Metrics and status presentation system and method using persistent template-driven web objects

• US 7,133,908 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Pajak, Henry G., Tredoux, Gavan L., Mountain, Highland Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/718,477
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/236, 709/217, 709/201, 719/314, 719/315, 719/316
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices

Abstract

A Web-based management system operating method automates collection and analysis of information from a plurality of networked devices, as well as creation of metrics, and independently assembles and displays data related to the networked device information on a distributed network. The networked devices may include one or more copiers, printers, facsimile machines and multifunction devices. Internal and external data is gathered from the networked devices. At least one of graphical, textual, statistical, metrics and status data is generated using a network database concurrently. This data is assembled and presented to a user on demand as one or more Web pages. The method uses template-driven mechanisms, or Web objects, that significantly simplify the creation, dynamic modification and persistence, as well as enforcement of concurrency, contention, and atomicity rules between, individual Web objects that compose the Web pages through the use of objects, concurrent state machines, events and actions within states. A Portion of the Web page can be separately created, e.g., manually or with a web page authoring tool The Web objects are combined and populated dynamically from the appropriate Web object states for the final display as a Web page by a Web browser.

Claims

1. A method for operating a Web-based management system of a plurality of networked devices, comprising:

automatically collecting and analyzing networked device information from the networked devices;

processing data related to the networked devices by at least one Web object;

providing a runtime support to ensure that the data is atomically processed per event without being interrupted, wherein the runtime support includes an event queue that operates on a first-in-first-out basis; and

independently assembling and displaying data related to the networked device information on a distributed network,

wherein assembling and displaying the data related to the networked device information on a distributed network includes creating at least one Web page from at least one Web object, wherein the at least one Web object is a self-contained entity with object data, an associated presentation and a state machine lifecycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the networked device information includes creating metrics data and the displayed data includes the metrics data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked device information includes internal and external data from the networked devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of graphical, textual, statistical, metrics and status data is generated and presented to a user on demand.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting and analyzing networked device information from the networked devices is automated by using a network database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting and analyzing networked device information is executed concurrently from more than one of the networked devices.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the at least one Web page uses networked device information as well as events and data from at least one other Web object.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising generalizing the form of the at least one Web object as a template so that the at least one Web page is created separately.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating at least one Web page with a web page authoring tool in combination with at least one Web object, wherein the at least one Web object is a self-contained entity with object data, an associated presentation and a state machine lifecycle.

10. A method for efficient Web-based presentation of data gathered from networked devices, comprising:

automatically gathering data from at least one networked device using server Web-object state transitions, events and actions independently of user interaction;

processing the data related to the at least one networked device by at least one Web object; and

providing a runtime support to ensure that the web-object state transitions are atomic so that they cannot be interrupted,

wherein the runtime support includes an event queue that operates on a first-in-first-out basis,

wherein the at least one Web object is a self-contained entity with object data, an associated presentation and a state machine lifecycle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein automatically gathering data is in real-time.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising ensuring integrity of at least one persistent Web object to enable accurate updating of data embedded in at least one Web page.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising manipulating a common persistent Web object using one or more front-end Web servers while maintaining integrity of data in the common Web object.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting simultaneous alternative views of the common Web-object.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing each of a plurality of users to access the common Web object in different ways without affecting the view of the other users.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising dynamically altering the appearance of a persistent Web object.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising separating the presentation of the persistent Web object from its content.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing layout and appearance instructions for the Web object in at least one template.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising dynamically altering the appearance of a Web object in response to dynamic events.

20. A data presentation system for a plurality of networked devices, comprising:

at least one Web object to form a Web page, a Web object being a self-contained entity with object data, an associated presentation and a state machine lifecycle; and

a runtime support to ensure that the web object processes events atomically so that the processing cannot be interrupted, wherein the runtime support includes an event queue that operates on a first-in-first-out basis.

22. The data presentation system of claim 20, wherein the Web-object further comprises at least one template.

23. The data presentation system of claim 22, further comprising a network database that stores networked device information from the networked devices, the network database providing the networked device information to at least one template.

24. The data presentation system of claim 20, further comprising a web page authoring tool that creates the Web page using at least one template.

21. A data presentation system for a plurality of networked devices, comprising:

at least one Web object to create a Web page by processing data related to the networked devices that has been automatically collected and analyzed,

a Web object being a self-contained entity with object data, an associated presentation and a state machine lifecycle; and

a runtime support to ensure that the Web object processes events atomically so that the processing cannot be interrupted, wherein the runtime support includes an event queue that operates on a first-in-first-out basis, and

wherein creating the Web page comprises independently assembling and displaying data related to the processed data on a distributed network.