System and method for integrating a plurality of disparate database utilities into a single graphical user interface

• US 6,523,035 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Wallace, William W., Fleming, Alexander T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rayyan, Susan F.
• Application Number:
  US09/315,300
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104, 707/10, 707/100, 707/200, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed

Abstract

An improved management console integrates a plurality of disparate database utilities with a unified graphical user interface. A management console is implemented or otherwise provided in accordance with an industry standard such as the MICROSOFT Management Console (MMC) framework or a superset thereof. MMC provides a common environment for snap-ins that provide management or administrative functionality. The improved management console includes a primary snap-in and a plurality of extension snap-ins. The primary snap-in is preferably a database browser which permits the console user to “drill down” through a hierarchy of database-related objects such as tablespaces, tables, records, and meta-data. The database browser snap-in preferably supports a plurality of different database management systems. The extension snap-ins provide additional functionality by extending the primary snap-in to provide access to database utilities or tasks. Each extension snap-in is preferably linked to an associated GUI wizard. A GUI wizard provides a step-by-step user interface for the extension snap-in and the associated database utility. The GUI wizard can be launched from the management console or from any other suitable location when the wizard is implemented as a reusable software component.

Claims

1. A method for administering an enterprise, wherein the enterprise comprises one or more networked computers, the method comprising:

a management console displaying information regarding database objects in a plurality of disparate databases, wherein the management console integrates a plurality of utilities for performing functions on the plurality of disparate databases which are managed by a plurality of disparate database management systems, wherein the management console includes a single interface for the plurality of utilities;

selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input;

selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input;

performing the selected database function on the selected database object in response to said selecting the database function and said selecting the database object.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the management console further includes a primary snap-in and a plurality of extension snap-ins, wherein each extension snap-in is configured to access one of the utilities.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the primary snap-in is an object browser which enables operation of said management console displaying information regarding database objects in the plurality of disparate databases.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection input from a user through the single interface of the management console for said selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input and said selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input;

one of the extension snap-ins receiving the selection input.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing the selection input to a utility proxy.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the utility proxy performing remote execution of the selected database function in response to said providing the selection input to the utility proxy.

7. The method of claim 2,

wherein each of the plurality of extension snap-ins is coupled to a utility wizard, wherein each utility wizard comprises a user interface for one of the plurality of utilities.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein each utility wizard is configured to be launched from the management console.

9. The method of claim 7,

wherein each utility wizard is implemented as a reusable software component.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input occurs before the selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input occurs after the selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input.

12. A method for integrating user interfaces of disparate utilities into a single user interface in a management console on a computer system, the method comprising:

adding a primary snap-in to the management console;

extending the primary snap-in with a plurality of extension snap-ins, wherein each extension snap-in is configured to access one of the utilities;

linking each of the extension snap-ins to a utility wizard, wherein each utility wizard comprises a user interface for the utility that the linked extension snap-in is configured to access.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein each of the utility wizards is configured to be launched from the management console;

wherein the utility is configured to be executed through the user interface of the launched utility wizard.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the primary snap-in is configurable to browse objects in one or more different database management systems.

15. The method of claim 12,

wherein the plurality of utilities are database utilities, and wherein each extension snap-in provides access to one of the database utilities.

16. A system for managing database utilities with a common user interface, the system comprising:

one or more server computer systems which store a plurality of disparate database management systems for managing a plurality of disparate databases, wherein the one or more server computer systems also include a plurality of database utilities for performing functions on the plurality of disparate databases;

at least one client computer system coupled to the one or more server computer systems, wherein the at least one client computer system includes;

a CPU;

a system memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the system memory stores;

a management console which integrates user interfaces of the plurality of database utilities into a single user interface, wherein the single user interface of the management console is useable for executing any of the plurality of database utilities.

17. The system of claim 16,

wherein the plurality of disparate database management systems comprise database management systems from different vendors.

18. The system of claim 16,

wherein the system memory also stores:

a primary snap-in coupled to the management console for performing database object browsing;

a plurality of extension snap-ins coupled to the primary snap-in, wherein each extension snap-in is configured to access one of the database utilities.

19. The system of claim 18,

wherein the system memory also stores:

a plurality of utility wizards, wherein each utility wizard is associated with one of the extension snap-ins, wherein each utility wizard comprises a user interface for executing the utility which is accessible to the associated extension snap-in, wherein each of the extension snap-ins is configured to access its associated utility wizard.

20. The system of claim 18,

wherein the system memory also stores:

at least one utility proxy for remotely executing at least one of the database utilities.

21. The system of claim 16,

wherein the system memory also stores:

at least one utility proxy for remotely executing at least one of the database utilities.

22. The system of claim 16,

wherein the system memory also stores:

at least one job manager for performing job management for at least one of the database utilities.

23. The system of claim 16,

wherein at least one of the server computer systems stores a utility repository which is associated with one of the database utilities and one of the database management systems.

24. A carrier medium comprising program instructions for administering an enterprise, wherein the enterprise comprises one or more networked computers, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

a management console displaying information regarding database objects in a plurality of disparate databases, wherein the management console integrates a plurality of utilities for performing functions on the plurality of disparate databases which are managed by a plurality of disparate database management systems, wherein the management console includes a single interface for the plurality of utilities;

selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input;

selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input; and

performing the selected database function on the selected database object in response to said selecting the database function and said selecting the database object.

25. The carrier medium of claim 24,

wherein the management console further includes a primary snap-in and a plurality of extension snap-ins, wherein each extension snap-in is configured to access one of the utilities.

26. The carrier medium of claim 25,

wherein the primary snap-in is an object browser which enables operation of said management console displaying information regarding database objects in the plurality of disparate databases.

27. The carrier medium of claim 24, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

receiving selection input from a user through the single interface of the management console for said selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input and said selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input;

one of the extension snap-ins receiving the selection input.

28. The carrier medium of claim 27, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

providing the selection input to a utility proxy.

29. The carrier medium of claim 28, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

the utility proxy performing remote execution of the selected database function in response to said providing the selection input to the utility proxy.

30. The carrier medium of claim 25,

wherein each of the plurality of extension snap-ins is coupled to a utility wizard, wherein each utility wizard comprises a user interface for one of the plurality of utilities.

31. The carrier medium of claim 30,

wherein each utility wizard is configured to be launched from the management console.

32. The carrier medium of claim 31,

wherein each utility wizard is implemented as a reusable software component.

33. The carrier medium of claim 24,

wherein the selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input occurs before the selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input.

34. The carrier medium of claim 24,

wherein the selecting a database function from one of the plurality of utilities in response to user input occurs after the selecting a database object from one of the plurality of disparate databases in response to user input.

35. The carrier medium of claim 24,

wherein the carrier medium is a memory medium.