Method and system for managing storage devices over a network

• US 6,466,973 B2
• Filed: 03/06/1998
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PMC-Sierra Incorporated (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Adaptec Incorporated (Steel Partners Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Jaffe, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/036,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/225, 709/313, 709/316, 709/317, 709/328, 707/513, 710/17, 710/5, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, apparatus and system for managing generic objects and storage device objects over a network. In one aspect of the invention, the management apparatus includes a management console having a graphical user interface for displaying a physical view and a logical view of a storage device. The management apparatus further includes a managed object of the storage device that is configured to communicate with the graphical user interface of the management console through a facet interface that is wrapped around the managed object. The facet interface is divided into a plurality of specific facets that communicate with the graphical user interface and enable the display of the physical view and the logical view of the storage device. In a further aspect of the present invention, the graphical user interface includes a plurality of generic views which are configured to communicate with associated ones of the plurality of specific facets of the facet interface. These aspects enable the facet interface of the managed object to be separate and de-coupled from a software code of the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method for making a managed object that is in communication with a management console that is used for storage device management over a network, comprising:

building an object having a data structure and a method for operating on the data structure, the object represents a set of basic functions of a storage device that is being managed over the network;

identifying at least one display function of the managed object that will be used to display a view of the managed object through the management console, the at least one display function includes an attribute, a relationship, and a display method of the managed object;

associating the at least one display function with the managed object so that the managed object can communicate with the management console through the at least one display function;

generating a graphical user interface that is executed on the management console, the graphical user interface is configured to communicate with the at least one display function of the managed object;

altering the data structure and the method of the managed object to create a new managed object; and

modifying the at least one display function to enable code interaction between the modified data structure and the new managed object.

2. A method for making a managed object as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one display function is de-coupled from the graphical user interface of the management console.

3. A method for making a managed object as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one display function forms a facet of the managed object.

4. A method for making a managed object that is in communication with a management console that is used for device management over a network, comprising:

building an object having a data structure and a method for operating on the data structures the object represents a set of basic functions of a device that is being managed over the network;

identifying at least one display function of the managed object that will be used to display a view of the managed object through the management console;

associating the at least one display function with the managed object so that the managed object can communicate with the management console through the at least one display function;

altering the data structure and the method of the managed object to create a new managed object;

modifying the at least one display function to enable code interaction between the modified data structure and the new managed object; and

generating a graphical user interface that is executed on the management console, the graphical user interface is configured to communicate with the at least one display function of the managed object;

wherein the at least one display function is de-coupled from a graphical user interface of the management console, and the at least one display function forms a facet of the managed object.

5. A method for making a managed object as recited in claim 4, wherein the facet functions as a method interface wrapper of the managed object.

6. A method for making a managed object that is in communication with a management console that is used for storage device management over a network, comprising:

building an object having a data structure and a method for operating on the data structure, the object represents a set of basic functions of a storage device that is being managed over the network;

identifying at least one display function of the managed object that will be used to display a view of the managed object through the management console, the at least one display function includes an attribute, a relationship, and a display method of the managed object;

associating the at least one display function with the managed object so that the managed object can communicate with the management console through the at least one display function;

generating a graphical user interface that is executed on the management console, the graphical user interface is configured to communicate with the at least one display function of the managed object;

altering the data structure and the method of the managed object to create a new managed object; and

modifying the at least one display function to enable code interaction between the modified data structure and the new managed object;

wherein the at least one display function forms a facet of the managed object.

7. A method for making a managed object as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

calling the display method of the managed object through the graphical user interface.