System and method for monitoring and controlling one or more computer sites

• US 5,572,652 A
• Filed: 04/04/1994
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Navy The United Stated of America As Represented By The Secretary of The
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Robusto, John D., Meckley, Mary E., Watt, David J., Boswell, William H., Findley, Gorman N., Niechwiadowicz, Deanna R., Lenze, Gretchen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUHAN, ULKA J
• Application Number:
  US08/223,406
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 395/153-161, 395/575, 395/200, 395/600
• US Class Current: 715/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An improved user computer interface visual display workstation (UCIVDWS) system and an improved method for carrying out the system that concerns a common, password controlled UCIVDWS of the system for selectively controlling and monitoring one or more computer site arrangements; with each computer site being controllable in multi-mission fashion whether any computer site arrangement is arranged locally to or remote from the workstation arrangement; and even if any computer site arrangement has a different operating system from either any other system computer site arrangement or the system workstation itself. Moreover, the visual display at the workstation is generally made up of a multi-section, multi-formatted configuration such that certain sections of the workstation display have a plurality of user selectable function button. Other sections of the workstation display provide a variety of menus with or without submenus thereof in response to user selection of certain function button at various sections thereof. Because of the UCIVDWS being a common workstation for any computer site arrangement and by reason of a predetermined security access level for authorized password user, management concerns are significantly minimized since any authorized user can only use the common system workstation (within his/her access level) for the purpose of carrying out management demands relative to anyone'"'"'s access level for the purpose of enhanced monitoring and control of any computer site arrangement throughout system use. The improved method by reason of unique selecting steps as effected by any acceptable system, because of an enhanced software architecture design for the system, advantageously carries out system multi-mission monitoring and control in a manner not heretofore contemplated.

Claims

1. Improved multimission monotoring system for selectively monitioring at least one computer site means for the purpose of assuring that the one computer site means is fulfilling its mission as to any monitored function thereof, the system comprising:

user computer interface workstation means having display monitor means and data base means, the display monitor means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of at least three predetermined section visual display means,

first predetermined section visual display means of the plurality always having at least one computer site means displayed therein, the one computer site means in being displayed having a plurality of relatively spaced user selection function button means arranged in both multi-rowwise and multi-colunmwise fashion relative to each other so as to provide an arrayed pattern of function button means of the plurality thereof where each function button means of the plurality of the one computer site means is for a particular designated function of the one computer site means that is to be monitored for the purpose of seeing if the selected function button means is satisfactorily carrying out its mission when it is selected by an authorized user during system use,

the one computer site means being displayed also having another function button means designated replace for selectively replacing the one computer site means being displayed in the first predetermined section visual display means with another computer site means from the data base means when an authorized system user selects the other function button means designated replace during system use,

second predetermined section visual display meansof the plurality having a second plurality of relatively spaced function button means arranged in single row-like fashion, one of the function button means of the second plurality being designated start for starting the monitoring of a user selected function button means of the first plurality of the one computer site means when the start designated function button means is selected by a user after the user has selected a function button means of the first plurality,

second function button means of the second plurality being designated status for providing a status menu being displayed in the third predetermined section visual display means of the plurality where the status means indicates the condition of various aspects of the function button means of the first plurality that is currently user selected,

third function button means of the second plurality being designated password such that when the password designated function button means is user selected it provides a password meanu in the third predetermined section visual display means such that the password menu permits the current user to change his/her password so as to minimize security risks in preventing any unauthorized user from having access to the monitoring system, and

fourth function button means of the second plurality being designated privileged such that when the privileged designated function button means is selected by a user of the system it provides a privileged functions menu in the third predetermined section of the visual display means where the privileged functions menu provides a series of at least three selectable privileged function submenus, one of the submenus of the series being designated user capabilities such that upon being selected by a user, the third predetermined section of the visual display means provides a user capabilities submenu for limiting the access level of any user as specified in the user capabilities sub menu to one or more or none of the series of three privileged function submenus and also for limiting the number of functions of any computer site means to be monitored by any user as specified in the user capabilities submenu;

whereby the plurality of three predetermined section visual display means of the system not only permit user selectability for monitoring any function means of any computer site means being displayed but also control the password being used by any authorized user as well as the access level of any authorized user to the system.

2. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein once a function button means of the first plurality of function button means of the one computer site means being displayed is selected, then the selected function button means changes color to indicate its selection to any system user.

3. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 2, wherein when the first function button means designated start of the second plurality is selected by any system user after a function button means of the first pluralty is selected by any system user then the selected function button means of the first plurality further changes color to indicate to any system user whether any computer site means function being represented and monitored by the selected function button means of the first plurality is operating satisfactorily, acceptably or unacceptably.

4. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined section visual display means is comprised of a second function button means designated add for adding more than one computer site means to the first predetermined section visual display means, each computer site means as added having a plurality of function button means arranged in an arrayed pattern both rowwise and colunmwise of the first predetermined section visual display means.

5. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display monitoring means is comprised of a plurality of four predetermined section visual display means, the fourth predetermined section visual display means providing a third plurality of function button means, with each function button means of the third plurality being for an additional process for further monitoring any computer site means being displayed by the first predetermined section visual display means;

and wherein the fourth predetermined section visual display means is made up of a third plurality of relatively spaced function button means arranged in single row-like fashion.

6. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the privileged function button means of the second plurality of function button means when selected by any system user provides a privileged functions menu in the third predetermined section visual display means of the plurality having a series of privileged function submenus with one of the submenus being designated process control such that upon selection of the process control submenu by any system user provides this submenu in the third predetermined section visual display means so that any system user can select a process designation for any of the function button means of the third plurality of function button means.

7. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the third function button means of the second plurality that is designated privileged when selected by any system user provides a privileged functions menu in the third predetermined section visual display means of the plurality such that the privileged functions menu includes a series of submenus one of them being designated system window, the system window submenu when selected by a system user for display in the third predetermined section visual display means permitting selective addition and deletion of keyboard entries to the data base means for selectively controlling monitoring of any function button means of any computer site means being displayed in the first predetermined section of the visual display means.

8. Improved multimission monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display monitor means is comprised of a plurality of five predetermined section visual display means, the fifth predetermined section visual display means of the plurality being designated operator feedback for always indicating a series of operating conditions for the system and/or status conditions of any function button means of any computer site means being monitored.

9. A method for selectively monitoring at leat one process function of any computer site means as effected by a password acceptable user having an access level that includes the process being monitored with the user being at a user computer interface visual display workstation means of a system, the method comcomprising the steps of:

selecting at leat one process designated function button means of a plurality of function button means of any given computer site means as displayed by first predetermined section visual display means of multisection visual display means of the user computer interface visual display workstation means of the system for enabling monitoring of a selected process designated function button means of the the selected process designated function button means and also having an access level that includes the selected process designated function button means,

selecting start designated button means of second predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means of the user computer interface visual display workstation means of the system for starting operation of previously selected process designated function button means of any given computer site means of the first predetermined section visual display means as effected by a user having an acceptable password and an access level that includes the selected process designated function button means,

selecting status designated function button means of the second predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means of the user computer interface visual display workstation means for displaying a status menu in the third predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means once the start designated function button means has been selected by any authorized user for observing various aspects of the operation of the previously user selected process designated function button means of any given computer site means of the first predetermined section visual display means,

selecting password designated button means of the second predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means for displaying an option-driven menu in the third predetermined section visual display means thereof for enabling a user of the user computer interface visual display workstation means of the system to selectively change his/her password so as to effectively control system authorized use,

selecting privileged designated function button means of the second predetermined section visual display means for displaying an option driven privileged functions designated menu in the third predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means that provides user option selections of user capabilities, process control and system window; and

selecting the option selection of user capabilities of the selected privileged functions designated menu so as now to display in the third predetermined section visual display memos of the multisection visual display means a nonuser list of the user computer interface visual display workstation means for selectively preventing any listed nonuser access to all or any menus of the third predetermined section visual display means as well as to all or less than all process functions of any computer site means being displayed in the first predetermined section of the visual display means, whereby the user computer interface visual display workstation means permits authorized user monitoring of any selected process designated function button means of one or more computer site means being displayed by the first predetermined section visual display means while at the same time it controls the access level of any authorized user in accordance with management requirements for user monitoring of any selected process designated function button means.

10. A method as set fort in claim 9, wherein it includes the step of selecting the option selection of process control of the privileged functions designated menu so as now to display an option-driven sub-menu of process control for adding, modifying or deleting a process name from a list of process names as additional process designated functions of any given computer site means of the first predetermined section visual display means;

where a series of additional user selectable process designated function button means for effecting additional processes of any given computer site means of the first predetermined section visual display means is displayed in the fourth predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means; and

where the process control sub-menu for any listed additional process function has additional option selections of specifying privileged access for either the current authorized user of the system or any potential authorized user thereof as well as of selecting the host name of the given computer site means of the first predetermined section visual display means.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein it includes the step of selecting the option selection of system window of the selected privileged functions designated menu so as now to display a system window designated sub-menu in the third predetermined section visual display means of the multisection visual display means for enabling any authorized user to selectively enter or delete any keyboard entry onto or from the submenu for the purpose of further selectively controlling the monitoring of any computer site means in accordance with management requirements.