MANAGING DYNAMIC CONFIGURATION MODIFICATIONS IN A COMPUTER INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20090172387A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian K. Smith
• Original Assignee: Brian K. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Brian K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

Data for a dynamic configuration of a set of producer components is stored in a set of component objects and a set of relationship objects. When an event is received indicating a change to the dynamic configuration, a component object and/or relationship object is updated to reflect the change. The component and/or relationship object(s) can be used to notify one or more listening components of modifications to the dynamic configuration. In this manner, listening components are only loosely coupled with producer components making any necessary adjustments to configuration changes easier to implement.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing a modification to a computer infrastructure having a configuration that can dynamically change, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of component objects on at least one computing device, wherein the plurality of component objects include a unique component object for each producer component in a plurality of producer components in the computer infrastructure, wherein each producer component has a configuration that can dynamically change, and wherein the unique component object comprises a set of component properties related to a current configuration within the computer infrastructure for the corresponding producer component;

managing a set of relationship objects on the at least one computing device, wherein the set of relationship objects includes a unique relationship object for each relationship in a set of relationships for the plurality of producer components, each relationship defining an association between at least two of the plurality of producer components, and wherein the unique relationship object comprises a set of relationship properties related to the corresponding relationship; and

processing the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure using the plurality of component objects and the plurality of relationship objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an event for the dynamic configuration at the at least one computing device, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure, and wherein the processing includes updating at least one of the plurality of component objects or the set of relationship objects in response to the event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing a set of notification requests for a set of listening components in the computer infrastructure on the at least one computing device, wherein each notification request specifies at least one of:

an event type or an object type for which the a listening component in the set of listening components desires to be notified.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving an event for the dynamic configuration at the at least one computing device, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure, and wherein the processing includes:

determining that at least one of;

an event type or an object type for the event matches the at least one of;

the event type or the object type specified in a notification request in the set of notification requests; and

providing data on the event for processing by the listening component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a producer component for a set of related producer components, wherein the managing the plurality of component objects includes creating a new component object corresponding to a related producer component identified by the producer component, and wherein the managing the set of relationship objects includes creating a relationship object corresponding to the relationship between the producer component and the related producer component.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising requesting producer component data corresponding to the related producer component from at least one of:

the producer component or the related producer component, wherein the creating the new component object includes storing the producer component data in the new component object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each producer component comprises one of:

a server cluster, a server, a machine implemented on a server, or an application executing on a server.

8. A computer system for managing a modification to a computer infrastructure having a configuration that can dynamically change, the system including:

at least one computing device including;

a system configured to manage a plurality of component objects, wherein the plurality of component objects include a unique component object for each producer component in a plurality of producer components in the computer infrastructure, wherein each producer component has a configuration that can dynamically change, and wherein the unique component object comprises a set of component properties related to a current configuration within the computer infrastructure for the corresponding producer component;

a system configured to manage a set of relationship objects, wherein the set of relationship objects includes a unique relationship object for each relationship in a set of relationships for the plurality of producer components, each relationship defining an association between at least two of the plurality of producer components, and wherein the unique relationship object comprises a set of relationship properties related to the corresponding relationship; and

a system configured to process the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure using the plurality of component objects and the plurality of relationship objects.

9. The system of claim 8, the at least one computing device further including a system configured to receive an event for the dynamic configuration, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system configured to process updates at least one of the plurality of component objects or the set of relationship objects in response to the event.

11. The system of claim 8, the at least one computing device further including a system configured to manage a set of notification requests for a set of listening components in the computer infrastructure on the at least one computing device, wherein each notification request specifies at least one of:

an event type or an object type for which the a listening component in the set of listening components desires to be notified.

12. The system of claim 11, the at least one computing device further including a system configured to receive an event for the dynamic configuration at the at least one computing device, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure, and wherein the system configured to process is configured to:

determine that at least one of;

an event type or an object type for the event matches the at least one of;

the event type or the object type specified in a notification request in the set of notification requests; and

provide data on the event for processing by the listening component.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the listening component comprises at least one of:

a router interacting with the computer infrastructure or a producer component in the computer infrastructure.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein each producer component comprises one of:

a server cluster, a server, a machine implemented on a server, or an application executing on a server.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer infrastructure comprises a server cluster.

16. A program product embodied on at least one computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing a modification to a computer infrastructure having a configuration that can dynamically change, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of component objects on at least one computing device, wherein the plurality of component objects include a unique component object for each producer component in a plurality of producer components in the computer infrastructure, wherein each producer component has a configuration that can dynamically change, and wherein the unique component object comprises a set of component properties related to a current configuration within the computer infrastructure for the corresponding producer component;

managing a set of relationship objects on the at least one computing device, wherein the set of relationship objects includes a unique relationship object for each relationship in a set of relationships for the plurality of producer components, each relationship defining an association between at least two of the plurality of producer components, and wherein the unique relationship object comprises a set of relationship properties related to the corresponding relationship; and

processing the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure using the plurality of component objects and the plurality of relationship objects.

17. The program product of claim 16, the method further comprising receiving an event for the dynamic configuration at the at least one computing device, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure, and wherein the processing includes updating at least one of the plurality of component objects or the set of relationship objects in response to the event.

18. The program product of claim 16, the method further comprising managing a set of notification requests for a set of listening components in the computer infrastructure on the at least one computing device, wherein each notification request specifies at least one of:

an event type or an object type for which the a listening component in the set of listening components desires to be notified.

19. The program product of claim 18, the method further comprising receiving an event for the dynamic configuration at the at least one computing device, wherein the event identifies the modification to the configuration of the computer infrastructure, and wherein the processing includes:

determining that at least one of;

an event type or an object type for the event matches the at least one of;

the event type or the object type specified in a notification request in the set of notification requests; and

providing data on the event for processing by the listening component.

20. The program product of claim 16, the method further comprising:

querying a producer component for a set of related producer components, wherein the managing the plurality of component objects includes creating a new component object corresponding to a related producer component identified by the producer component, and wherein the managing the set of relationship objects includes creating a relationship object corresponding to the relationship between the producer component and the related producer component; and

requesting producer component data corresponding to the related producer component from at least one of;

the producer component or the related producer component, wherein the creating the new component object includes storing the producer component data in the new component object.