Linking external applications to a network management system

• US 6,584,507 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Promes, Brian D., Bradley, Karen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/260,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/222, 709/104, 709/100, 709/220, 709/223, 709/227, 709/229, 709/239, 707/10, 707/200, 714/38, 345/753, 710/36, 713/1
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and apparatus for linking external information to a network management system are disclosed. A network management system is installed for and executes in association with a managed network. An external application program is identified by defining and storing in a connection file information that describes: the name and location of the program; a position in a menu control tree into which folders and items, which identify functions and options of the external application program, should be displayed and accessed; security roles associated with each folder and item; and other meta-information about the application program and its maker. The information may be stored in a markup format in a connection file. The network management system reads the connection file and integrates the information into its registry and other locations that determine how the network management system operates. As a result, a third-party application may be integrated into a principal network management system, even after the network management system is installed an executing. Further, the connection file need not be rewritten and the application need not be re-installed even when changes occur in underlying structures of the network management system, such as its registry or help system.

Claims

1. A method for linking an application program to a network management system for managing devices on a network and having a hierarchical list of menu options, in which the menu options are defined by registry information stored in association with the network management system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating and storing, in association with the network management system, connection information that defines a connection between the application program and the network management system;

modifying the registry information of the network management system to add the connection information such that the application program is identified in a logical location in the list; and

executing the application program by selecting it from the list from within the network management system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating and storing connection information comprises the steps of creating and storing a connection file that defines one or more application menu options of the application program and one or more locations within the hierarchical list of the network management system into which the application menu options are to be stored.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

certifying that the connection information will correctly integrate the application program with the network management system before carrying out the modifying step;

storing and distributing, in association with the connection information, certifying information that identifies the connection as certified.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating and storing connection information comprises the steps of:

creating and storing a connection data file, wherein the data file comprises data that ensures compatibility between the application program and the network management system and that defines one or more application menu options of the application program and one or more locations within the hierarchical list of the network management system into which the application menu options are to be stored.

5. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of installing the connection file only when the connection file is certified.

6. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of installing the connection file only when a Uniform Resource Locator in the data file that specifies a location of the application program is found to exist.

7. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the step of certifying the connection information comprises the steps of:

transmitting the connection information to a site associated with an owner of the network management system;

at the site of the network management system, verifying that the connection file is complete; and

storing the connection file and information concerning such verification in a database of the owner of the network management system.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the step of certifying the connection further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the connection file to a Certification Tester; and

if the connection file is certifiable, then

creating and storing, in association with the connection file at the site of the owner of the network management system, information indicating that the connection file has been certified;

transmitting the connection file to a customer installation in association with the network management system; and

installing the connection file in the network management system at the customer installation.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating and storing connection information comprises the steps of creating and storing connection information that defines one or more application menu options of the application program and one or more locations within the hierarchical list of the network management system into which the application menu options are to be stored and that defines one or more links into the application program that may be launched from within the network management system.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying information generated by the application program within a frame of a graphical user interface that is generated by the network management system.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more application menu options of the application program from within the hierarchical list of the network management system; and

displaying information generated by the application program within a frame of a graphical user interface that is generated by the network management system.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating and storing, in association with the network management system, connection information that defines a connection between the application program and the network management system, wherein the connection information may include;

an application name;

a location identifier of a server that hosts the application program; and

a name of a menu option of the network management system through which functions of the application program are to be accessed.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

creating and storing, in association with the network management system, connection information that defines a connection between the application program and the network management system, wherein the connection information may include;

an application name;

a location identifier of a server that hosts the application program;

a name of a menu option of the network management system through which functions of the application program are to be accessed;

names of one or more items within the menu option through which sub-functions of the application program are to be accessed; and

, for each of the items, one or more security privilege designations that indicate which users may access the associated item.

14. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of:

connecting the application program to the network management system by importing connection information from previously stored connection information, by selecting the connection information to be imported from the certifying information.

15. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising steps that carry out one or more functions from among the following:

global connection updating;

exporting connections;

device finding;

accessing a device center;

contextual calling;

multiple connection installation;

remote installation;

certifying connections;

connection testing;

archiving in-progress connections;

linking to a certification site.

16. A computer system for linking an application program to a network management system for managing devices on a network and having a hierarchical list of menu options, in which the menu options are defined by registry information stored in association with the network management system, the computer system comprising:

a company site associated with the network management system that comprises stored information identifying whether the application program is certified for use with the network management system;

an application developer site coupled over a network to the company site and which comprises stored connection information that defines a connection between the application program and the network management system; and

one or more software elements stored and executing at the company site and the application developer site, wherein the software elements cooperate to carry out the steps of;

modifying the registry information of the network management system to add the connection information such that the application program is identified in a logical location in the list; and

executing the application program by selecting it from the list from within the network management system.

17. The system recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a Certification Tester site coupled over the network to the company site and which comprises means for testing and certifying whether the connection information operates correctly with the network management system, and means for communicating, in response thereto, certification information from the Certification Tester site to the company site.

18. The system recited in claim 16, wherein the software elements cooperate to carry out the further steps of:

communicating the stored connection information from the application developer site to the company site;

at the company site, verifying that the connection information is complete.

19. The system recited in claim 16, wherein the software elements cooperate to carry out the further steps of:

updating the information stored at the company site when the Certification Tester site communicates the certification information to the company site.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the stored connection information comprises one or more application menu options of the application program and one or more locations within the hierarchical list of the network management system into which the application menu options are to be stored.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for linking an application program to a network management system for managing devices on a network and having a hierarchical list of menu options, in which the menu options are defined by registry information stored in association with the network management system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

creating and storing, in association with the network management system, connection information that defines a connection between the application program and the network management system;

modifying the registry information of the network management system to add the connection information such that the application program is identified in a logical location in the list; and

executing the application program by selecting it from the list from within the network management system.