Method of administering software components using asynchronous messaging in a multi-platform, multi-programming language environment

• US 7,069,551 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sen, Sreerupa, Fong, Kester Lijen
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US11/099,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 717/171
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4492 Inheritance

Abstract

A method for performing life cycle management of business software applications and their components across a multiple-platform, multiple-language network. The method takes advantage of the inheritance properties of object-oriented programming (OOP) by developing all components of a business application from a set of base classes, thus deploying a common set of methods across all application components. These methods enable monitoring by a Central Administrator element without interdependence between any of the business application components and the Central Administrator. The Central Administrator then determines when a need to reconfigure one or more components of the business application has arisen. The Central Administrator then modifies or replaces existing components of the business application or installs entirely new components over the network without end user interaction. In one embodiment of the present invention, the Central Administrator is aided by a set of Distributed Administrators located on each virtual node server/host computer of a business application operating over a network. The business application can thus reconfigured without terminating the application'"'"'s business function in a scaleable, extensible manner without regard to platform or language.

Claims

1. A method of managing software components, said method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of software components by use of an Administrator;

sending, by the Administrator, configuration information and a message indicating that one of the software components is to be reconfigured, where the Administrator sends the message to a queue of the software component to be reconfigured;

reading, by a container that manages the software component, the message received by the queue;

passing, by the container, the configuration information to the component;

invoking, by the container, a re-configuration of the software component; and

re-configuring the software component based upon the configuration information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of software components are deployed on at least one computer platform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said software components are monitored by the Administrator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said Administrator comprises one or more distributed administration programs and a central administration program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises receiving health status messages each containing only changes in said health status since receipt of a last health status message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein re-configuring the software component comprises one of:

updating, modifying, replacing, removing, stopping, or installing the software component.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the software components belong to a business application, and wherein the Administrator receives a health status message that includes content that is determined by at least one parameter that is critical to the business application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the software components are developed from a set of base classes that utilize object oriented programming (OOP) methods, in order to deploy a common set of OOP methods across all software components.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein an instance of a software component is configured to run as a single thread or as multiple threads within an agent.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a software component is a simplest addressable logical element within the business application.

6. An apparatus for managing software components, comprising:

an Administrator configured to monitor a plurality of software components, to send configuration information and a message indicating that one of the software components is to be reconfigured, where the Administrator sends the message to a queue of the software component to be reconfigured, and to re-configure the software component based upon the configuration information; and

a container that manages the software component, wherein the container is configured to read the message received by the queue, pass the configuration information to the component, and invoke a re-configuration of the software component.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of software components are deployed on at least one computer platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of software components are deployed on a plurality of computer platforms that are geographically separated.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said Administrator comprises one or more distributed administration programs and a central administration program.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said monitoring comprises receiving health status messages each containing only changes in said health status since receipt of a last health status message.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the software component is re-configured by one of:

updating, modifying, replacing, removing, stopping, or installing the software component.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the software components belong to a business application, and wherein the Administrator receives a health status message that includes content that is determined by at least one parameter that is critical to the business application.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the software components are developed from a set of base classes that utilize object oriented programming (OOP) methods, in order to deploy a common set of OOP methods across all software components.

21. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an instance of a software component is configured to run as a single thread or as multiple threads within an agent.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a software component is a simplest addressable logical element within the business application.

11. An apparatus for managing software components, the apparatus comprising:

means for monitoring a plurality of software components, for sending configuration information and a message indicating that one of the software components is to be reconfigured, where the message is sent to a queue of the software component to be reconfigured, and for re-configuring the software component based upon the configuration information; and

means for managing the software component, including means for reading the message received by the queue, for passing the configuration information to the component, and for invoking a re-configuration of the software component.

12. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to;

monitor a plurality of software components;

send configuration information and a message indicating that one of the software components is to be reconfigured, where the message is sent to a queue of the software component to be reconfigured;

read, by a container that manages the software component, the message received by the queue;

pass, by the container, the configuration information to the component;

invoke, by the container, a re-configuration of the software component; and

re-configure the software component based upon the configuration information.