MANAGING AND CLASSIFYING ASSETS IN AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT USING TAGS

• US 20130054601A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tripwire Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tripwire Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitlock, David M., Trople, Chyna, Little, Mark A., Booth, Julie
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history

Abstract

Disclosed below are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for managing and classifying assets in an information technology (“IT”) environment using a tag-based approach. The disclosed tag-based classification techniques can be implemented through a graphical user interface. Embodiments of the disclosed tag-based classification techniques can be used to allow a user to easily and quickly select and perform actions on groups of one or more assets (e.g., monitor policies, perform upgrades, etc.). For example, the tag-based classification techniques can automatically classify assets into “tag sets” (or “tagged sets”) based on node properties or user-selected criteria or conditions (e.g., criteria or conditions that are established in a user-created tagging profile or rule). The tagged assets can then be further filtered to identify even deeper relationships between the assets.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a set of conditions to establish a tagging profile;

receiving identifications of one or more tags associated with the tagging profile;

applying the tagging profile to nodes in an information technology network by determining one or more nodes in the information technology network that satisfy one or more conditions of the set of conditions;

associating the one or more tags with the nodes that satisfy the one or more conditions;

displaying a list of the one or more tags; and

after user selection of a respective one of the tags, displaying a list of the nodes associated with the respective one of the tags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the applying and the associating automatically as a new node is introduced to the information technology network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to select whether the tagging profile is to be applied automatically or manually.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes comprise one or more of a database server, directory server, file server, or network device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of tags is displayed in a first panel of a display screen and the list of the nodes associated with the respective one of the tags is displayed in a second panel of the display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the conditions is that a node be within a range of internet protocol addresses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the conditions is that a node have a name or attribute that matches a user-selected keyword.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the conditions is that a node be tagged with a selected tag, the selected tag being different than the one or more tags associated with the tagging profile.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to select whether all conditions of the set or less than all conditions of the set must be satisfied before associating nodes with the one or more tags.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

monitoring nodes in a computer network, the nodes comprising one or more of a database server, directory server, file server, or network device;

detecting a new node in the computer network; and

upon detecting the new node and without user initiation, associating the new node with one or more tags.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the associating the new node comprises applying one or more tagging profiles to the new node, each tagging profile comprising a set of one or more conditions that, if satisfied by the new node, causes the new node to be associated with one or more respective tags of the tagging profile.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tags include a tag indicative of an operating system used by the new node.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tags include a tag indicative of a directory service used by the new node.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tags include a tag indicative of a monitoring status of the new node.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tags include a tag indicative of a health of the new node.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the tags in a first panel of a display screen, and, upon user selection of a respective one of the tags, displaying nodes associated with the respective one of the tags in a second panel of the display screen.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 11.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in a first portion of a screen, displaying a list of tags, each tag being associated with a property of an asset in an information technology environment;

receiving a filter request specifying a keyword or tag;

matching the keyword or tag to multiple assets in the information technology environment; and

in a second portion of the screen distinct from the first portion, displaying a list of assets matching the keyword or tag.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, upon user selection of a respective one of the assets in the second panel of the display screen, displaying additional information about the respective one of the assets in a third panel of the display screen, the third panel being distinct from the first panel and the second panel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the third panel of the display screen includes an indication of tags with which the respective one of the assets is associated.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising updating the list of tags displayed in the first portion of the screen to further include a numerical indicator adjacent to each tag having matching assets, the numerical indicator indicating the number of matching assets for the respective tag.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the list of tags is displayed as part of an expandable list of tag sets in which, upon expansion, each tag set displays the respective tags for the tag set.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein one of the tag sets includes a tag for healthy assets and one or more tags for assets experiencing errors.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the filter request is a first filter request, wherein the keyword or tag is a first keyword or tag, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second filter request specifying a second keyword or tag;

matching the second keyword or tag to one or more assets that also match the first keyword or tag; and

in the second portion of the screen, displaying an updated list of nodes matching both the first keyword or tag, and the second keyword or tag.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

displaying both the first keyword or tag and the second keyword or tag; and

allowing a user to de-select either one of the first keyword or tag, or the second keyword or tag.

27. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 19.

28. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a set of conditions to establish a tagging profile, the set of conditions specifying a set of one or more conditions that must be satisfied by a node before the node is assigned a tag associated with the tagging profile;

receiving identifications of one or more tags associated with the tagging profile;

applying the tagging profile to nodes in an information technology network, the applying the tagging profile comprising assigning the tag associated with the tagging profile to one or more nodes of the nodes in the information technology network that satisfy the set of conditions specified in the tagging profile, thereby generating a tagged set of nodes; and

generating a data set in a hierarchically arranged database or file system that comprises the tagged set of nodes.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising accessing the data set comprising the tagged set of nodes with an information technology compliance and configuration control tool.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is performed by a monitoring computer in the information technology network, and wherein the method further comprises applying a rule to the tagged set of nodes in the data set, the rule identifying a criterion by which a configuration change to the node is to be transmitted to the monitoring computer.

31. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 28.