Administrative interface for a database in a distributed computer environment

• US 5,990,892 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Urbain, Fran.cedilla.ois
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/860,086
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/356, 345/357, 706/61, 395/406, 395/653, 395/712
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An administrator interface working with a relational data base management system belonging to a distributed data processing environment including a plurality of folders which reflect the states of the network and objects in the network, relative to the management (120), the processes (121) in the course of running, the events (122) which affect the processes (121), the configuration (123), the files (124), the command scripts (125), and the errors (126), and a software program for allowing access to and/or manipulation of the folders.

Claims

1. An administrator interface which operates, by means of a graphical interface, with a relational data base management system including instances, said relational data base management system belonging to a distributed data processing environment, said distributed data processing environment comprising a plurality of machines connected to a network, said administrator interface comprising:

a) a plurality of folders which reflect the states of the network on the one hand and objects in said network on the other hand, said states and objects being at least relative to Management (120), Processes (121), said Processes (121) being in the course of running, Events (122) which affect said Processes (121), Configuration (123), Files (124), command scripts also known as Scripts (125), and Errors (126), which plurality of folders comprises a list of scripts and for each of said instances at least;

i) a list of instance references attached to nodes of the network, a list of process references, a list of event and trace file references, a list of parameters, and lists of file references,

b) means for allowing access to and/or manipulation of the folders.

2. The interface according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for allowing access are constituted by a software program for the presentation and constitution of folders associated with a pointing device allowing the display of a main window (1) which makes possible selection by means of a menu bar (12) of one of the folders (120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126) so as to cause the appearance of a corresponding pane (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 140) as a result of the operation of the pointing device.

3. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the window (1) includes a field (13) for indicating a name of a node, a field (14) for indicating a name of an instance, and a box (15) for indicating the state of the site and of objects of said site by means of icons (1521, 1522, 1523) representing nodes of the site, servers attached to said nodes and declared instances in said nodes.

4. The interface according to claim 3, characterized in that the selection of an icon (1521) representing a node of the site causes the creation of a pane (20) which includes a field (22) for indicating the name of the operating system used, a field (23) for indicating the name of the node, a field (24) for indicating the release of the operating system, a field (26) for indicating the network address of the machine corresponding to the node, and a control button (27) which makes possible closing the pane (20).

5. The interface according to claim 3, characterized in that the selection of an icon (1522) representing a server attached to a node causes creation of a pane (30) which includes a field (33) for indicating a startup date of the server, a field (34) for indicating a date of a last connection of the server to the network, a field (35) for indicating a number of connections accepted, a field (36) for indicating a number of connections rejected, a field (37) for indicating a number of active subprocesses of the server, a field (38) for indicating a length of a queue of requests submitted to said server, and a control button (39) which makes possible closing the pane (30).

6. The interface according to claim 3, characterized in that the selection of an icon (1523) representing a declared instance in a node causes creation of a pane (40) which includes a field (42) for indicating a reference of a release of the instance, a field (44) for indicating a size of system global area, a field (45) for indicating a reference of a file comprising a password for connecting to an instance from a remote site, a field (46) for indicating existence of roles related to a remote connection via the operating system, and a control button (47) which makes possible closing the pane (40).

7. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Management folder (120) causes the appearance of a pane (50) which includes a field (52) for indicating a node name, a field (53) for indicating an instance name, a field (54) for indicating an instance path, a field (55) for indicating a communication string, a field (56) for indicating an operating system administrator name, a field (57) for indicating a data base administrator name, a field (58) for indicating a password, a box (59) for selecting an instance, a control button (501) which makes possible validation of the addition of an instance in the box (59), a control button (502) which makes possible deletion of one of the instances from the box, a control button (503) which makes possible modification of values of fields related to one of the instances of the box, and a control button (504) which makes possible leaving the pane 50.

8. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Processes folder (121) causes the appearance of a pane (60) which includes a box (65) for presenting information on the processes related to a selected instance and a control button (601) which makes possible leaving the pane 60.

9. The interface according to claim 8, characterized in that the information on a process includes a name of the process, a name of a user to whom said process belongs, size of said process, and said process accumulated execution time.

10. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Events folder (122) causes the appearance of a pane (70) which includes a box (72) for presenting information on the most recent events related to a selected instance, a box (73) for presenting information on trace files related to the events, a control button (701) which allows the contents of files to be edited, and a control button (702) which makes possible leaving the pane (70).

11. The interface according to claim 10, characterized in that the information on an event includes application involved, time references of the event, name of the node involved, the name of the instance involved, and references of a trace file related to the event.

12. The interface according to claim 10, characterized in that the information related to a trace file includes a path of the file, rights related to the file, and a size of the file.

13. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Configuration folder (123) causes the appearance of a pane (80) which includes a box (82) for presenting a list of fields related to parameters of a selected instance, and a control button (83) which makes possible leaving the pane (80).

14. The interface according to claim 13, characterized in that the parameters include identification parameters, characteristic parameters, and parameters specific to operating systems or to the network.

15. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Files folder (124) causes the appearance of a pane (90) which includes a box (92) for presenting information on configuration files related to a selected instance, a box (93) for presenting information on control files related to the instance, a box (94) for presenting information on data files related to the instance, a control button (901) which makes it possible to access the contents of a text file, and a control button (902) which makes possible leaving the pane (90).

16. The interface according to claim 15, characterized in that the information related to a file includes a name of the file, physical location of the file, rights attached to the file, reference of an owner of the file, a size of the file, time data corresponding to last modification of the file or to creation of the file, and a logical name for data files in a domain of the data base.

17. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of a Scripts folder (125) causes appearance of a pane (100) which includes a box (102) for presenting information related to a list of scripts, a box (103) for presenting information related to execution of a script, a control button (104) which makes possible addition of an existing script to the list of scripts, a control button (105) which makes possible creation of a new script, a control button (106) which makes possible deletion of a script from the list of scripts, a control button (107) which makes possible starting execution of a script, and a control button (109) which makes possible leaving the pane (100).

18. The interface according to claim 17, characterized in that the information related to a script in the list of scripts includes a name of said script in the list, a type of said script in the list, and a number of parameters to be defined in order to allow execution of said script in the list.

19. The interface according to claim 17, characterized in that the selection of a control button which makes possible addition of an existing script to the list of scripts causes appearance of a pane (110) which includes a field (112) for indicating the name of the script, a field (113) for indicating the type of the script, a field (114) for indicating the number of parameters to be defined in order to start the script, a control button (116) which makes possible confirmation of insertion of the script into the list, and a control button (117) which makes possible leaving the pane (110) and to cancel the information appearing in the pane (110).

20. The interface according to claim 17, characterized in that the selection of the control button which makes possible deletion of a script form the list of scripts causes appearance of a pane (130) which includes a control button (133) which makes possible confirmation of removal of the script from the list of scripts, a control button (134) which makes possible confirmation of deletion of the script itself and of presence of said script in the list of scripts, and a control button (135) which makes possible leaving the pane (130) and canceling an operation in progress.

21. The interface according to claim 17, characterized in that the selection of the control button which makes possible execution of a script causes appearance of a pane (140) which includes one or more fields (142 through 146) for indicating a value of one or more parameters, a control button (147) which makes possible validation of a choice of parameter values indicated and starting of execution, and a control button (148) which makes possible leaving the pane (140) and canceling information appearing in said pane (140).

22. The interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, the selection of the Errors folder (126) causes the appearance of a pane (160) which includes one or more fields (162, 163) for indicating an error, and one or more fields (164, 165, 166, 167) for indicating information related to the data indicated in the first field or fields (162, 163).