Tree-Based Information Query Model

• US 20080059487A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Phillips, Brenton, Subramanian, Sowmya, Mi, Zheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying

Abstract

A mechanism and method for querying between two data centers managed by two different data center management products is described. A single information query model is utilized to query multiple instances of another data center, which receives, translates and responds to the information query through the use of a schema. Knowledge of the other (foreign) data center'"'"'s APIs for each instance is made unnecessary. Improved query efficiency is achieved by combining a plurality of disparate queries into a single information query. The responses to the plurality of queries are populated into a single reply to the information query, which is then transmitted back to the querying data center, translated and made readable to the IT administrator.

Claims

1. In an enterprise data center network system, a mechanism for determining the attribute information and status information of instances in a foreign data center, the mechanism comprising:

a module for receiving and interpreting a model based information query;

a schema for interpreting the model based information query;

a data center management software tool adapted to receive the interpreted model based information query and to generate at least one application program interface (API) call for a targeted instance.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a module for generating a response formatted in accordance with the schema.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 further adapted to format the attribute information and status information of targeted instances in an extensible markup language (XML) tree format.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the XML tree format comprises a plurality of leaf nodes.

5. The mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a module for generating a response formatted in accordance with the schema whereby the attribute information and status information of targeted instances are returned in an extensible markup language (XML) tree format with a plurality of leaf nodes, where each leaf node corresponds to one of the targeted instances.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 further comprising a data center management software tool associated with the foreign data center that is different from the data center management software tool associated with the home data center.

7. In an enterprise data center network system, a mechanism, associated with a home data center, for obtaining attribute information and status information of instances in a foreign data center, the mechanism comprising a module for generating and sending a model based information query to a foreign data center in a home instance and for interpreting attribute information and status information of targeted instances in the foreign data center received from the foreign data center in an extensible markup language (XML) tree format with a plurality of leaf nodes in a foreign instance;

and a schema, associated with the module, that provides the rules for preparing the model based information query in the home instance and for interpreting a populated response containing attribute information and status information of targeted instances in the foreign data center.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 further comprising a data center management software tool adapted to receive the attribute information and status information of targeted instances in the foreign data center and to display the interpreted model based information query.

9. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein the model based information query comprises a plurality of queries that are mapable to a plurality of application program interface (API) calls at the foreign data center.

10. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein the populated response comprises an extensible markup language (XML) tree format response that is an expanded version of the model based information query populated with the attribute information and status information of targeted instances in the foreign data center.

11. The mechanism of claim 10 wherein the XML tree format comprises a plurality of leaf nodes.

12. A method for determining the attribute information of a plurality of instances in a foreign data center, the method comprising:

receiving a model based information query comprising a plurality of queries from a home data center;

interpreting the model based information query to generate at least one application program interface (API) call for each instance identified in the model based information query; and

returning a response to the home data center whereby the response comprises attribute information for each instance identified in the model based information query.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising applying schema to interpret the model based information query.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the model based information query comprises a query in extensible markup language (XML) tree format having a plurality of queries directed to more than one instance.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising populating the model based information query with attribute information.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the foreign data center comprises data center management software that differs from the data center management software at the home data center.

17. A method for determining attribute information of a plurality of instances in a foreign data center, the method comprising:

generating, in combination with a schema, a model based information query comprising a plurality of queries directed to a plurality instances;

transmitting the model based information query to at least one foreign data center;

interpreting, in combination with the schema, a response from the foreign data center wherein the response comprises the model based information query populated with attribute information for each instance identified in the model based information query.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the model based information query comprises a query in extensible markup language (XML) tree format having a plurality of queries directed to more than one instance.

19. A device for determining the attribute information of a plurality of instances in a foreign data center, the device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory containing instructions, that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform a sequence of operations comprising;

receiving a model based information query comprising a plurality of queries from a home data center;

interpreting the model based information query to generate at least one application program interface (API) call for each instance identified in the model based information query; and

returning a response to the home data center whereby the response comprises attribute information for each instance identified in the model based information query.

20. In a data center, a system for determining the attribute information and status information of targeted instances in a foreign data center, the foreign data center having a plurality of instances, the system comprising:

means for composing model-based query;

means for transmitting query to foreign data center;

means for receiving populated responses from foreign data center; and

means for presenting attribute information for each of the targeted instances received from foreign data center response.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the query comprises a query in XML tree format having a plurality of queries directed to more than one instance.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the responses from foreign data center comprise an XML tree format populated with a plurality of responses from each target instance.

23. In a data center, a system for determining the attribute information and status information of targeted instances in a foreign data center, the foreign data center having a plurality of instances, the system comprising:

means for receiving model-based information query;

means for interpreting model based information query using schema;

means for generating responsive API calls;

means for issuing at least one API call to each of the targeted instances;

means for receiving response from targeted instances; and

means for populating model based information query with responses.

24. A system for determining the attribute information of a plurality of instances in a foreign data center, the method comprising an interpreter module for receiving a model based information query comprising a plurality of queries from a home data center;

the interpreter module adapted to interpret the model based information query to generate at least one application program interface (API) call for each instance identified in the model based information query and return a response to the home data center whereby the response comprises attribute information for each instance identified in the model based information query.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising schema for use by the interpreter to interpret the model based information query.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the model based information query comprises a query in extensible markup language (XML) tree format having a plurality of queries directed to more than one instance.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising populating the model based information query with attribute information.