Apparatus and method for a multi-client event server

• US 6,487,581 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Houck, Peter, Spence, Kurt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/317,757
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/219, 709/203, 709/223, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing a data server with interface socket connections for managing data for clients interfacing with a network, having program code for creating a data store, where the data store comprises data items generated from network systems in the network; program code for establishing a connection instance between each of the interface socket connections and each of a number of clients desiring access to the data store, where each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients; and program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, where each connection instance object has attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to the data store.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing event data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising:

a. a number of computer readable media; and

b. computer readable program code stored on said number of computer readable media, said computer readable program code for implementing an event server comprising a number of interface socket connections, said code for implementing said event server comprising;

i. program code for creating an event store, wherein said event store comprises a number of events generated from a number of network systems in said network;

ii. program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of a number of clients desiring access to said event store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of said number of clients;

iii. program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each, connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said event store; and

iv. program code for manipulating said event data in said event store, comprising;

1. program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks from said connection instance objects, wherein a given one of said tasks corresponds to a given one of said connection instance objects;

2. program code for creating a command list, wherein said command list comprises said number of tasks;

3. program code for adding a given one of said number of tasks to said command list; and

4. program code for processing a given said task, comprising;

A. program code for removing a given one of said number of tasks from said command list; and

B. program code for creating a request thread, wherein a given one of said connection instance objects executes within said request thread, and said given one of said connection instance objects corresponds to said given one of said number of tasks.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for establishing said each connection instance comprises program code for establishing one of a plurality of connection instance types, said plurality of connection instance types comprising:

a. an event connection instance comprising filtered event data, said filtered event data determined by a corresponding client'"'"'s filter criteria, and said filtered event data comprising a number of said number of events in said event store; and

b. a category connection instance comprising event data, said event data organized into categories of event data.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2, additionally comprising program code for maintaining an array of filtered event data, wherein said array comprises a universal unique identifier for each of said number of events of said filtered event data, wherein said universal unique identifier corresponds to a given one of said number of events of said event store.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said program code for creating an event store comprises program code for creating a hash table, wherein said hash table comprises said number of events of said event store, and each of said number of events of said event store corresponds to one of said universal unique identifiers.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising program code for creating a number of additional request threads, wherein said number corresponds to a number of clients affected by said given one of said number of tasks from said command list.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks comprises program code for detecting a request to delete a number of said number of events.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks comprises program code for modifying a severity value of a number of said number of events.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks comprises program code for modifying a state value of a number of said number of events.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for implementing an event server comprises program code for implementing an event server that executes in a main thread, and said program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks comprises detecting requests from said main thread.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks comprises detecting requests from said number of clients.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising program code for creating a thread command handler, wherein said thread command handler maintains a list of said request threads, and wherein each of said request threads is created in response to detecting said requests to perform said number of tasks.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising program code for creating a socket handler for a given said connection instance, wherein said socket handler assigns an interface socket descriptor to a client corresponding to said given connection instance, and a given said interface socket descriptor reference a given one of said number of interface socket connections for said corresponding client to communicate with said event server.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising program code for maintaining a client list, wherein said client list maintains a list of said number of clients corresponding to said number of connection instances.

14. An apparatus for managing event data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising:

a. a number of computer readable media; and

b. computer readable program code stored on said number of computer readable media, said computer readable program code for implementing an event server comprising a number of interface socket connections, said code for implementing said event server comprising;

i. program code for creating an event store, wherein said event store comprises a number of events generated from a number of network systems in said network;

ii. program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of a number of clients desiring access to said event store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of said number of clients;

iii. program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said event store;

iv. program code for maintaining said event store, comprising;

1. program code for initializing said event store with event data, comprising;

A. program code for populating said event store from a server state store, wherein said server state store comprises last-saved event data of said event server; and

B. program code for populating said event store from an event data store, wherein said event data store comprises all event data related to said number of network systems in said network;

2. program code for receiving a number of new events from a postmaster daemon, wherein said postmaster daemon collects said number of new events from said network, and forwards said events to said event store of said event server; and

3. program code for changing said event data of said event store, wherein requests for said changing originate from clients corresponding to said number of connection instances.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14, additionally comprising program code for maintaining said server state store, wherein said server state store is periodically populated by said event store.

16. An apparatus for managing event data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising:

a. a number of computer readable media; and

b. computer readable program code stored on said number of computer readable media, said computer readable program code for implementing an event server comprising a number of interface socket connections, said code for implementing said event server comprising;

i. program code for creating and accessing an event store, wherein said event store comprises a number of events generated from a number of network systems in said network;

ii. program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of a number of clients desiring access to said event store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of said number of clients;

iii. program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said event store;

iv. program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks from said connection instance objects, wherein a given one of said tasks corresponds to a given one of said connection instance objects;

v. program code for creating a command list, wherein said command list comprises said number of tasks;

vi. program code for adding a given one of said number of tasks to said command list; and

vii. program code for processing a given said task, comprising;

(1) program code for removing a given one of said number of tasks from said command list; and

(2) program code for creating a request thread, wherein a given one of said connection instance objects executes within said request thread, and said given one of said connection instance objects corresponds to said given one of said number of tasks.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said program code for establishing said each connection instance comprises program code for establishing one of a plurality of connection instance types, said plurality of connection instance types comprising:

a. an event connection instance comprising filtered event data, said filtered event data determined by a corresponding client'"'"'s filter criteria, and said filtered event data comprising a number of said number of events in said event store; and

b. a category connection instance comprising event data, said event data organized into categories of event data.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17, additionally comprising program code for maintaining an array of filtered event data, wherein said array comprises a universal unique identifier for each of said number of events of said filtered event data, wherein said universal unique identifier corresponds to a given one of said number of events of said event store.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said program code for creating an event store comprises program code for creating a hash table, wherein said hash table comprises said number of events of said event store, and each of said number of events of said event store corresponds to one of said universal unique identifiers.

20. An apparatus as in claim 16, additionally comprising program code for maintaining said event store, comprising:

a. program code for initializing said event store with event data, comprising;

i. program code for populating said event store from a server state store, wherein said server state store comprises last-saved event data of said event server; and

ii. program code for populating said event store from an event data store, wherein said event data store comprises all event data related to said number of network systems in said network;

b. program code for receiving a number of new events from a postmaster daemon, wherein said postmaster daemon collects said number of new events from said network, and forwards said events to said event store of said event server; and

c. program code for changing said event data of said event store, wherein requests for said changing originate from clients corresponding to said number of connection instances.

21. A method for managing data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network by implementing a data server comprising a number of interface socket connections, comprising:

a. creating a data store, wherein said data store comprises a number of data items generated from a number of network systems in said network;

b. establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of a number of clients desiring access to said data store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of said number of clients;

c. creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said data store;

d. detecting requests to perform a number of tasks from said connection instance objects, wherein a given one of said tasks corresponds to a given one of said connection instance objects;

e. creating a command list, wherein said command list comprises said number of tasks;

f. adding a given one of said number of tasks to said command list; and

g. processing a given said task, comprising;

i. removing a given one of said number of tasks from said command list; and

ii. creating a request thread, wherein a given one of said connection instance objects executes within said request thread, and said given one of said connection instance objects corresponds to said given one of said number of tasks.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein said creating a data store comprises creating an event store comprising event data, wherein said event data comprises a number of event generated from a number of network systems in said network.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein said establishing a connection instance comprises establishing one of a plurality of connection instance types, said plurality of connection instance types comprising:

a. an event connection instance comprising filtered event data, said filtered event data determined by a corresponding client'"'"'s filter criteria, and said filtered event data comprising a number of said number of events in said event store; and

b. a category connection instance comprising event data, said event data organized into categories of event data.

24. A method as in claim 23, additionally comprising maintaining an array of filtered event data, wherein said array comprises a universal unique identifier for each of said number of events of said filtered event data, wherein said universal unique identifier corresponds to a given one of said number of events of said event store.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein said creating an event store comprises creating a hash table, wherein said hash table comprises said number of events of said event store, and each of said number of events of said event store corresponds to one of said universal unique identifiers.