Method to remotely query, safely measure, and securely communicate configuration information of a networked computational device

• US 6,879,979 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: BigFix, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Loer, Peter Benjamin, Lippincott, Lisa Ellen, Hindawi, Orion Yosef, Brown, James Milton, Donoho, David Leigh, Hindawi, David Salim, Goodrow, Dennis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAUBAIDI, HAYTHIM J
• Application Number:
  US10/226,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707 3- 4, 707/10, 715/523
• US Class Current: 707/779
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein enables a collection of computers and associated communications infrastructure to offer a new communications process which allows a requestor to receive configuration information of a computational device from a responder. The requester first sends query documents that contain queries for configuration information of a computational device to the responder; the responder automatically collects the answers for the queries and sends a response document that contains the configuration information of the computational device to the requestor. The queries are written in a formal descriptive language which is transparent, safe for network evaluation, and extensible, and the configuration reader of the responder can parse the queries and automatically invoke a set of standard inspectors to obtain the corresponding configuration information.

Claims

1. A communications network, comprising:

a computational device;

a requestor of configuration information of said computational device; and

a responder associated with said computational device further comprising;

a configuration reader for retrieving configuration information of said computational device;

wherein said requestor sends one or more query documents for configuration information of said computational device to said responder;

wherein said query documents contains queries written in a high level query language which is descriptive rather than procedural;

wherein said configuration reader parses query documents from said requestor, inspects said computational device to obtain configuration information of said computational device by invoking one or more inspectors and returns corresponding configuration information of said computational device; and

wherein said responder sends one or more response documents that contain corresponding configuration information to said requestor.

2. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said configuration reader is a computer program running on said computational device.

3. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said configuration information of said computational device comprising any combination of the following:

properties, contents or state, or properties of a local environment associated with said computational device.

4. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said configuration information may or may not include a literal copy of a file stored in said computational device.

5. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said query documents are digitally signed by said requestor so that said responder can be sure that said query documents are from said requestor.

6. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said response documents are encrypted so that only said requestor can decrypt and view configuration information contained in said response document.

7. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said query language can be extended when new configuration information of said computational device are required.

8. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said responder further comprises a response instructor;

wherein said configuration information can be examined visually by said response instructor before sending said configuration information to said requestor.

9. The communications network of claim 1, wherein said requestor further comprises:

a request instructor; and

a server;

wherein said request instructor posts query documents to said server that can only be retrieved by said responder;

wherein said responder retrieves said query documents from said server;

wherein said responder posts response documents to said server that can only be reviewed by said request instructor.

10. The communications network of claim 9, wherein said requestor further comprises a user interface for said request instructor to interact with said server.

11. The communications network of claim 10, wherein said request instructor reviews said answers contained in said response document through said user interface.

12. The communications network of claim 10, wherein said user interface is accessible from a Web browser.

13. The communications network of claim 9, wherein said server maintains an archive of past response documents that can be accessed by said request instructor.

14. The communications network of claim 9, wherein said server provides a means to compare two or more decrypted response documents.

15. In a communications network comprising a technical support organization, a support technician of said technical support organization and a customer of said technical support organization, an apparatus for said support technician to obtain configuration information of said customer'"'"'s computer to accelerate analysis of technical support issues, said apparatus comprising:

a server run by said technical support organization;

a client application running on said customer'"'"'s computer;

a query document containing queries written in a high level query language which is descriptive rather than procedural; and

a response document containing corresponding configuration information required by said query document;

wherein said support technician posts said query document to said server,

wherein said client application retrieves said query document from said server, parses said query document, inspects said computer to obtain configuration information of said computer by invoking one or more inspectors;

wherein said client application displays said configuration information to said customer;

wherein said client application returns corresponding configuration information of said computer to said server after approval of said customer; and

wherein said support technician reviews said configuration information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said query document is digitally signed so that said customer can be sure that said query document is sent by said technical support organization.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said response documents are encrypted so that only said support technician can decrypt and view configuration information contained in said response document.

18. In a communications network comprising a computational device, a requestor for configuration information of said computational device and a responder associated with said computational device to provider said configuration information, said responder further comprises a configuration reader for retrieving configuration information of said computational device, a method to retrieve said configuration information and securely transfer said configuration information from said responder to said requestor, comprising the steps of:

assigning an identity number to said responder by said requestor;

providing a library of query scripts written in a high level query language by said requestor, wherein said query language is descriptive rather than procedural;

said requestor constructing a query document by associating one of said query script to said identifier;

said requestor sending said query document to said responder;

parsing said queries written in said query language contained in said query document by said configuration reader of said responder;

invoking inspectors by said configuration reader to obtain answers containing configuration information corresponding to said queries; and

upon responder'"'"'s approval, constructing respond documents containing said answers and return said respond documents to said requestor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said configuration reader is a computer program running on said computational device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said configuration information of said computational device comprising any combination of the following:

properties, contents or state, or properties of a local environment associated with said computational device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said configuration information may or may not include a literal copy of a file stored in said computational device.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said query documents are digitally signed by said requestor so that said responder can be sure that said query documents are from said requestor.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said response documents are encrypted so that only said requestor can decrypt and view configuration information contained in said response document.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said query language can be extended when new configuration information of said computational device are required.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said responder further comprises a response instructor;

wherein said configuration information can be examined visually by said response instructor before sending said configuration information to said requestor.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said requester further comprises:

a request instructor; and

a server;

wherein said request instructor posts query documents to said server that can only be retrieved by said responder;

wherein said responder retrieves said query documents from said server;

wherein said responder posts response documents to said server that can only be reviewed by said request instructor.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein said requestor further comprises a user interface for said request instructor to interact with said server.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said request instructor reviews said answers contained in said response document through said user interface.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein said user interface is accessible from a Web browser.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein said server maintains an archive of past response documents that can be accessed by said request instructor.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein said server provides a means to compare two or more decrypted response documents.