through the user interface process, the entry selection input specifying an operational update item for a respective one of the data processing devices included in the network;

(b) receiving a modification input through the user interface process, the modification input specifying a modification to an aspect of the operational update item specified by the entry selection input; and

(c) modifying the specified operational update item according to the modification specified by the modification input.

9. The method of claim 8 further including modifying a durable subscription for the respective one of the data processing systems for which the operational update item was specified by the entry selection input, the durable subscription being modified in accordance with the modification specified by the modification input.

10. An apparatus including:

(a) an update status storage device storing status information relating to implementation of operational updates for respective data processing systems in a network that includes a number of data processing systems; and

(b) a user interface system for (i) generating a monitoring request which specifies a subset of the status information, for (ii) collecting the subset of the status information from the update status storage device, and for (iii) causing the subset of the status information to be displayed at a display device associated with the user interface system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further including a status controller for receiving information on status affecting actions and for causing the update status storage device to store the information on the status affecting actions as part of the status information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the status controller causes the update status storage device to store a log of status affecting actions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the user interface system includes a server component remote from the display device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the user interface system includes a client component at the location of the display device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 further including a modification controller for making a modification to an aspect of a pending operational update.

16. A program product embodied in computer readable form, the program product including:

(a) status storage program code executable for causing status information to be stored in a data storage device, the status information relating to implementation of operational updates for respective data processing systems in a network that includes a number of data processing systems;

(b) user input program code executable for generating a monitoring request which specifies a subset of the status information; and

(c) view processing program code executable for collecting the subset of the status information specified in the monitoring request, and for causing the subset of the status information to be displayed at a display device.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein the status storage program code causes a log of status affecting actions to be stored in the data storage device, each status affecting action relating to the implementation of a respective one of the operational updates.

18. The program product of claim 16 wherein the view processing program code limits the subset of the status information to status information related to a status value included in the monitoring request.

19. The program product of claim 16 wherein the view processing program code limits the subset of the status information to status information which passes a filter value.

20. The program product of claim 16 further including modification program code executable for producing a modification to a pending operational update.