SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE NETWORK MANAGEMENT HAVING MULTI-NODE AWARENESS

• US 20100131625A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Likins, Adrian, Dehaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for remote network configuration management having multi-node awareness. A management server can communicate with a set of hosts in a network, each of which can have associated target machines such as computer clients. The configuration details of the set of hosts can be stored in a set of configuration files. The configuration files can specify, for example, processor, memory, hardware, I/O, and other resources of the hosts or targets associated with the hosts. When a systems administrator or other user wishes to push an updated configuration or send new data to the set of hosts, the management server can identify versions of software and other resources to transmit and install to hosts in the set of hosts based on their particular configuration details reflected in the corresponding configuration files(s), without having to manually identify versions to be distributed to individual hosts or resolve dependencies.

Claims

1. A method of managing a network, comprising:

accessing a set of configuration data, the set of configuration data specifying a configuration for a set of nodes in the network; and

generating a set of configuration orders to be transmitted to at least one node in the set of nodes based on the set of configuration data for the at least one node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises generating the set of configuration orders via a management server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of nodes comprises at least one of a set of hosts and a set of targets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises a node template specifying at least one of hardware resources, software resources, and network settings for the at least one node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of configuration orders comprises at least one of a software installation order, a software update order, a software inventory order, a hardware inventory order, a security order, a node restore order, and a configuration order.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of configuration orders are transmitted to at least two of the set of nodes, and the set of configuration orders are sequenced in time based on a dependency ordering of the at least two nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of configuration orders are transmitted to the at least one node based on at least one of a predetermined schedule and a predetermined triggering event.

8. A network management system, comprising:

an interface to a set of nodes in a network; and

a management server, communicating with the set of nodes via the interface, the management server being configured to

access a set of configuration data, the set of configuration data specifying a configuration for a set of nodes in the network, and

generate a set of configuration orders to be transmitted to at least one node in the set of nodes based on the set of configuration data for the at least one node.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of nodes comprises at least one of a set of hosts and a set of targets.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration data comprises a node template specifying at least one of hardware resources, software resources, and network settings for the at least one node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of configuration orders comprises at least one of a software installation order, a software update order, a software inventory order, a hardware inventory order, a security order, a node restore order, and a configuration order.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the management server transmits the set of configuration orders to at least two of the set of nodes, and the set of configuration orders are sequenced in time based on a dependency ordering of the at least two nodes.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the management server transmits the set of configuration orders to the at least one node based on at least one of a predetermined schedule and a predetermined triggering event.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the management server is further configured to store updated configuration data to a data store.

15. A set of configuration orders, the set of configuration orders being generating according to a method of:

accessing a set of configuration data, the set of configuration data specifying a configuration for a set of nodes in the network; and

generating a set of configuration orders to be transmitted to at least one node in the set of nodes based on the set of configuration data for the at least one node.

16. The set of configuration orders of claim 15, wherein the generating comprises generating the set of configuration orders via a management server.

17. The set of configuration orders of claim 15, wherein the set of nodes comprises at least one of a set of hosts and a set of targets.

18. The set of configuration orders of claim 15, wherein the configuration data comprises a node template specifying at least one of hardware resources, software resources, and network settings for the at least one node.

19. The set of configurations orders of claim 18, wherein the set of configuration orders comprises at least one of a software installation order, a software update order, a software inventory order, a hardware inventory order, a security order, a node restore order, and a configuration order.

20. The set of configuration orders of claim 15, wherein the set of configuration orders are transmitted to at least two of the set of nodes, and the method further comprises sequencing the set of configuration orders in time based on a dependency ordering of the at least two nodes.

21. The set of configuration orders of claim 15, wherein the set of configuration orders are transmitted to the at least one node based on at least one of a predetermined schedule and a predetermined triggering event.