Web based management of host computers in an open protocol network

• US 7,082,465 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Danner, Ryan Alan, Martin, Steven J., Dang, Tin Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US09/817,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/223, 709/224, 709/220, 709/206, 709/225, 707/10, 707/200, 702/182, 379/67.1, 714/47, 718/104
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

Host computers in a distributed open standards-based computing system are configured for performing application operations and management operations, including sending and receiving configuration management messages according to a web based protocol across an Internet Protocol. Each host computer includes an application resource configured for executing the corresponding application operations, for example initiating a unified messaging session for a unified messaging subscriber, providing text to speech services, providing short message service operations, etc., in response to an application request received from the open standards interface. Each host computer also includes a management resource configured for executing prescribed configuration management operations based on a corresponding received management command from the open standards interface. The received management command may be an application-generated command output by a management server executing a management application for a user, or a host-generated command output by a host computer in response to execution of a corresponding management operation. Hence, the execution of the management resource on each of the host computers in the distributed open standards-based computing system enables deployment of a web based arrangement for managing the host computers, where any host computer can send a request to another host computer during execution of the corresponding management operation.

Claims

1. A method in a host computer comprising a server configured for providing web based management of host computers in communication via an open protocol network, the method comprising:

first receiving, by the server and from a user browser according to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), a web-based user request specifying execution of a management operation by at least one selected host computer specified in the web-based user request, each host computer having an application resource for executing corresponding application operations and a management resource for executing the management operation, the application resource of said host computer having received the web-based user request being said server;

first outputting from the server to the corresponding management resource of the at least one selected host computer a web request generated by the server based on executing the web-based user request, the web request implemented as a first HTTP Post and specifying a management command for execution of the management operation by the management resource of the at least one selected host computer;

second receiving by the server from the corresponding management resource of the at least one selected host computer a web response implemented as a second HTTP Post and that specifies information based on execution of the management operation; and

second outputting by the server to the user browser a web-based user response based on the web response.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a presence of the host computers on the open protocol network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising third outputting by the server to the user browser a web page that specifies the host computers and available management operations for the host computers, the first receiving step further including receiving the web-based user request as an HTTP post having request information based on a user selection from the web page having been output to the user browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first outputting step includes inserting within the web request an identifier specifying execution by the management resource within the at least one selected host computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first outputting step further includes specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation as the management operation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second receiving step includes receiving at least one of a backup acknowledgment, a transferred file, and a status report in response to the management operation specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation, respectively.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected host computer is said host computer comprising the server as the corresponding application resource and having received the web-based user request, the first outputting step includes outputting the web request to an HTTP interface within the host computer comprising the server.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

third receiving the web request from the HTTP interface by the corresponding management resource of the host computer comprising the server;

executing the management operation specified by the web request by the management resource of the host computer comprising the server; and

third outputting to the HTTP interface, by the management resource of the host computer comprising the server, the web response that specifies the information based on execution of the management operation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating by the management resource of the host computer comprising the server a second web request as a third HTTP Post for execution of a second management operation by at least a second host computer of the open protocol network, the second management operation necessary for execution of the management operation;

fourth outputting the second web request by the management resource of the host computer comprising the server to the at least second host computer; and

fourth receiving by the management resource of the host computer comprising the server from the at least second host computer a second web response as a fourth HTTP Post that specifies information based on execution of the second management operation, the web response generated based on the second web response.

10. A host computer configured for providing web based management of host computers in communication via an open protocol network, the host computer comprising:

a web based interface configured for receiving a web-based user request from a user browser according to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) and outputting a web page, the web based interface configured for outputting a web request implemented as a first HTTP Post to an identified host computer and receiving a web response implemented as a second HTTP Post from the identified host computer; and

an executable server application configured for identifying the identified host computer specified in the web-based user request for execution of a management operation specified in the web-based user request and necessary for generating the web page in response to the web-based user request, the executable server application generating within the web request an identifier that specifies execution of the management operation by a management resource within the identified host computer, the executable server application generating the web page based on results of execution of the management operation specified within the web response.

11. The host computer of claim 10, further comprising a software resource configured for detecting a presence of the host computers on the open protocol network.

12. The host computer of claim 11, wherein the executable server application specifies within the web page the host computers and available management operations for the host computers.

13. The host computer of claim 10, wherein the executable server application specifies within the web request at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation as the management operation.

14. The host computer of claim 10, further comprising a second management resource configured for executing a specified management operation in response to a second web request received by the web based interface as a third HTTP Post, the second management resource configured for outputting to the web based interface a second web response implemented as a fourth HTTP Post and that specifies second results of execution of the corresponding specified management operation specified by the second web request.

15. The host computer of claim 14, wherein the identifier in the second web request specifies the second management resource executed within the host computer.

16. The host computer of claim 14, wherein the executable server application and the second management resource each are configured for selectively responding to an HTTP request received by the web based interface based on a corresponding identifier within the HTTP request.

17. A system configured for performing distributed computing operations, the system comprising:

a plurality of host computers configured for communication via an Internet protocol (IP) network, each host computer including;

(1) a web interface configured for sending and receiving web requests and web responses,

(2) a corresponding application resource configured for performing corresponding application operations, and

(3) a management client resource configured for executing prescribed management operations in response to respective web requests received as respective first hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) Posts by the corresponding web interface, the management client resource configured for outputting a web response as a second HTTP Post and that specifies results of execution of a selected management operation in response to a received web request implemented as a corresponding one of the first HTTP Posts;

wherein the application resource of one of the host computers is implemented as a web based management server resource configured for;

(1) generating the web request as the corresponding first HTTP Post for execution of the selected management operation by at least one selected host computer in response to reception from a user browser of a web request according to HTTP that specifies the selected management operation and the at least one selected host computer, and (2) outputting to the user browser a web-based user response based on the corresponding web response, implemented as the corresponding second HTTP post, from the at least one selected host computer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one host computer further includes a software resource configured for detecting a presence of the host computers on the IP network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the web based management server resource is configured for generating for the user browser a web page that specifies the host computers and available management operations for the host computers, the web request from the user browser including information based on a user selection from the web page.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the web based management server resource specifies within the web request at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation as the management operation.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each management client resource is configured for generating a second web request as a third HTTP Post to a management client resource of another one of the host computers for execution of a second management operation necessary for execution of the corresponding management operation by said each management client resource, said another one of the host computers executing the second management operation in response to the second web request and returning to said each management client resource a corresponding web response implemented as a fourth HTTP Post and that specifies information based on execution of the second management operation.

22. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for providing web based management of host computers in communication via an open protocol network, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

first receiving, from a user browser and by a server executed in one of the host computers, a web-based user request according to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) and specifying execution of a management operation by at least one selected host computer specified in the web-based user request, each host computer having an application resource for executing corresponding application operations and a management resource for executing the management operation, the application resource of said host computer having received the web-based user request being said server;

first outputting from the server to the corresponding management resource of the at least one selected host computer a web request generated by the server based on executing the web-based user request, the web request implemented as a first HTTP Post and specifying a management command for execution of the management operation by the management resource of the at least one selected host computer;

second receiving by the server from the corresponding management resource of the at least one selected host computer a web response implemented as a second HTTP Post and that specifies information based on execution of the management operation; and

second outputting by the server to the user browser a web-based user response based on the web response.

23. The medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for performing the step of detecting a presence of the host computers on the open protocol network.

24. The medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for performing the step of third outputting by the server to the user browser a web page that specifies the host computers and available management operations for the host computers, the first receiving step further including receiving the web-based user request as an HTTP post having request information based on a user selection from the web page having been output to the user browser.

25. The medium of claim 22, wherein the first outputting step includes inserting within the web request an identifier specifying execution by the management resource within the at least one selected host computer.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the first outputting step further includes specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation as the management operation.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the second receiving step includes receiving at least one of a backup acknowledgment, a transferred file, and a status report in response to the management operation specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation, respectively.

28. The medium of claim 22, wherein the at least one selected host computer is said one host computer executing the server as the corresponding application resource and having received the web-based user request, the first outputting step includes outputting the web request to an HTTP interface within the one host computer executing the server.

29. The medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

third receiving the web request from the HTTP interface by the corresponding management resource of the one host computer executing the server;

executing the management operation specified by the web request by the management resource of the one host computer executing the server; and

third outputting to the HTTP interface, by the management resource of the one host computer executing the server, the web response that specifies the information based on execution of the management operation.

30. The medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

generating by the management resource of the one host computer executing the server a second web request as a third HTTP Post for execution of a second management operation by at least a second host computer of the open protocol network, the second management operation necessary for execution of the management operation;

fourth outputting the second web request by the management resource of the one host computer executing the server to the at least second host computer; and

fourth receiving by the management resource of the one host computer executing the server from the at least second host computer a second web response as a fourth HTTP Post that specifies information based on execution of the second management operation, the web response generated based on the second web response.

31. A host computer configured for providing web based management of host computers in communication via an open protocol network, the host computer comprising:

means for first receiving, from a user browser according to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), a web-based user request specifying execution of a management operation by at least one selected host computer specified in the web-based user request, each host computer having an application resource means for executing corresponding application operations and a management resource means for executing the management operation;

server means as the corresponding application resource means, the server means configured for first outputting to the at least one selected host computer a web request implemented as a first HTTP Post and generated by the server means based on executing the web-based user request, the web request specifying a management command for execution of the management operation by the management resource means of the at least one selected host computer;

the means for first receiving the web-based user request configured for second receiving from the at least one selected host computer a web response implemented as a second HTTP Post and that specifies information based on execution of the management operation; and

the server means configured for second outputting to the user browser a web-based user response based on the web response.

32. The host computer of claim 31, further comprising means for detecting a presence of the host computers on the open protocol network.

33. The host computer of claim 32, wherein the server means is configured for third outputting to the user browser a web page that specifies the host computers and available management operations for the host computers, the first receiving means configured for receiving the web-based user request as an HTTP post having request information based on a user selection from the web page having been output to the user browser.

34. The host computer of claim 31, wherein the server means is configured for inserting within the web request an identifier specifying execution by the management resource within the at least one selected host computer.

35. The host computer of claim 34, wherein the server means is configured for specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation as the management operation.

36. The host computer of claim 35, wherein the first receiving means is configured for receiving at least one of a backup acknowledgment, a transferred file, and a status report in response to the management operation specifying at least one of a backup operation, a file transfer operation, and a status report operation, respectively.

37. The host computer of claim 31, wherein the at least one selected host computer is said host computer comprising the server means as the corresponding application resource means and having received the web-based user request.

38. The host computer of claim 37, wherein:

the corresponding management resource means is configured for third receiving the web request, executing the management operation specified by the web request by the management resource of the server, and outputting to the first receiving means the web response that specifies the information based on execution of the management operation.

39. The host computer of claim 38, wherein the management resource means further is configured for:

generating a second web request as a third HTTP Post for execution of a second management operation by at least a second host computer of the open protocol network, the second management operation necessary for execution of the management operation;

outputting the second web request by the management resource of the server to the at least second host computer; and

receiving from the at least second host computer a second web response as a fourth HTTP Post and that specifies information based on execution of the second management operation, the web response generated based on the second web response.