Methods and Media for a Protocol Abstraction Layer for Information Handling Systems

• US 20090300199A1
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.), Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.), Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Shetty, Sudhir, Burns, Ross Kevin, O'Connell, Thomas T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method for communicating with remote devices wherein the method includes sending a request through an application programming interface (API), formatting the request and routing the request to a first connection associated with a first protocol. The method further includes mapping the request into a first command, wherein the first command conforms to the first protocol and sending the first command to a remote device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with remote devices, the method comprising:

sending a request through an application programming interface (API);

formatting the request;

routing the request to a first connection associated with a first protocol;

mapping the request into a first command, wherein the first command conforms to the first protocol; and

sending the first command to a remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the API comprises an XML interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatting comprises separating the request into a plurality of requests, and the plurality of requests are mapped into a first set of commands.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a plurality of connections for the remote device, wherein the plurality of connections comprise at least one mandatory connection.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

querying the plurality of connections to determine which of the plurality of connections are needed to communicate with the remote device, wherein the plurality of connections include at least one on-demand connection; and

establishing the at least one on-demand connection to send the first command to the remote device.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

prioritizing the plurality of connections utilizing external configuration files.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

grouping the plurality of connections to the remote device into a session and establishing the session to communicate with the remote device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection comprises connection properties and connection criteria for the first protocol, and instances of a first protocol plugin and a first mapper corresponding to the first protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a device support mask indicates if the first connection is supported by the remote device.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

translating the request from an application-domain command into a protocol specific command with the first mapper.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at least one return command from the remote device in response to the first set of commands, wherein the at least one return command is in the first protocol;

mapping the at least one return command into command results data;

routing the command results data to a first connection;

processing the command results data; and

returning the command results data to an application through the API.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the command results data further comprises (1) joining the at least one return command together to form the command results data, (2) filtering the at least one return command from the first connection, (3) formatting the at least one return command from the first connection, or (4) any combination thereof.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for communicating with remote devices, the method comprising:

sending a request through an application programming interface (API);

formatting the request;

routing the request to a first connection associated with a first protocol;

mapping the request into a first command, wherein the first command conforms to the first protocol; and

sending the first command to a remote device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the API comprises an XML interface.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the formatting comprises separating the request into a plurality of requests, and the plurality of requests are mapped into a first set of commands.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a plurality of connection for the remote device, wherein the plurality of connections comprise at least one mandatory connection.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

querying the plurality of connections to determine which of the plurality of connections are needed to communicate with the remote device, wherein the plurality of connections include at least one on-demand connection; and

establishing the at least one on-demand connection to send the first command to the remote device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

prioritizing the plurality of connections utilizing external configuration files.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

grouping the plurality of connections to the remote device into a session; and

establishing the session to communicate with the remote device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first connection comprises connection properties and connection criteria for the first protocol, and instances of a first protocol plugin and a first mapper corresponding to the first protocol are located.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein a device support mask indicates if the first connection is supported by the remote device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising:

translating the request from an application-domain command into a protocol specific command with the first mapper.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving at least one return command from the remote device in response to the first set of commands, wherein the at least one return command is in the first protocol;

mapping the at least one return command into command results data;

routing the command results data to a first connection;

processing the command results data; and

returning the command results data to an application through the API.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein processing the command results data further comprises (1) joining the at least one return command together to form the command results data, (2) filtering the at least one return command from the first connection, (3) formatting the at least one return command from the first connection, or (4) any combination thereof.

25. A method of communication between remote devices, the method comprising:

registering a callback through an application programming interface (API);

subscribing to asynchronous data from a remote device through the application programming interface (API);

providing the asynchronous data from the remote device to a first formatter, wherein the first formatter translates the asynchronous data from a protocol domain to an application domain; and

returning the asynchronous data to the callback.