Manager object for management of multiple resources on dataless clients in a distributed computing environment

• US 7,035,895 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelton, James F., Hooper, Jason James, Frain, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/213,907
• Time in Patent Office: 2,686 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709223-224, 709/202, 709/203, 709/230, 709/315, 709/316, 709/328, 713/200, 713/201, 345/329, 710/60, 707/2, 717/137
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method of managing a set of clients in a distributed computer network having a management server. A given client preferably includes a dataless management framework. According to the method, a manager object is associated to each application to be managed on a given client. The manager object preferably includes a registry composed of a set of elements, with each element corresponding to an instance of the application. The element comprises a data set of information representing a context of the application instance. All application instances are then managed through the manager object.

Claims

1. A method of managing a set of clients in a distributed computer network having a management server, comprising the steps of:

associating a manager object to each application type on a given client, the manager object including a registry having a set of one or more elements, wherein each element includes information representing a context of an application instance; and

managing all instances of the application through the manager object.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the given client supports a dataless management framework.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the dataless management framework includes a local agent that is controlled by the manager object to manage the application instance.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the element includes information identifying a client node.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the element includes information identifying a directory where the application instance is installed.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the element includes information identifying a name of a resource where the application instance is installed.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the application type is discovered by the manager object.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of discovering the application type prior to associating the manager object.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the manager object is managed by the management server.

10. A method of managing a set of clients in a distributed computer network having a management server, comprising the steps of:

for each client, establishing a set of manager objects, wherein each manager object is associated with a given type of application to be managed;

responsive to management operations initiated at the management server, managing a given client using the set of manager objects established for that client.

11. The method as described in claim 10 wherein the given client supports a dataless management framework.

12. The method as described in claim 11 wherein the dataless management framework includes a local agent that is controlled by the set of manager objects for the given client.

13. The method as described in claim 10 wherein each manager object includes a registry comprising a set of elements, wherein each element includes information representing a context of an application instance.

14. The method as described in claim 13 wherein the information comprises a client node identity, an installation location, and an installation identifier.

15. The method as described in claim 10 further including the step of discovering the application type.

16. The method as described in claim 10 further including the step of registering the application type with the manager object.

17. A manager for use in managing an application type, the manager executing on a client machine, comprising:

a registry comprising a set of one or more data elements, each element including information representing a context of an application instance; and

a control routine (a) for intercepting a query directed to the client machine, (b) for modifying the query as a function of the information; and

(c) for redirecting the modified query to the client machine to target management of the application instance.

18. The manager object as described in claim 17 further including a routine for discovering application types executing on the client machine.

19. The manager object as described in claim 17 wherein the information identifies a client node.

20. The manager object as described in claim 17 wherein the information identifies a directory where the application instance is installed.

21. The manager object as described in claim 17 wherein the information identifies a name of a resource where the application instance is installed.

22. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium and executable on a given computer for use in managing an application type executing on a client machine, comprising:

means for intercepting a query directed to the client machine for managing the application type;

means for modifying the query with information representing a context of a given application instance identified in the query; and

means for redirecting the modified query to the client machine to target management of the given application instance directly.

23. A framework for managing a set of clients, comprising:

a management server to which the set of clients are connectable; and

for each client, a set of manager objects, wherein each manager object is associated with a given type of an application to be managed at the client and is responsive to management operations initiated at the management server for managing one or more application instances directly.