System and Method for Expressing Platform Configuration Dependencies for Local and Remote System Management

• US 20120137112A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bolen, Austin, Chan, Richard, Mahmoud, Samer El Haj
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes identifying a first question that is associated with an object at an information handling system. The first question represents an opportunity to select a first configuration setting having a first value. A second question associated with the object is identified, the second question representing an opportunity to select a second configuration setting having a second value. The method further includes determining that relevance of the second question depends on the first value. A first dependency modifier is associated with the second question based on determining the relevance. The first dependency modifier identifies the first question, the first value, and an action keyword. The action keyword identifies a first action to be associated with a presentation of the second question.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

identifying a first question associated with an object at an information handling system, the first question representing an opportunity to select a first configuration setting having a first value;

identifying a second question associated with the object, the second question representing an opportunity to select a second configuration setting having a second value;

determining that relevance of the second question depends on the first value; and

associating a first dependency modifier with the second question based on the determining, the first dependency modifier identifying the first question, the first value, and an action keyword, the action keyword identifying a first action to be associated with a presentation of the second question.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the first dependency modifier with the second question comprises incorporating the first dependency modifier within a string, the string corresponding to a prompt representing the second question.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first action comprises configuring presentation of the second question as read-only.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the first action comprises configuring presentation of the second question as hidden.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the string corresponding to the prompt is a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Human Interface Infrastructure (HII) configuration language string corresponding to an HII question prompt token.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the first dependency modifier with the second question comprises incorporating the first dependency modifier within a string, the string corresponding to a first option enumerated by the second question.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first action comprises configuring presentation of the first configuration option of the second question as read-only.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first action comprises configuring presentation of the first configuration option of the second question as hidden.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first action comprises forcing selection of the first configuration option of the second question.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the string corresponding to the first configuration option is a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Human Interface Infrastructure configuration language string corresponding to an option of an HII question.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a second dependency modifier with the second question.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein presentation of the second question comprises configuring the presentation of the second question at a browser.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the first dependency modifier with the second question comprises combining a string representing the first dependency modifier with a string representing an HII configuration attribute.

14. A computer implemented method comprising:

retrieving a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface configuration language string from a Human Interface Infrastructure (HII) string package of an HII database, the HII database stored at a memory device; and

parsing the string to determine;

a first portion identifying an HII configuration attribute; and

a second portion identifying a first dependency modifier, the first dependency modifier identifying a first question, a first configuration setting corresponding to the first question, and an action keyword, wherein the first question represents an opportunity to select the first configuration setting from amongst options enumerated by the first question; and

configuring presentation of a second question at a browser based on the first dependency modifier.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein configuring presentation of the second question further comprises disabling presentation of the second question based on the dependency modifier.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein configuring presentation of the second question further comprises configuring the second question to be presented as read-only based on the dependency modifier.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein configuring presentation of the second question further comprises forcing a selection of a first option enumerated by the second question based on the dependency modifier.

18. An information handling system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium, the storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

identify a first question associated with an object at the information handling system, the first question representing an opportunity to select a first configuration setting having a first value;

identify a second question associated with the object, the second question representing an opportunity to select a second configuration setting having a second value;

determine that relevance of the second question depends on the first value; and

associate a dependency modifier with the second question based on the determining, the dependency modifier identifying the first question, the first value, and an action keyword, the action keyword identifying an action to be associated with presentation of the second question.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 wherein the associating the dependency modifier with the second question comprises incorporating the dependency modifier within a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface HII configuration language string, the string corresponding to a prompt for the second question.

20. The information handling system of claim 18 wherein associating the dependency modifier with the second question comprises incorporating the dependency modifier within a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface HII configuration language string, the string corresponding to a first option enumerated by the second question.