System and method for evaluating the operation of a computer over a computer network

• US 6,397,245 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Peter Christopher II, DeHamer, Brian James, Gross, Curtis Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/333,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223,224,203,201
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis

Abstract

The invention permits a user, such as a network administrator, to remotely initiate and control the diagnostics of a node of a networked computer system. This diagnostic control is performed by the user selecting a diagnostic routine that is to be executed. This diagnostic routine instructs the managed node to collect configuration or other data and report this data back to the diagnostic control, which is then reported back to the user. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the system includes a management client executing a user interface, such as a Web browser. The system also includes a management server executing a Web server, wherein the Web server is configured to be invoked by the user interface (e.g., by specifying a URL). The management server further includes software for dynamically serving data to the Web server, and at least one diagnostic control (e.g., COM object) that defines a plurality of diagnostic steps to perform on a managed object. Finally, the system includes a managed object (e.g., a network node) having data control software configured to collect data from the managed object in response to specific requests made by the diagnostic control. Preferably, the data control software is configured reports the collected data back to the diagnostic control over the computer network.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating the operation of a managed object in a computer network environment comprising:

a management client executing a user interface;

a management server executing a Web server, the Web server configured to be capable of being invoked by the user interface, the management server further including software for dynamically serving data to the Web server, and at least one diagnostic control that defines a plurality of diagnostic steps to perform on a managed object; and

a managed object, the managed object having data control software configured to collect data from the managed object in response to specific requests made by the diagnostic control, the data control software being further configured to report the collected data back to the diagnostic control over the computer network;

wherein the managed client, the management server, and the managed object are disposed for intercommunication across the computer network.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface is a browser.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the Web server is Internet Information Server (IIS).

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the software for dynamically serving data to the Web server includes at least one script prepared in a scripting language.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the scripting language is Active Server Page (ASP).

6. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the management server includes an HTML page having at least one link to the at least one script, the Web page being configured to present the HTML page to the user interface, and the at least one script link being selectable by the user.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the managed client, the management server, and the managed object reside on separate computers.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the managed client, the management server, and the managed object reside on a single computer.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the management server further includes logic configured to determine whether the managed object has software installed to configure it to gather the data needed for a specified diagnostic control.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the management server further includes software configured to remotely install, on the managed object, the software needed to gather data for a specified diagnostic control, if the logic determines that the software is not presently installed on the managed object.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to evaluate a registry of the workstation of the managed object.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the management server includes a plurality of diagnostic controls, wherein each diagnostic control is uniquely designed for controlling the collection of data of a specified managed object to diagnose a specified class of problems.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one diagnostic control is implemented using a component object module (COM).

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the managed object includes data gathering software needed to gather data for a specified diagnostic control.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the data gathering software is implemented using a distributed component object module (DCOM).

16. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the management server includes template generation software configured to generate at least one HITML template that may be communicated to the user interface, which HTML template presents at least one query to the user.

17. A method for evaluating the operation of a managed object in a computer network environment comprising the steps of:

executing a Web server on a management server;

receiving a request for a specified Web page, the specified Web page containing at least one link to a script for controlling the performance of a diagnostic routine;

instantiating a specified diagnostic routine, upon selection by a user of a link from the at least one link;

communicating from the diagnostic routine, over a network to a managed object, requests for data;

receiving, at the diagnostic routine, the collected data from the managed object; and

presenting diagnostic results to the browser.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further including the step of executing software at the managed object, the software configured to collect data in response to the requests received from the diagnostic routine.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, the step of receiving a request for a specified Web page includes receiving a request from a browser, the request being made by specifying a uniform resource locator (URL) that identifies the location of the specified Web page.

20. A method for evaluating the operation of a managed object in a computer network environment, comprising the steps of:

using a Web server to provide access to a plurality of diagnostic routines via a browser and a connection between the browser and the Web server; and

utilizing a browser to select from a plurality of pre-defined diagnostic routines, which diagnostic routines request and receive data from a managed object, evaluate the received data and report results to the browser.

21. A computer readable medium containing program code for installation on at least one workstation in a system for evaluating the operation of a managed object in a computer network environment comprising:

at least one first segment of code for installation on a workstation implementing a management server executing a Web server, the Web server configured to be capable of being invoked by a browser executing from a remote location, the at least one first segment of code including at least one diagnostic control that defines a plurality of diagnostic steps to perform on a managed object; and

at least one second segment of code for installation on a workstation implementing a managed object, the managed object configured to collect data from the managed object in response to specific requests made by the diagnostic control, the at least one second segment of code being further configured to report the collected data back to the diagnostic control over the computer network.