Dynamic configuration and up-dating of integrated distributed applications

• US 7,200,651 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Niemi, Frederick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/346,789
• Time in Patent Office: 2,832 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-252, 715/735, 715/736, 719/313, 719/318, 718/100
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An interactive reporting and modifying system and method for notifying clients of changes within a computer network, while allowing the clients to dynamically alter selected configuration, control, diagnostic, status and other network parameters. Applications and processes within the computer network first register with a process manager. A persistent, continuous connection allows a client to receive and display notifications from the process manager following the registration of new applications and processes. A topology server similarly notifies the client of the addition or removal of new devices. Thereafter, the client may request a configuration, control, diagnostic or debug object from a selected application or process or device. The requested object or a representation thereof is displayed and may be manipulated by the client, thereby modifying its variables. These modifications are then dynamically implemented at the respective application or process or device.

Claims

1. A method for use in a computer network having a process manager and a network management station for reporting to the network management station the addition of new applications or processes to the computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a configuration service layer in communicating relationship with a new application or process and the process manager;

in response to opening the new application or process, issuing a registration service request from the new application or process to the process manager through the configuration service layer;

persistently and continuously listening, at the network mamagement station, for messages from the process manager;

in response to receiving the registration service request at the process manager, generating and forwarding a notification message that identifies the new application or process to the network management station;

automatically displaying the notification message at the network management station without having to close and re-start the management station, and

automatically and dynamically modifying the parameters associated with existing or with the new application or process.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

creating a process manager window at the network management station that displays a list of applications and processes opened in the computer network; and

in response to receiving the notification message, adding the new application or process to the list of applications and processes displayed in the process manager window.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of displaying a status, a start time and a location of the new application or process, within the process manager window, based on information from the received notification message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the status includes one of up, down, started, not started, and unknown.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the new application or process has parameters associated with at least one of configure, control, diagnose and status functions, the method further comprising the steps of:

in response to selecting the new application or process from the process manager window, displaying at least one of configure, control, diagnose and status buttons associated with the new application or process; and

in response to selecting one of the displayed configure, control, diagnose and status buttons, obtaining a respective configure, control, diagnose and status object from the new application or process; and

displaying the obtained configure, control, diagnose and status object at the network management station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the respective parameters of the new application or process automatically and dynamically occurs in response to manipulations of a configure, control, diagnose and status object displayed at a network management station.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a new device added to the network; and

upon detecting the new device, generating a second notification message; and

passing the second notification message to the network management station.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

in response to receiving the second notification message, displaying identification and configuration information associated with the new device at the network management station.

9. A computer workstation for use in a computer network having at least one process manager, the workstation comprising:

at least one application or process;

a network communication facility;

a user interface application; and

a configuration service layer in communicating relationship with the at least one application or process and the network communications facility,

wherein the at least one application or process and the configuration service layer cooperate to generate and issue, through the network communication facility, a registration service request to the at least one process manager upon opening of the at least one application or process at the computer workstation, the registration service request containing information therein to identify the new application or process to the at least one process manager in response in response to receiving the registration service request, and thereby automatically and dynamically indicate the existence of the new application or process without having to close and restart the process manager.

10. A system for dynamically modifying the configuration, settings and other parameters associated with one or more applications or processes running in a computer network, the system comprising:

means for registering with a process manager upon opening an application or process;

means for generating a notification object upon the registration of an opened application or process, wherein the notification object contains a reference identifying the opened application or process;

means for passing the notification object to one or more user interface applications; and

means for presenting the notification object in one or more user interface applications without having to close and re-start the respective user interface application, and

means for automatically and dynamically modifying parameters associated with the opened application or process.

11. A system as defined in claim 10 wherein each user interface application contains one or more windows, the system further comprising:

means for displaying the notification object in one or more windows contained in one or more user interface applications.

12. A system as defined in claim 10 further comprising:

means for creating a process manager window that displays a list of applications and processes opened in the computer network; and

means for adding an application or process to the list of applications and processes displayed in the process manager window in response to receiving the notification object.

13. A system as defined in claim 12 comprising:

means for displaying at least one of configure, control, diagnose and status buttons associated with an application or process in response to selecting the application or process from the process manager window;

means for obtaining a respective configure, control, diagnose and status object from the new application or process in response to selecting one of the displayed configure, control, diagnose and status buttons; and

means for displaying the obtained configure, control, diagnose and status object.

14. A system as defined in claim 10 comprising:

means for detecting a new device added to the network; and

means for issuing a service request to a user application interface upon detecting the new device, wherein the service request contains a name identifying the new device.

15. A system as defined in claim 14 further comprising:

means for receiving the service request at a user application; and

means for adding the name identifying the new device to a list of devices displayed in a window presented on a display screen of a workstation.

16. A method for operating a workstation, comprising:

executing a management software on the workstation;

receiving a registration service request by the workstation from a server computer, the registration service request indicating that a new application has been added to the server computer to execute on the server computer;

generating a configuration object related to the new application;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the new application, the remotely provided applet referencing the configuration object and including controls for modifying parameters of the new application; and

displaying the applet in a user interface of the management software, the user interface configured to pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the new application, to dynamically change the parameters of the new application.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the registration service request over a computer network from the server computer.

18. The method as in claim 16, further comprising:

automatically displaying, in response to receiving the registration service request, an indication that the new application process is executing on the server computer without having to close and restart the management software.

19. A computer workstation, comprising:

means for executing a management software on the workstation;

means for receiving a registration service request by the workstation from a server computer, the registration service request indicating that a new application has been added to the server computer to execute on the server computer;

means for generating a configuration object related to the new application;

means for receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the new application, the remotely provided applet referencing the configuration object and including controls for modifying parameters of the new application; and

means for displaying the applet in a user interface of the management software, the means for displaying configured to pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the new application, to dynamically change the parameters of the new application.

20. The workstation as in claim 19, further comprising:

means for receiving the registration service request over a computer network from the server computer.

21. The workstation as in claim 19, further comprising:

means for automatically displaying, in response to receiving the registration service request, an indication that the new application process is executing on the server computer without having to close and re-start the management software.

22. A computer workstation, comprising:

a management software executing on the workstation;

a network communication facility configured to receive a registration service request from a server computer, the registration service request transmitted to indicate that a new application has been added to the server computer to execute on the server computer, the network communication facility further configured to generate a control object related to the new application and to receive a remotely provided applet specific to the new application, the remotely provided applet referencing the control object and including controls for modifying parameters of the new application;

wherein the management software is further configured to display the applet and configured to pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the new application, to dynamically change the parameters of the new application.

23. The workstation as in claim 22, further comprising:

the network communications facility to receive the registration service request over a computer network from the server computer.

24. The workstation as in claim 22, further comprising:

the management software configured to automatically display, in response to receiving the registration service request, an indication that the new application process is executing on the server computer without having to close and re-start the management software.

25. A computer readable media, comprising:

said computer readable media having instructions written thereon for execution on a processor for, receiving a registration service request by the workstation from a server computer,the registration service request indicating that a new application has been added to the server computer to execute on the server computer;

generating a configuration object related to the new application;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the new application, the remotely provided applet referencing the configuration object and including controls for modifying parameters of the new application; and

displaying the applet in a user interface of the management software, the user interface configured to pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the new application, to dynamically change the parameters of the new application.

26. A computer workstation for use in configuring one or more devices in a computer network, the computer workstation comprising:

a user interface application configured to display a listing of the one or more devices, the listing of the one or more devices automatically updated in response to addition of devices to the computer network, absent re-start of the user interface application, the user interface application to permit selection of a particular device; and

a configuration service layer configured to, in response to selection of the particular device, generate a control object related to the particular device, the configuration service layer further configured to receive a remotely provided applet specific to the particular device, the remotely provided applet referencing the control object and including controls for modifying parameters of the device,

wherein the user interface application is further configured to display the applet and pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the device, to dynamically change the parameters of the device.

27. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein the user interface application is configured to be automatically updated with notifications provided by a topology server.

28. The computer workstation of claim 27, wherein the user interface application is configured to be automatically updated by Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) notifications.

29. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein the listing comprises a plurality of portions, each portion corresponding to one of the one or more devices, each portion including an identification field that identifies the device and a configuration field that indicates that parameters of the device may be dynamically modified.

30. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein the applet is provided by a device management process of a remote workstation.

31. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein the applet is configured to indicate the state of a plurality of interfaces of the device, and to permit modification of the state of each interface, to active or deactivate each interface.

32. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein parameter modifications are passed to the device as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messages.

33. The computer workstation of claim 26, wherein each portion further includes a command field that indicates that parameters of the application may be dynamically modified.

34. A computer workstation for use in configuring one or more applications executing on servers in a computer network, the computer workstation comprising:

a user interface application configured to display a listing of the one or more applications, the listing of the one or more applications configured to be automatically updated in response to execution of new applications on the servers, absent re-start of the user interface application, the user interface application to permit selection of a particular application; and

a configuration service layer configured to, in response to selection of the particular application, generate a configuration object related to the particular application, the

configuration service layer further configured to receive a remotely provided applet specific to the particular application, the remotely provided applet referencing the configuration object and including controls for modifying parameters of the application,

wherein the user interface application is further configured to display the applet and pass parameter modifications made with the applet to the application, to dynamically is change the parameters of the application.

35. The computer workstation of claim 34, wherein the user interface application is configured to be automatically updated with notifications provided by the one or more applications.

36. The computer workstation of claim 35, wherein the user interface application is configured to be automatically updated by Common Object Request Broker Architecture. (CORBA) notifications.

37. The computer workstation of claim 34, wherein the listing comprises a plurality of portions, each portion corresponding to one of the one or more applications, each portion including an application name field, an application status field, and an application location field.

38. The computer workstation of claim 34, wherein parameter modifications are passed to the application as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messages.

39. The computer workstation of claim 34, wherein the applet is provided by the server executing the particular application.

40. A method for configuring one or more devices in a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a listing of the one or more devices;

updating automatically the listing of the one or more devices in response to addition of devices to the computer network;

selecting a particular device of the one or more devices;

in response to selection of the particular device, generating a control object related to the particular device;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the particular device, the remotely provided applet referencing the control object and including controls for modifying parameters of the device; and

displaying the applet and passing parameter modifications made with the applet to the device, to dynamically change the parameters of the device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of updating is performed in response to receiving notifications from a topology server.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

indicating the state of a plurality of interfaces of the device; and

permitting modification of the state of each interface to active or deactivate each interface.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the applet is provided by a device management process of a remote workstation.

44. A method for configuring one or more applications executing on servers in a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a listing of the one or more applications;

updating automatically the listing of the one or more applications in response to execution of new applications on the servers;

selecting a particular application of the one or more applications;

in response to selection of the particular application, generating a configuration object related to the particular application;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the particular application, the remotely provided applet referencing the control object and including controls for modifying parameters of the application; and

displaying the applet and passing parameter modifications made with the applet to the application, to dynamically change the parameters of the application.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the step of updating is performed in response to receiving notifications from the one or more applications.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the applet is provided by the server executing the particular application.

47. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for configuring one or more devices in a computer network, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

displaying a listing of the one or more devices;

updating automatically the listing of the one or more devices in response to addition of devices to the computer network,

selecting a particular device of the one or more devices;

in response to selection of the particular device, generating a control object related to the particular device;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the particular device, the remotely provided applet referencing the control object and including controls for modifying parameters of the device; and

displaying the applet and passing through parameter modifications made with the applet to the device, to dynamically change the parameters of the device.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the executable program instructions for updating further comprising program instructions for:

receiving notifications from a topology server.

49. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for configuring one or more applications executing on servers in a computer network, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

displaying a listing of the one or more applications;

updating automatically the listing of the one or more applications in response to execution of new applications on the servers;

selecting a particular application of the one or more applications;

in response to selection of the particular application, generating a configuration object related to the particular application;

receiving a remotely provided applet specific to the particular application, the remotely provided applet referencing the configuration object and including controls for modifying parameters of the application; and

displaying the applet and passing through parameter modifications made with the applet to the application, to dynamically change the parameters of the application.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 49, wherein the executable program instructions for updating further comprising program instructions for:

receiving notifications from the one or more applications.