Parameterized Computer Monitoring System

• US 20110208855A1
• Filed: 02/20/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, James, Maknojia, Rahim, Snover, Jeffrey, Payette, Bruce, Moeller, Christine, Mutatkar, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,509 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A computer monitoring system uses a set of parameterized models to gather information about monitored devices. The models include scripts for gathering information, as well as type validation and data validation functions. The parameters within the model are used to generate user interface prompts and to populate discovery scripts as well as data validation scripts. In some cases, the models may include localization settings that may customize the user interface and validation output for different languages. A processing engine may generate a user interface from the parameters defined in the models, customize the scripts from the user input, and cause the scripts to be executed. The data gathered by the scripts may be analyzed using type validation and data validation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a device model comprising;

a discovery script template having at least one undefined parameter; and

a data validation definition;

creating a user interface from said device model, said user interface comprising user input mechanisms for said at least one undefined parameter;

receiving user input from said user interface for said at least one undefined parameter;

creating a executable discovery script from said discovery script template, said executable discovery script comprising said at least one undefined parameter;

executing said executable discovery script to gather device data from a target device; and

verifying said device data using said data validation definition.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a customized validation definition comprising said data validation definition and said at least one undefined parameter; and

using said customized validation definition for said verifying.

3. The method of claim 1, said device model further comprising type definitions for said at least one undefined parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, said type definitions being used by said user interface to collect said user input according to said type.

5. The method of claim 4, said undefined parameter having a default value, and presenting said default value in said user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, said device model further comprising localization information, said method further comprising:

determining a locality;

selecting a local descriptor for said at least one undefined parameter; and

presenting said local descriptor in said user interface for said at least one undefined parameter.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

presenting an output comprising said device data after said verifying, said output comprising a second local descriptor from said localization information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a plurality of discovery scripts from said discovery script template, each of said discovery scripts being configured to gather data from a different device;

executing said plurality of discovery scripts to create a plurality of results files; and

performing said verifying against each of said results files.

9. A system comprising:

a physical network interface;

a set of models comprising discovery script templates having parameters;

a user interface engine that;

analyzes said set of models to identify said parameters;

determines a type for each of said parameters;

creates a user interface having user interface mechanisms configured for at least a subset of said parameters, at least one of said user interface mechanisms having a type constraint;

presents said user interface mechanisms on a user interface; and

receives user input for said parameters;

a script engine that;

creates a plurality of discovery scripts from said discovery script templates and said user input;

launches said plurality of discovery scripts; and

receives results from said discovery scripts, said results comprising configuration data from at least one remote device.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a data validator engine that;

validates said results to create validated output.

11. The system of claim 10, said data validator that further:

creates a validation script from a validation script template and said user input, said validation script being used to create said validated output.

12. The system of claim 10, said set of models comprising models configured for gathering said configuration data from a server computer.

13. The system of claim 12, said user input comprising a first account usable for authenticating with said server computer.

14. The system of claim 13, said user input coming from a first user having a second account, said first account being an administrator account and said user input comprising credentials for said administrator account.

15. The system of claim 14, said set of models further comprising models configured for gathering said configuration data from a group of said server computers.

16. The system of claim 14, said set of models further comprising models configured for gathering said configuration data from a client computer.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a device model comprising;

a discovery script template having a plurality of undefined parameters; and

a set of parameter metadata comprising type information for said undefined parameters;

creating a user interface by;

for each of said plurality of undefined parameters;

determining said type information;

selecting a user interface mechanism according to said type; and

presenting said user interface mechanism as part of said user interface;

presenting said user interface to a user;

receiving user input from said user interface for at least a portion of said undefined parameters;

creating a executable discovery script from said discovery script template, said executable discovery script comprising said at least one undefined parameter; and

executing said executable discovery script to gather device data from a plurality of target devices.

18. The method of claim 17, said device model further comprising a validation script template, said method further comprising:

creating a validation script from said validation script template and said user input; and

validating said device data using said validation script.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

creating a plurality of executable discovery scripts from said discovery script template, each of said plurality of executable discovery scripts being configured to gather said configuration data from a different of said target devices.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

creating a plurality of validation scripts, each of said plurality of validation scripts being correlated to one of said plurality of executable discovery scripts.