Forming Configuration Information about Components of Systems which Include Components for which Acquisition of Configuration Information is Restricted

• US 20130086256A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sasatani, Yohkichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

[Problem to be Solved]

To provide an improved system for managing configuration information about components of a management target system.

[Solution]

A system for forming configuration information about components of a system which includes a first component for which acquisition of configuration information is restricted is provided with: an identification section identifying the existence of the first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component; a storage section storing pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and attribute values; a search section retrieving pattern data whose configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions; and a formation section forming analogized configuration information about the first component using attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

identify the existence of the first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component;

store pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and one or more attribute values;

retrieve pattern data whose configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions, from the storage section; and

form analogized configuration information about the first component using one or more attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the configuration information about the one or more other components and the analogized configuration information about the first component as CIs (configuration items) in a configuration management database.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a CI expressing the existence of the first component is formed in the configuration management database in response to the existence of the first component having been identified.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, when multiple CIs expressing the existence of the first component are formed, the multiple CIs are integrated in response to the analogized information having been formed.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the existence of the first component is identified from connection information related to the first component, among the configuration information about the one or more other components.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the analogized configuration information is stored together with data indicating that the configuration information is analogized information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on a display device together with the configuration information about the one or more other components.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on the display device in a manner so that it is shown that the configuration information is analogized configuration information.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, on condition that actual configuration information about the first component has been acquired, the instructions further cause the processor to:

replace the analogized configuration information with the actual configuration information.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

acquire the configuration information about the one or more other components.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information about the one or more other components includes connection relations among components of a management target system.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first component is any of a hardware element and a software element.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first component is software on a discovery-restricted computer.

14. A program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer device to:

identify the existence of the first-component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component;

store pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and one or more attribute values;

retrieve pattern data whose configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions, from the storage section; and

form analogized configuration information about the first component using one or more attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

16. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

store the configuration information about the one or more other components and the analogized configuration information about the first component as CIs (configuration items) in a configuration management database.

17. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on a display device together with the configuration information about the one or more other components.

18. The program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on the display device in a manner so that it is shown that the configuration information is analogized configuration information.

19. The program product according to claim 14, wherein, on condition that actual configuration information about the first component has been acquired, the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

replace the analogized configuration information with the actual configuration information.

20. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

acquire the configuration information about the one or more other components.

15. A method in a system for forming configuration information about components of a system which includes a first component for which acquisition of configuration information is restricted, the method comprising:

identifying the existence of the first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component;

retrieving, from a storage storing pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and one or more attribute values, such pattern data that configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions; and

forming analogized configuration information about the first component using one or more attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

storing the configuration information about the one or more other components and the analogized configuration information about the first component as CIs (configuration items) in a configuration management database.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the analogized configuration information about the first component on a display device together with the configuration information about the one or more other components.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

displaying the analogized configuration information about the first component on the display device in a manner so that it is shown that the configuration information is analogized configuration information.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein, on condition that actual configuration information about the first component has been acquired, the method further comprises:

replacing the analogized configuration information with the actual configuration information.

25. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

acquiring the configuration information about the one or more other components.