CIMOM abstraction layer

• US 20080126551A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Conner, Christopher, Landry, John, Kamath, Pradeep, Peng, Tsen-Loong, Paranjape, Pallavi
• Application Number:
  US11/461,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126551A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

An improved system and method is disclosed for transparent and agent-less remote access to CIMOMs and the management information they provide, regardless of the CIMOM communication protocol implemented. Differences between disparate CIM object manager (CIMOM) implementations are abstracted to provide clients a common interface when accessing information management data. A protocol layer is implemented that comprises protocol adapters that are dynamically loaded to handle communications with WBEM implementation. Target CIMOM protocols are discovered on-line by the protocol layer, which provides the appropriate interface to transparently convey management information from the CIMOM to the abstraction layer.

Claims

1. A system for communicating information between a plurality of information handling systems, comprising:

a plurality of common-information-model object managers (CIMOMS) operable to define relationships between classes and subclasses of managed elements, said plurality of CIMOMs operable to communicate using a plurality of protocols; and

an application program interface (API) providing an extensible protocol framework operable to provide a common interface for transferring information between said plurality of CIMOMs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said API is implemented in an abstraction layer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said API is operable to implement a protocol layer comprising a protocol library.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said protocol layer further comprises a plurality of static protocol adapters.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said protocol layer further comprises a plurality of dynamic protocol adapters that are dynamically loaded by a protocol loader.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said protocol layer is operable to discover target CIMOM protocols.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said protocol layer is further operable to associate a predetermined protocol adapter with a CIMOM protocol discovered by said protocol layer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) protocol.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) protocol.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Web Services Management (WS-Man) protocol.

11. A method for communicating information between a plurality of information handling systems, comprising:

using a plurality of common-information-model object managers (CIMOMs) to define relationships between classes and subclasses of managed elements, said plurality of CIMOMs operable to communicate using a plurality of protocols; and

using an application program interface (API) to provide a common interface for transferring information between said plurality of CIMOMs, said API comprising an extensible protocol framework.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising implementing said API in an abstraction layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said API is operable to implement a protocol layer comprising a protocol library.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said protocol layer further comprises a plurality of static protocol adapters.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said protocol layer further comprises a plurality of dynamic protocol adapters that are dynamically loaded by a protocol loader.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising using said protocol layer to discover target CIMOM protocols.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using said protocol layer to associate a predetermined protocol adapter with a CIMOM protocol discovered by said protocol layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) protocol.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) protocol.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said protocol adapter comprises a Web Services Management (WS-Man) protocol.