SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEARCHING A MANAGED NETWORK FOR SETTING AND CONFIGURATION DATA

• US 20100223375A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Likins, Adrian Karstan, Vidal, Seth Kelby, Dehaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

A network management server can be configured to search the components of computing systems and devices in a managed network for specified settings and configurations in order to determine if the computing systems or devices contain the specified settings and configurations. The network management server can receive a request containing search parameters. The search parameters can identify specific settings and configurations to search for in the components of the systems and devices of the managed network. The network management server can initiate a search of the components of all the systems and devices in the managed network based on the search parameters.

Claims

1. A method of searching a network, comprising:

receiving a request to search a set of devices in a managed network, wherein the request includes a set of search parameters, the set of search parameters comprising at least one setting or configuration of the set of devices;

establishing a secure channel with the set of devices in the managed network;

initiating, over the secure channel, a search of the set of devices based on the set of search parameters; and

collecting an identification of specific devices in the set of devices that match the set of search parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing the identification of specific devices in a network store.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

categorizing the identification of specific devices that meet the set of search parameters;

generating a report comprising the categorized identification of specific devices; and

providing the report to a source of the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

searching components of each device in the set of devices based on the set of search parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

instructing each device in the set of devices to search components of each device based on the set of search parameters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.

8. A system for searching a network, comprising:

a network interface to a set of devices in a managed network; and

a network management server, communicating with the network interface, the network management server being configured to—

receive a request to search the set of devices in the managed network, wherein the request includes a set of search parameters, the set of search parameters comprising at least one setting or configuration of the set of devices;

establish a secure channel, via the network interface, with the set of devices in the managed network;

initiate, over the secure channel, a search of the set of devices based on the set of search parameters; and

collect an identification of specific devices in the set of devices that match the set of search parameters.

9. The system of claim 8, the network management server being further configured to

store the identification of specific devices in a network store.

10. The system of claim 8, the network management server being further configured to

categorize the identification of specific devices that meet the set of search parameters;

generate a report comprising the categorized identification of specific devices; and

provide the report to a source of the request.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

searching components of each device in the set of devices based on the set of search parameters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

instructing each device in the set of devices to search components of each device based on the set of search parameters.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.

15. A network management application, the network management application being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising instructions for causing a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to search a set of devices in a managed network, wherein the request includes a set of search parameters, the set of search parameters comprising at least one setting or configuration of the set of devices;

establishing a secure channel with the set of devices in the managed network;

initiating, over the secure channel a search of the set of devices based on the set of search parameters; and

collecting an identification of specific devices in the set of devices that match the set of search parameters.

16. The network management application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

storing the identification of specific devices in a network store.

17. The network management application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

categorizing the identification of specific devices that meet the set of search parameters;

generating a report comprising the categorized identification of specific devices; and

providing the report to a source of the request.

18. The network management application of claim 15, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

searching components of each device in the set of devices based on the set of search parameters.

19. The network management application of claim 18, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.

20. The network management application of claim 15, wherein initiating, over the secure channel, the search of the set of devices comprises:

instructing each device in the set of devices to search components of each device based on the set of search parameters.

21. The network management application of claim 20, wherein the components of each device comprise at least one of files of each device, software installed on each device, data maintain by each device, and hardware settings or configurations of each device.