SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REGISTERING SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT TYPES IN A MANAGED NETWORK

• US 20110055810A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for registering management software component types in a managed network. In embodiments, a central registration server can scan a managed network to identify different types and configurations of target machines. The registration server can, for instance, perform an authorization process on some or all targets in a network, and determine a management software component type required by or compatible with each target. The Different target machines may have requirements for different management software component types depending, for instance, on the operating system or other resources installed on each target. Once a management software component type has been identified, the registration server can take an inventory of further resources hosted on the target, as well as identify types of management agents that can be distributed to the target to registration to remote management services, such as configuration management or performance monitoring services.

Claims

1. A method of registration of target machines in a network, comprising:

accessing a set of target machines via a platform-independent registration tool to identify a management software component type from a library of management software component types for each target machine;

registering the management software component type for each target machine to a registration database;

interrogating the set of target machines to identify an inventory of resources present in each target machine;

associating the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for each target machine; and

storing the identifier, management software component type, and inventory of resources for each target machine to the registration database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the management software component type identifies at least one of an associated configuration management tool class, an associated network management tool class, an associated provisioning tool class, or an associated monitoring tool class.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing the set of target machines comprises automatically scanning the network via the platform-independent registration tool based on predetermined criteria.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a set of predetermined network events and a predetermined schedule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of resources comprises at least one of hardware resources, software resources, communications resources, and security resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing the set of target machines comprises performing an authorization routine via the platform-independent registration tool for each target machine in the set of target machines.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the management software component type and inventory of resources in the registration database to applications via an application programming interface (API).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the library of management software component types is extensible.

10. A network management system, comprising:

a first interface to a set of target machines in a network;

a second interface to a registration database storing information related to the set of target machines; and

a registration server, communicating with the set of target machines via the first interface and the registration database via the second interface, the registration server being configured to-

access the set of target machines via a platform-independent registration tool to identify a management software component type from a library of management software component types for each target machine,

register a management software component type for each target machine to the registration database,

interrogate the set of target machines to identify an inventory of resources present in each target machine,

associate the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for each target machine, and

store the identifier, management software component type, and inventory of resources for each target machine to the registration database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the management software component type identifies at least one of an associated configuration management tool class, an associated network management tool class, an associated provisioning tool class, or an associated monitoring tool class.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further configured to access the set of target machines by automatically scanning the network via the platform-independent registration tool based on predetermined criteria.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a set of predetermined network events and a predetermined schedule.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the inventory of resources comprises at least one of hardware resources, software resources, communications resources, and security resources.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further configured to access the set of target machines by performing an authorization routine via the platform-independent registration tool for each target machine in the set of target machines.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further configured to expose the management software component type and inventory of resources in the registration database to applications via an application programming interface (API).

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the library of management software component types is extensible.

19. A computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions executable to perform a method of registration of target machines in a network, the method comprising:

accessing a set of target machines via a platform-independent registration tool to identify a management software component type from a library of management software component types for each target machine;

registering the management software component type for each target machine to a registration database;

interrogating the set of target machines to identify an inventory of resources present in each target machine;

associating the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for each target machine; and

storing the identifier, management software component type, and inventory of resources for each target machine to the registration database.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.