Information processing system having a configuration management system for managing the software of the information processing system

• US 5,619,716 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nonaka, Naomichi, Nakane, Keiichi, Itoh, Hiromichi, Ishida, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS JR, WALTER D
• Application Number:
  US08/466,238
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/600, 395/700, 395/200.01, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 717/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An information processing system in which update processes are automated in conformity with types of client machines, to thereby dispense with manual version update processes, and within which redirectors of identical version are run at any time, to thereby prevent any error ascribable to different programs from occurring. When a redirector stored in the client machine is started, it notifies version information of its own to a configuration management program stored in a server machine. In a case where version information of a redirector stored in a configuration management database is newer than the notified version information, the configuration management program sends an update request back to the redirector of the client machine and transfers the new redirector to the client machine so as to update the redirector thereof.

Claims

1. An information processing system having a plurality of equipments which are processing equipments, said information processing system comprising:

a first equipment for providing a resource to any other equipments in the system and for storing information to be supplied to said any other equipments;

a second equipment for utilizing the resource supplied by said first equipment and for receiving said information supplied by said first equipment;

said information including a program and version information thereof, said program being provided according to a type of said second equipment and used by said second equipment for determining whether an access request created in said second equipment is for accessing a local resource of said second equipment or for accessing said resource of said first equipment, and for processing said access request, which is to be transmitted from said second equipment to said first equipment, so that said resource of said first equipment may be utilized by said second equipment;

said second equipment including a first storage for storing a program equivalent to said program and version information thereof;

said program resident in said second equipment transmitting, before determining whether an access request created in said second equipment is for accessing said local resource of said second equipment or for accessing said resource of said first equipment, said version information stored in said first storage to said first equipment,

said first equipment comprising;

a second storage for storing said program to be supplied to said second equipment according to said type of said second equipment, and said version information of said program; and

comparing means for comparing the version of said program stored in said second storage means with the version of said program transmitted from said second equipment according to said type of said second equipment and transferring, when it is determined by said comparing means that the version of said program stored in said second storage is newer than the version of said program transmitted from said second equipment, said program and said version information stored in said second storage to said second equipment,

said program resident in said second equipment replacing itself with a newer version of said program transferred from said first equipment.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said first equipment is a server equipment and said second equipment is a client equipment.

3. An information processing system comprising:

a server equipment for providing a resource to any other equipments; and

a client equipment which utilizes said resource provided by said server equipment;

said client equipment having a program functioning as a redirector for processing an access request to be transmitted from said client equipment to said server equipment so that said resource of said server equipment may be utilized by said client equipment,

wherein said program functioning as said redirector transmits version information of said program to said server equipment before accessing said resource of said server equipment,

said server equipment comprising;

a configuration management storage for storing a program functioning as said redirector, and version information thereof according to a type of said client equipment, and

a configuration management means for comparing said version information of said program transmitted from said client equipment functioning as said redirector with said version information of said program stored in said server equipment, according to said type of said client equipment, then transmitting said program stored in said server equipment to said client equipment if said version information stored in said server equipment is newer than that transmitted from said client equipment,

said program resident in said client equipment replacing itself with said program transmitted from said server.

4. An information processing system having a plurality of equipments which are processing equipments, said information processing system comprising:

a first equipment having information to be supplied to any other equipments in the system;

a second equipment to which said information is provided by said first equipment, said second equipment being usable independently of said first equipment without being connected with first equipment;

said information including predetermined configuration information as to configuration of said second equipment required for accessing said first equipment from said second equipment, and a correction program having a function to correct configuration information of second equipment,

said second equipment comprising;

a first storage for storing said configuration information defined for said second equipment and said correction program transmitted from said first equipment, and

a request means for requesting a connection to said first equipment for accessing the same,

said first equipment comprising;

a second storage means for storing said predetermined configuration information and said correction program to be supplied to said second equipment,

said correction program, transmitted from said first equipment and now resident in said first storage in said second equipment, comparing said predetermined configuration information transmitted from said first equipment with that stored in said first storage and correcting said configuration information stored in said first storage such that said configuration information stored in said first storage matches said predetermined configuration information, when it is determined based on a result of the comparison that said configuration information stored in said first storage means is different from said predetermined configuration information.

5. An information processing system according to claim 4, further comprising:

said request means transmitting update-time information indicative of a latest updated time of said configuration information of said second equipment stored in said first storage, and updated configuration information, to said first equipment,

said first equipment comprising;

a history storage for storing therein updated configuration information of said second equipment, as history information of said second equipment, together with update-times of said updated configuration information;

determination means for determining whether the configuration of said second equipment is updated or not, based on said update-time information transmitted from said request means, and also based on latest update-time information of said second equipment, stored in said history storage in said first equipment; and

said history storage additionally storing therein said update-time information and associated updated configuration information transmitted from said request means when said determination means determines that the configuration of said second equipment has been updated.

6. An information processing system according to claim 4, wherein said first equipment is a server equipment and said second equipment is a client equipment, and said request means for requesting a connection to said first equipment is a requester which requests a connection to said server equipment and transmits said update-time information and associated updated configuration information to said server equipment and said determination means is a responder.

7. An information processing system according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined configuration information includes a plurality of items of configuration, and wherein a plurality of correction programs are provided, as said correction program, for correcting said items.

8. An information processing system according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined configuration information further includes attribute information for each of said items, said attribute information for each item defining ways of correcting said item, including at least two of:

(a) unconditionally correcting said item,

(b) correcting said item when instructed by a user responsive to an inquiry of said user, and

(c) merely warning said user.