System and method browsing a network topology using a character driven interface

• US 7,254,778 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dikhit, Aniruddh Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/229,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20040041833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/736, 715/737, 715/738, 715/744, 715/740, 715/742, 709/209, 709/223
• US Class Current: 715/736
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a computer network system, a command line interface system is described having a text-based browser for browsing details of host devices coupled to the network. The command line interface system data includes logic to monitor and manage network devices by allowing a user to traverse the network using text-based commands to view hierarchy and topology information of the network and the hosts. The command line interface browsing system advantageously ensures a command status state change in one hierarchy level of the host device being browsed is retained and communicated to other hierarchy levels as the user browses the network.

Claims

1. A computer network system, comprising:

a server comprising a text-based console interface, said server maintaining hierarchical and topology information of said computer network system;

a plurality of computer network hosts;

a text-based console;

a command line interface browsing system for allowing text-based browsing of said plurality of computer network hosts; and

a command module providing a set of text-based commands including a basic command set for allowing users to execute said set of text-based commands in a foreground mode on said text-based console and an extended command set for allowing users to execute said set of text-based commands in a background mode on said text-based consoles.

2. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said command line interface browsing system comprises a session module for connecting a user of said text-based console to said server.

3. The computer network system of claim 2, wherein said session module further maintains said user'"'"'s login status in said server.

4. The computer network system of claim 3, wherein said command line interface browsing system further comprises a command browsing state module for retaining the browsing states of a user traversing the hierarchy and the topology of said plurality of computer network hosts.

5. The computer network system of claim 4, wherein said command module enables said user to traverse said computer network system.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said set of text-based commands comprise predefined parameters that enable users to retrieve and manipulate named objects from the hierarchy and the topology information of said plurality of computer network hosts.

7. The computer network system of claim 6, wherein said command line interface system further comprises a command implementation module for implementing command parameters issued by a user to traverse said computer network system.

8. The computer network system of claim 7, wherein said command line interface system further comprises a topology search module for providing hierarchical and topological browsing of objects of said computer network system.