Automatic documentation of configurable systems by outputting explanatory information of configuration parameters in a narrative format and configuration parameters differences
First Claim
1. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
- retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system;
outputting explanatory information corresponding to at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter;
organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said information and said value associated with said parameter, into a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, the narrative format constituting the documentation, or a portion of the documentation, for said configurable system;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic documentation generation and management system and method, for documenting configurable systems such as complex software applications and hardware systems is disclosed. The method retrieves configuration parameters from the configurable system and utilizes them to automatically generate an explanatory document specific to the configured system. The invention also discloses a documentation appliance system, which is a dedicated documentation server coupled to the configurable system via a communication network, preferably via an Intranet. In yet another alternative, the invention may be practiced by integrating code for automatic documentation generation within the configurable system program.
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Citations
99 Claims
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1. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system;
outputting explanatory information corresponding to at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter;
organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said information and said value associated with said parameter, into a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, the narrative format constituting the documentation, or a portion of the documentation, for said configurable system;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information corresponding to at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion thereof;
constructing a table of contents for said documentation, or a portion thereof;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
,outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information corresponding to at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion thereof;
generating an index of at least selected parameters of said configuration parameters, and said explanatory information, said index detailing relative location of at least one of said selected parameters and at least a portion of said explanatory information within said document;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A system for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising:
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a first computer having data communication capability;
means for retrieving configuration parameters from a configurable system and communicating said parameters into said first computer;
means for generating explanatory information specific to said configurable system in accordance with said configuration parameters;
means for organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said explanatory information and values associated with said configuration parameters, into a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, the narrative format constituting a documentation, or a portion of said documentation, for said configurable system;
means for outputting said documentation; and
means for storing at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters, wherein said means for outputting said documentation is further adapted to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising:
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a) a collector computer program adapted to retrieve configuration parameters from at least one configurable system;
b) a documentation generator program, comprising;
i. a template having explanatory information and place holders indicating placement of one or more configuration parameters;
ii. a data parser in communication with said collector program, said parser adapted to parse said configuration parameters into associated values and merge said values into said template; and
iii. an output module adapted to organize said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said explanatory information and said values associated with said configuration parameters and to output said template with said merged values in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion of said documentation, for said at least one configurable system, wherein said system is further adapted to store at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters and to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for automated production of documentation for configurable computerized system, comprising the steps of:
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downloading a collector computer program to a first computer which is in communication with a configurable system;
collecting configuration parameters from said configurable system using said collector program;
transmitting said configuration parameters into a second computer having a documentation generator program operable thereon;
outputting, using said documentation generation program, a document in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, comprising;
i. explanatory information, regarding at least a portion of said configuration parameters;
ii. said portion of said configuration parameters; and
iii. a table of contents detailing relative location of at least certain segments of said explanatory information;
storing a first and a second set of configuration parameters; and
comparing said first set and second set and outputting differences therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a computer with at least a portion of a configurable system via a network;
retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from said configurable system into said computer;
outputting explanatory information corresponding with at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter;
organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said information and said value associated with said parameter, into a narrative format descriptive of the configuration of a configurable system, the narrative format constituting the documentation, or a portion of the documentation, for said configurable system;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a computer with at least a portion of a configurable system via a network;
retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information, corresponding with at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter, in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion thereof;
constructing a table of contents for said documentation, or a portion thereof;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74)
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75. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a computer with at least a portion of a configurable system via a network;
retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information, corresponding with at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter, in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion thereof; and
maintaining an activity log detailing operations of said steps of retrieving and outputting;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (76)
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77. A method for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a computer with at least a portion of a configurable system via a network;
retrieving configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from a configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information, corresponding with at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter, in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion thereof;
generating an index of at least selected parameters of said configuration parameters, and said explanatory information, said index detailing relative location of at least one of said selected parameters and at least a portion of said explanatory information within said document;
storing a first set of configuration parameters from a configurable system;
storing a second set of configuration parameters from a configurable system; and
outputting differences between said first and second sets of configuration parameters. - View Dependent Claims (78)
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79. A system for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising:
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a computer adapted to be coupled to a configurable system via a network;
means for retrieving configuration parameters from said configurable system into said computer;
means for generating explanatory information specific to said configurable system in accordance with said configuration parameters;
means for organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said explanatory information and values associated with said configuration parameters, into a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, the narrative format constituting a documentation, or a portion of said documentation, for said configurable system;
means for outputting said documentation; and
means for storing at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters, wherein said means for outputting said documentation is further adapted to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 99)
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82. A system for automatic production of documentation for configurable computerized systems, comprising:
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a) a computer coupled to said configurable system via a network;
b) a collector program module operated on said computer and adapted to retrieve configuration parameters from at least one configurable system;
c) a documentation generator program module, comprising;
i. a template having explanatory information and place holders indicating placement of one or more configuration parameters;
ii. a data parser in communication with said collector program module, said parser adapted to parse said configuration parameters into associated values and merge said values into said template; and
iii. an output module adapted to organize said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said explanatory information and said values associated with said configuration parameters, and to output said template with said merged values in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form the documentation or a portion of said documentation, for said at least one configurable system, wherein said system is adapted to store at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters and to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A method for automated production of documentation for configurable computerized system, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving configuration parameters from a configurable system, into a computer that is in communication with said configurable system via a network;
selecting explanatory information in accordance with said configuration parameters;
outputting, in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, a document comprising;
i. said explanatory information;
ii. values associated with said configuration parameters; and
iii. a table of contents detailing relative location of at least certain segments of said explanatory information;
storing a first and a second set of configuration parameters; and
comparing said first set and second set and outputting differences therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90)
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91. A self documenting configurable system, comprising:
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a) explanatory information related to said configurable system;
b) at least one software module constructed to i. merge a plurality of configuration parameters of said configurable system with corresponding portions of said explanatory information related to said configurable system, ii. organize said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said explanatory information and values associated with said configuration parameters, and iii. output said explanatory information and said configuration parameters in a narrative format descriptive of a configuration of the configurable system, to form a document specific to an instance of said configurable system, wherein said system is adapted to store at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters and to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94)
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95. A method for automated production of documentation for a configurable software system, having at least a portion of its behavior modifiable by configuration parameters stored in a computer accessible store, said method comprising the steps of:
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embedding into said configurable software system a software module constructed to merge configuration parameters and explanatory information associated with said configuration parameters;
retrieving said configuration parameters, said configuration parameters having values associated therewith, from said configurable system into a computer;
outputting explanatory information corresponding with at least one of said configuration parameters and a value associated with said parameter;
organizing said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said information and said value associated with said parameter, into a narrative format descriptive of the configuration of a configurable system, the narrative format constituting the documentation, or a portion of the documentation, describing specifically said configurable software system as configured;
storing a first and a second set of configuration parameters; and
comparing said first set and second set and outputting differences therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (96)
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97. A self documenting configurable software system having configuration parameters stored in at least one computer data store, comprising:
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a) a first software module constructed to retrieve at least a portion of said configuration parameters from said computer data store; and
c) a second software module constructed to i. merge explanatory information and related parameters of at least said portion of said configuration parameters, ii. organize said explanatory information, based on at least one of a content of said information and values associated with said relates parameters, into a narrative format descriptive of the configuration of a configurable system, the narrative format constituting a document, or a portion of the document, containing a description specific to said configurable system, and iii. output said document, wherein said system is adapted to store at least a first and a second set of said configuration parameters and to output difference between said first and second set. - View Dependent Claims (98)
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Specification