System for describing and storing descriptions of hierachical structures using hardware definition files to specify performance, characteristics, part number and name of hardware components

• US 6,353,884 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bartlett, Charles A., Schmitz, Christoph, Kelley, Keith L., Varghese, Manoj J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/126,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 710/10, 710/72, 710/104, 710/129, 712/36, 713/100, 713/1, 709/220
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405

Abstract

A method implemented according to the invention allows a user to specify with particularity hierarchical structures such as computer hardware and peripheral equipment in such a way that it simplifies the storing, retrieving, and manipulation of the information.

Claims

1. A system for selecting configurations of computer components, comprising:

a general purpose computer executing application software;

a configuration sizer tool that provides a user interface to determine a system configuration for a particular class of computer product in response to user performance and requirement specifications; and

a plurality of hardware definition files that specify the performance and configuration characteristics of available components for use by the configuration sizer tool,

wherein a hardware definition file of the plurality of hardware definition files specifies a part number and commercial part name for a corresponding component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration sizer tool includes a configuration sizer framework and a configuration sizer specific to a particular class of computer products.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the hardware definition files are associated with the specific configuration sizer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available hard drives.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available hard drive cages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available servers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available memory.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware definition files are specified in a hardware definition language.

9. Computer executable code stored on machine readable media for selecting configurations of computer components, the computer executable code comprising:

a configuration sizer tool that provides a user interface to determine a system configuration for a particular class of computer product in response to user performance and requirement specifications; and

a plurality of hardware definition files that specify the performance and configuration characteristics of available components for use by the configuration sizer tool;

wherein a hardware definition file of the plurality of hardware definition files specifies a part number and commercial part name for a corresponding component.

10. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the configuration sizer tool includes a configuration sizer framework and a configuration sizer specific to a particular class of computer products.

11. The computer executable code of claim 10, wherein the hardware definition files are associated with the specific configuration sizer.

12. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available hard drives.

13. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available hard drive cages.

14. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available servers.

15. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the hardware definition files specify the available memory.

16. The computer executable code of claim 9, wherein the hardware definition files are specified in a hardware definition language.

17. A method of selecting system configuration comprising the steps of:

providing a configuration sizer tool to develop recommended configurations for a class of products in response to performance and requirement specifications from a user;

reading a plurality of hardware definition files defining component characteristics for the configuration sizer tool;

calculating performance characteristics for candidate systems that satisfy the required performance and requirement specifications of the user; and

displaying the candidate systems to the user;

wherein a hardware definition file of the plurality of hardware definition files specifies a part number and commercial part name for a corresponding component.