INFRASTRUCTURE CONFIGURATION AND INVENTORY MANAGER

• US 20180321934A1
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Published: 11/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: CHAGANTI, Ravikanth, ALI, Rizwan, PATEL, Dharmesh M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]

Abstract

A configuration management resource manages the solution-level configuration of an infrastructure that includes a plurality of deployed information handling resources. The management resource has access to a master manifest, corresponding to the solution infrastructure, that identifies one or more baselined configurations of the solution infrastructure. The master manifest may include a resource type identifier corresponding to each resource deployed in the infrastructure. For each resource type, the manifest may identify all compliance-capable resources, one or more baselined components for each of said resources, and one or more baseline-required attributes for each of said components. The management resource may register resource specific plugins to implement a standard set of REST-compliant methods. The management resource may determine the current configuration of deployed infrastructure, validate the current configuration against baseline configurations identified in the manifest, and incorporate a point in time configuration as a versioned baseline in master manifest.

Claims

1. A solution configuration management method, comprising:

determining a solution level configuration of a solution infrastructure comprising a heterogeneous plurality of deployed information handling resources;

accessing a master manifest including a resource type identifier corresponding to each of the deployed information handling resources, wherein the master manifest identifies one or more baseline configurations of the solution infrastructure; and

performing a validation process to determine whether the solution level configuration corresponds to any of the one or more baselined configurations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the master manifest indicates:

one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier;

one or more components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline required attributes of each of the one or more components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more baseline required attributes include at least one extended attribute for at least one of the components, wherein the at least one extended attribute is selected from:

a dependency attribute requiring that a solution infrastructure including a first information handling resource also include a second information handling resource; and

an adjacency attributed requiring that a solution infrastructure including a first information handling resource include a second information handling resource connected to the first information handling resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mater manifest identifies one or more capable resources corresponding to each of the one or more resource types.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the master manifest identifies:

one or more baseline components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline configuration attributes for each of the one or more baseline components.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the validation operation comprises:

determining whether the plurality of baselined configurations include a baselined configuration identifying baseline components and baseline configuration attributes consistent with the solution level configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution infrastructure includes a deployed resource corresponding to each of the resource types and wherein each deployed resource constitutes a capable resource for its resource type, wherein the method further comprises:

associating each of the one or more deployed resources with a corresponding registered configuration plugin, wherein each registered configuration plugin;

supports one or more representational state transfer (REST) compliant methods for communicating with the deployed resource; and

defines one or more interfaces, compatible with the deployed resource, for each of the RESTful methods.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular set of REST compliant methods includes a GET method and wherein the GET method for a particular deployed resource is configured to:

retrieve component information indicative of one or more components implemented in the particular deployed resource; and

retrieve configuration attributes for each of the one or more components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the present configuration of the solution infrastructure includes:

executing the GET method for each of the registered configuration plugins.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular set of REST compliant methods includes a TEST method and wherein the TEST method is configured to:

determine whether a particular attribute of the infrastructure is compliant with a requirement for the particular parameter set forth in the master manifest.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the solution infrastructure comprises a plurality of information handling resources mounted in a rack cabinet; and

the resource types are selected from a resource type group comprising;

a rack mount server, a rack mount chassis;

a storage enclosure, a network switch, a modular computer resource, a modular storage resource, and a modular switch resource.

12. An information handling system, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a computer readable medium including process-executable program instructions that, when executed, cause the CPU to perform operations comprising;

solution configuration management method, comprising;

determining a solution level configuration of a solution infrastructure comprising a heterogeneous plurality of deployed information handling resources;

accessing a master manifest including a resource type identifier corresponding to each of the deployed information handling resources, wherein the master manifest identifies one or more baseline configurations of the solution infrastructure; and

performing a validation process to determine whether the solution level configuration corresponds to any of the one or more baselined configurations.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the master manifest indicates:

one or more capable resources for each resource type identifier;

one or more components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline required attributes of each of the one or more components.

14. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein the one or more baseline required attributes include at least one extended attribute for at least one of the components, wherein the at least one extended attribute is selected from:

a dependency attribute requiring that a solution infrastructure including a first information handling resource also include a second information handling resource; and

an adjacency attributed requiring that a solution infrastructure including a first information handling resource include a second information handling resource connected to the first information handling resource.

15. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the mater manifest identifies one or more capable resources corresponding to each of the one or more resource types.

16. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the master manifest identifies:

one or more baseline components for each of the one or more capable resources; and

one or more baseline configuration attributes for each of the one or more baseline components.

17. The information handling system of claim 16, wherein the validation operation comprises:

determining whether the plurality of baselined configurations include a baselined configuration identifying baseline components and baseline configuration attributes consistent with the solution level configuration.

18. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the solution infrastructure includes a deployed resource corresponding to each of the resource types and wherein each deployed resource constitutes a capable resource for its resource type, wherein the method further comprises:

associating each of the one or more deployed resources with a corresponding registered configuration plugin, wherein each registered configuration plugin;

supports one or more representational state transfer (REST) compliant methods for communicating with the deployed resource; and

defines one or more interfaces, compatible with the deployed resource, for each of the RESTful methods.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein:

the particular set of REST compliant methods includes a GET method and wherein the GET method for a particular deployed resource is configured to;

retrieve component information indicative of one or more components implemented in the particular deployed resource; and

retrieve configuration attributes for each of the one or more components; and

wherein determining the present configuration of the solution infrastructure includes;

executing the GET method for each of the registered configuration plugins.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, wherein the particular set of REST compliant methods includes a TEST method and wherein the TEST method is configured to:

determine whether a particular attribute of the infrastructure is compliant with a requirement for the particular parameter set forth in the master manifest.