Display and control system for configuring and monitoring a complex system

• US 5,500,934 A
• Filed: 10/04/1994
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chiavegatto, Arlindo Jr., Smith, Jeffrey L., Bohn, Carole A., Byrne, Jani G., Austin, Jon O., Zeisz, Raymond L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US08/317,423
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155-161
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A display and control system utilizes graphics for providing a clear, concise and intuitive interface between the user and a complex system. Icons are utilized for selectively representing components of the complex system, the components having a configurable relationship with one another. The display and control system further utilizes a predefined array defining locations for the icons to be positioned. In a first embodiment, the interface may be utilized in a network for assisting the user to configure the network and for providing real-time monitoring of the network at the interconnect device. In a second embodiment, a display and control system utilizes graphics for providing a clear, concise interface between the user and a workstation for configuring a file for use with an application software program in accordance with the hardware installed in the server workstation. Each embodiment utilizes a predefined array defining locations for the icons to be positioned.

Claims

1. For use with a first networking component in a communications network having a plurality of networking components wherein data may be conveyed between said networking components in said communications network, said first networking component having a primary function of passing data to and from said communications network and having a configurable relationship with other networking components so that a communication link may exist between said first networking component and another networking component so that data may be conveyed over said communication link, and wherein said communication link may be starting between said first networking component and another networking component in that communication activity is initializing between said first networking component and said another networking component, a display and control system for monitoring and configuring said first networking component with respect to the communications activity with the remainder of said communications network, said display and control system comprising:

a plurality of icons for selectively representing said first networking component and said other networking components;

a screen for displaying said plurality of icons, said screen having a matrix of display elements for producing a display image, said matrix comprising a plurality of columns and rows of said display elements;

a predefined array of areas on said screen defining a plurality of locations for said icons to be positioned, each icon having a predetermined location in said array, said predefined array of areas comprising a plurality of columns and rows, each column and row of said predefined array of areas comprising a plurality of columns and rows of said display elements;

control means for defining and establishing a relationship solely between said first networking component and said other networking components; and

means for indicating on said screen the status of relationships solely between said fast networking component and said other networking components comprising means for indicating that said communication link is starting.

2. The display and control system defined in claim 1 wherein said communication link is either automatically established by said control means or manually established by a user of said display and control system, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating whether said communication link is automatically or manually established.

3. The display and control system defined in claim 2 wherein said indicating means further comprising a solid line for indicating that said communication link is automatically established and a broken line for indicating that said communication link is manually established.

4. The display and control system defined in claim 3 wherein said indicating means further comprises a half line growing from no line and further growing to a full line for indicating that said communication link is starting.

5. The display and control system defined in claim 1 wherein said communication link may be stopping between said first networking component and another networking component in that communication activity is being deactivated between said first networking component and said another networking component, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating that said communication link is stopping.

6. The display and control system defined in claim 5 wherein said indicating memos further comprises a full line shrinking to a half line and further shrinking to no line for indicating that said communication link is stopping.

7. The display and control system defined in claim 1 wherein said indicating means further comprises means for indicating solely the status of relationships in real-time between a first icon representing said first networking component and all other icons representing the other networking components.

8. The display and control system defined in claim 7 wherein said first icon is positioned in the center of said screen.

9. The display and control system defined in claim 1 wherein said communication link is either physical or logical, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating whether said communication link is physical or logicial.

10. The display and control system defined in claim 9 wherein said indicating means further comprises a black line for indicating that said communication link is physical and a blue line for indicating that said link is logical.

11. An interconnect device for being connected between a first network and a second network of a plurality of networks, said interconnect device comprising means for passing data from said first network to said second network and further comprising a display and control system for monitoring and configuring a complex system having a plurality of other interconnect devices, said interconnect device having a configurable relationship with said other interconnect devices so that a communication link may exist between said interconnect device and said other interconnect devices, and wherein said communication link may be starting between said interconnect device and another interconnect device in that communication activity is initializing between said interconnect device and said another interconnect device, said display and control system comprising a plurality of icons for selectively representing said interconnect device and said plurality of other interconnect devices, a screen for displaying said plurality of icons, said screen having a matrix of display elements for producing a display image, said matrix comprising a plurality of columns and rows of said display elements, a predetermined array of areas on said screen defining a plurality of locations for said icons to be positioned, each icon having a predetermined location in said array, said predefined array of areas comprising a plurality of columns and rows, each column and row of said predefined army of areas comprising a plurality of columns and rows of said display elements, control means for defining and establishing a relationship solely between said interconnect device and said other interconnect devices, and means for indicating on said screen the status of relationships solely between said interconnect device and said other interconnect devices, said indicating means comprising means for indicating that said communication link is starting.

12. The interconnect device defined in claim 11 wherein said communication link is either automatically established by said control means or manually established by a user of said display and control system, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating whether said communication link is automatically or manually established.

13. The interconnect device defined in claim 12 wherein said indicating means further comprising a solid line for indicating that said communication link is automatically established and a broken line for indicating that said communication link is manually established.

14. The interconnect device defined in claim 13 wherein said indicating means further comprises a half line growing from no line and further growing to a full line for indicating that said communication link is starting.

15. The interconnect device defined in claim 11 wherein said communication link may be stopping between said interconnect device and another interconnect device in that communication activity is being deactivated between said interconnect device and said another interconnect device, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating that said communication link is stopping.

16. The interconnect device defined in claim 15 wherein said indicating means further comprises a full line shrinking to a half line and further shrinking to no line for indicating that said communication link is stopping.

17. The interconnect device defined in claim 11 wherein said indicating means further comprises means for indicating solely the status of relationships in real-time between a first icon representing said interconnect device and all other icons representing the other interconnect devices.

18. The interconnect device defined in claim 17 wherein said first icon is positioned in the center of said screen.

19. The interconnect device defined in claim 11 wherein said communication link is either physical or logical, said indicating means further comprising means for indicating whether said communication link is physical or logicial.

20. The interconnect device defined in claim 19 wherein said indicating means further comprises a black line for indicating that said communication link is physical and a blue line for indicating that said link is logical.