Multi-tiered enterprise management system and method including a presentation services unit external to the enterprise

• US 6,892,234 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knight, Erik A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US10/170,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-219, 709223-224, 700/108, 700/174, 700/171, 700/150, 700/109, 717/102, 706/5
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A multi-tiered remote enterprise management system and method are disclosed, whereby the management tool sets can be located in a part of the enterprise'"'"'s architecture so that relatively high levels of system reliability can be achieved, faster deployments of the system can be made, enterprise investments can be better leveraged, bandwidth requirements can be minimized, and private IP addressed networks used require no special engineering designs.

Claims

1. A remote management system, comprising:

at least one enterprise network associated with an enterprise, the at least one enterprise network comprising;

a data management services unit stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and operable to store at the enterprise network information associated with at least one management operating or monitoring function, the management operating or monitoring function being associated with a system management tool stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and providing system monitoring and management for the enterprise; and

an application services unit stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and operable to process at the enterprise network the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function; and

a presentation services unit external to the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and remotely coupled to the enterprise network associated with the enterprise, the presentation services unit operable to display data associated with the information processed at the enterprise network, the information being associated with the management operating or monitoring function, the data associated with the information processed at the enterprise network having been communicated to the external presentation services unit from the enterprise network, substantially all processing of the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function being performed within the enterprise network associated with the enterprise rather than at the presentation services unit external to the enterprise.

2. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the presentation services unit is remotely coupled to the enterprise network associated with the enterprise via an Internet connection.

3. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise network comprises at least one of a LAN, MAN, and WAN.

4. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the presentation services unit comprises a workstation in a Service Management Center.

5. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the remote management system comprises a three-tiered client server system.

6. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the application services unit and the data management services unit comprise at least one management tool server, the management tool server comprising one or more system management tools for managing or monitoring the enterprise network associated with the enterprise.

7. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the application services unit and the data management services unit comprise at least one management tool server coupled to a thin client server, the presentation services unit being remotely coupled to the thin client server.

8. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the presentation services unit comprises a thin client workstation.

9. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the presentation services unit is remotely coupled to the at least one enterprise network via a communications link.

10. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the presentation services unit further comprises a plurality of presentation services units.

11. The remote management system of claim 1, wherein the application services unit and the data management services unit further comprise a plurality of application services units and data management services units, each application services unit and an associated one of the plurality of data management services units being associated with a distinct enterprise network associated with distinct enterprise.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the enterprise network associated with the enterprise comprises a private enterprise network comprising a plurality of management tool servers, the private enterprise network using a plurality of nonstandard Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, a router coupling the presentation services unit to the private enterprise network and operable to perform network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses of the private enterprise network.

13. The software of claim 12, wherein the enterprise network associated with the enterprise comprises a private enterprise network comprising a plurality of management tool servers, the private enterprise network using a plurality of nonstandard Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, the software further operable to, using a router coupling the service management center to the private enterprise network, perform network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses of the private enterprise network.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of distinct enterprise networks each associated with a distinct corresponding enterprise, each enterprise network comprising:

a management tool server comprising one or more management tools for managing the enterprise network or one or more devices in the enterprise network;

a terminal server coupled to the management tool server and further coupled, via a router, to a communications network external to the enterprise network;

the presentation services unit coupled to the management tool server via the communications network external to the enterprise network.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the enterprise network comprises a first enterprise network associated with a first enterprise, the first enterprise network using one or more standard IP addresses for connectivity, the presentation services unit being coupled to the first enterprise network via a first network external to the first enterprise network; and

the system further comprises a second enterprise network associated with a second enterprise, the second enterprise network comprising a private enterprise network that uses one or more nonstandard IP addresses for connectivity, the presentation services unit coupled to the second enterprise network via a dedicated terminal server external to the second enterprise network, the dedicated terminal server coupled to a router external to the second enterprise network and operable to perform network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses used within the second enterprise network.

16. A method for remotely managing at least one enterprise network associated with an enterprise, comprising:

storing in the at least one enterprise network associated with the enterprise information associated with at least one management operating or monitoring function, the management operating or monitoring function being associated with a system management tool stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and providing system monitoring and management for the enterprise;

processing at the enterprise network associated with the enterprise the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function;

conveying the information processed at the enterprise network from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise to a remote service management center external to the enterprise network; and

displaying the processed information associated with the management operating or monitoring function at the service management center remote from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise, substantially all processing of the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function being performed within the enterprise network associated with the enterprise rather than at the remote service management center external to the enterprise.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the conveying step comprises receiving the processed information via an Internet connection remotely coupling the enterprise network to the service management center.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the enterprise network associated with the enterprise comprises a private enterprise network comprising a plurality of management tool servers, the private enterprise network using a plurality of nonstandard Internet Protocol (IP) addresses; and

the method further comprises using a router coupling the system management center to the private enterprise network, performing network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses of the private enterprise network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the enterprise network comprises at least one of a LAN, MAN, and WAN.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of displaying the processed information at the remote service management center comprises displaying the processed information at a workstation in the remote service management center.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps are performed via a three-tiered client server system.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the storing and processing steps are performed via at least one management tool server, the management tool server comprising one or more system management tools for managing or monitoring the enterprise network associated with the enterprise.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the storing and processing steps are performed via at least one management tool server associated with the enterprise network coupled to a thin client server associated with the enterprise network, the service management center being remotely coupled to the thin client server.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying step is performed via a thin client workstation.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the conveying step comprises coupling a remote management workstation to the enterprise network via a communications link.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the enterprise network is one of a plurality of distinct enterprise networks each associated with a distinct corresponding enterprise, each enterprise network comprising:

a management tool server comprising one or more management tools for managing the enterprise network or one or more devices in the enterprise network;

a terminal server coupled to the management tool server and further coupled, via a router, to a communications network external to the enterprise network;

the service management center coupled to the management tool server via the communications network external to the enterprise network.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the enterprise network comprises a first enterprise network associated with a first enterprise, the first enterprise network using one or more standard IP addresses for connectivity, the service management center being coupled to the first enterprise network via a first network external to the first enterprise network; and

a second enterprise network is associated with a second enterprise, the second enterprise network comprising a private enterprise network that uses one or more nonstandard IP addresses for connectivity, the service management center coupled to the second enterprise network via a dedicated terminal server external to the second enterprise network; and

the dedicated terminal server coupled to a router external to the second enterprise network, the method further comprises performing network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses used within the second enterprise network.

28. A system for remotely managing at least one enterprise network associated with an enterprise, comprising:

means for storing in the at least one enterprise network associated with the enterprise information associated with at least one management operating or monitoring function, the management operating or monitoring function being associated with a system management tool stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and providing system monitoring and management for the enterprise;

means for processing at the enterprise network associated with the enterprise the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function;

means for conveying the information processed at the enterprise network from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise to a remote service management center external to the enterprise network; and

means for displaying the processed information associated with the management operating or monitoring function at the service management center remote from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise, substantially all processing of the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function being performed within the enterprise network associated with the enterprise rather than at the remote service management center external to the enterprise.

29. Software for remotely managing at least one enterprise network associated with an enterprise, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

store in the at least one enterprise network associated with the enterprise information associated with at least one management operating or monitoring function, the management operating or monitoring function being associated with a system management tool stored on the enterprise network associated with the enterprise and providing system monitoring and management for the enterprise;

process at the enterprise network associated with the enterprise the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function;

convey the information processed at the enterprise network from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise to a remote service management center external to the enterprise network; and

display the processed information associated with the management operating or monitoring function at the service management center remote from the enterprise network associated with the enterprise, substantially all processing of the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function being performed within the enterprise network associated with the enterprise rather than at the remote service management center external to the enterprise.

30. The software of claim 29, operable to receive the processed information via an Internet connection remotely coupling the at least one enterprise network to the service management center.

31. The software of claim 29, wherein the enterprise network comprises at least one of a LAN, MAN, and WAN.

32. The software of claim 29, operable to display the processed information at the remote service management center by displaying the processed information at a workstation in the remote service management center.

33. The software of claim 29, operable to store and process the information associated with the management operating or monitoring function via at least one management tool server, the management tool server comprising one or more system management tools for managing or monitoring the enterprise network associated with the enterprise.

34. The software of claim 29, operable to store and process the information associated with the management operating and monitoring function via at least one management tool server associated with the enterprise network coupled to a thin client server associated with the enterprise network, the service management center being remotely coupled to the thin client server.

35. The software of claim 29, operable to display the processed information via a thin client workstation.

36. The software of claim 29, operable to convey the information using a communications link remotely coupling a remote management workstation to the enterprise network.

37. The software of claim 29, wherein the at least one enterprise network is one of a plurality of distinct enterprise networks each associated with a distinct corresponding enterprise, each enterprise network comprising:

a management tool server comprising one or more management tools for managing the enterprise network or one or more devices in the enterprise network;

a terminal server coupled to the management tool server and further coupled, via a router, to a communications network external to the enterprise network;

the service management center coupled to the management tool server via the communications network external to the enterprise network.

38. The software of claim 29, wherein:

the enterprise network comprises a first enterprise network associated with a first enterprise, the first enterprise network using one or more standard IP addresses for connectivity, the service management center being coupled to the first enterprise network via a first network external to the first enterprise network; and

a second enterprise network is associated with a second enterprise, the second enterprise network comprising a private enterprise network that uses one or more nonstandard IP addresses for connectivity, the service management center coupled to the second enterprise network via a dedicated terminal server external to the second enterprise network, the dedicated terminal server coupled to a router external to the second enterprise network; and

the software further operable to perform network address translation on the nonstandard IP addresses used within the second enterprise network.