System and method for retrieving and updating configuration parameter values for application programs in a computer network

• US 5,913,218 A
• Filed: 11/06/1995
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pittore, William F., Carney, Michael W., Lautman, Mary U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US08/554,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 395/616, 395/609, 395/610, 395/600, 395/500, 395/800, 395/601, 395/700, 395/651, 395/828, 370/260, 707/200, 707/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A configuration parameter value access system used in connection with a computer system performs an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an applications program. Each configuration parameter access request includes a parameter class identifier, a filename and a parameter identifier. The configuration parameter value access system includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each of which has at least one entry, each entry defining a storage subsystem path in the computer system'"'"'s storage subsystem. A file identifier generator tests successive entries of the configuration file path class list identified by the parameter class identifier to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file which has the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by an entry. If so, a configuration parameter access module performs an access operation to retrieve or update the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier generator. If the access operation is a retrieval operation, to retrieve the value of the configuration parameter, the configuration parameter value access system will retrieve the value of the parameter, if any, in the file identified by the file identifier generator. If the access operation is an update operation, to update the value of the configuration parameter, the configuration parameter value access system will update the value of the parameter in the file identified by the file identifier generator, or create the file if no file currently exists.

Claims

1. A configuration parameter value access system for use in connection with a computer system, the configuration parameter value access system performing an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the configuration parameter value access system comprising:

A. a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. a file identifier generator configured to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and, if so, to generate a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. a configuration parameter access module configured to perform an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

2. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which said configuration file path list comprises a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the file identifier generator being configured to iteratively use one of the entries in the series to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until it determines that a file having the filename exists along the path.

3. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 2 in which the file identifier generator is configured to use a default path after using all of the entries in the configuration file path list.

4. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is a retrieval operation, the configuration parameter access module being configured to, during a retrieval operation, retrieve a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

5. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access module being configured to retrieve the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

6. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 5 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access module being configured to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

7. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access module being configured to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

8. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access module being configured to use a Windows "Get Private Profile" function in retrieving the parameter value.

9. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is an update operation, the configuration parameter access module being configured to, during an update operation, update a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier.

10. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which the configuration parameter access module is configured to create a file along a default path in which it updates the parameter value if the file identifier generator determines that the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

11. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access module being configured to update the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

12. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 11 in which the configuration parameter access module is configured to create section and parameter if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

13. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access module being configured to use a Windows "Write Private Profile" function in updating the parameter value.

14. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which the configuration file path list includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each class list defining one or more said paths, each configuration parameter access request identifying a path class, the file identifier generator being configured to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by one of said configuration file path class lists as identified by said configuration parameter access request and if so generating a file identifier identifying the file.

15. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1, the computer system connected in a network including a plurality of computer systems including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, at least one computer system being configured to retrieve the configuration file path list from said server computer system.

16. A method of operating a computer system to perform an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

A. providing a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. determining whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and if so generating a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. performing an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 in which at least one said configuration file path class list comprises a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the entries in the series being iteratively used to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until a determination is made that a file having the filename exists along the path.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, in which a default path is further used in determining whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request, after all of the entries in the configuration file path list have been used.

19. A method as defined in claim 16, in which one types of access operation is a retrieval operation, during which a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier is retrieved from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

20. A method as defined in claim 19 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the parameter value being retrieved for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the default value being provided to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

22. A method as defined in claim 19 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the default value being provided to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

23. A method as defined in claim 19 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the Windows "Get Private Profile" function being used in retrieving the parameter value.

24. A method as defined in claim 16 in which the one type of access operation is an update operation during which a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier is updated in the file identified by the file identifier.

25. A method as defined in claim 24 in which a file is created along a default path including the updated parameter value if the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

26. A method as defined in claim 24 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the parameter value being updated for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

27. A method as defined in claim 26 in which section and parameter are created in the file if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

28. A method as defined in claim 24 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, a Windows "Write Private Profile" function being used in updating the parameter value.

29. A method as defined in claim 16 in which the paths identified by the configuration file path class lists can be updated by a system administrator.

30. A method as defined in claim 16, the computer system connected in a network including a plurality of computer systems including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, the configuration file path list being retrieved by at least one computer system from said server computer system.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer system usable medium having computer system readable code embodied therein to enable the computer system to perform an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the computer program product comprising:

A. configuration file path list program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. file identifier generator program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and, if so, to generate a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. configuration parameter access program code devices configured to cause the computer system to perform an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

32. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which said configuration file path list program code devices are configured to cause the computer system to generate the configuration file path list as a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the file identifier generator program code devices being configured to enable the computer to iteratively use one of the entries in the series to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until it determines that a file having the filename exists along the path.

33. A computer program product as defined in claim 32 in which the file identifier generator program code devices are further configured to cause the computer system to use a default path after using all of the entries in the configuration file path list.

34. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which one type of access operation performed by the computer system under control of the configuration parameter access program code devices is a retrieval operation, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system, during a retrieval operation, to retrieve a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

35. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to retrieve the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

36. A computer program product as defined in claim 35 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

37. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access program code devices further being configured to enable the computer system to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

38. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to use a Windows "Get Private Profile" function in enabling the computer system to retrieve the parameter value.

39. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is an update operation, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to, during an update operation, update a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier.

40. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which the configuration parameter access program code devices are configured to enable the computer system to create a file along a default path in which it updates the parameter value if the file identifier generator program code devices enable the computer system to determine that the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

41. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to update the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

42. A computer program product as defined in claim 40 in which the configuration parameter access program code devices are configured to enable said computer system to create a section and parameter if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

43. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable said computer system to use a Windows "Write Private Profile" function in updating the parameter value.

44. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which the configuration file path list includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each class list defining one or more said paths, each configuration parameter access request identifying a path class, the file identifier generator program code devices being configured to enable said computer system to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by one of said configuration file path class lists as identified by said configuration parameter access request and if so generate a file identifier identifying the file.

45. A computer program product as defined in claim 31, the computer system connected in a network including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, the computer program product being configured to enable the computer system to retrieve the configuration file path list from said server computer system.