System for retrieving and processing stability data from within a secure environment

• US 7,523,086 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Teague, Tommy Kay, McDonald, Kathryn Ann, Jacobs, Willis Lloyd, Valverde, Thomas Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Sheree N
• Application Number:
  US10/352,661
• Time in Patent Office: 2,275 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/103, 707/10, 707/204, 707/1, 711/152, 713/201, 713/153, 709/201, 709/207, 715/505, 719/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A system is provided for systematically checking for and retrieving data from a known, public system to a system inside company firewall restraints while being able to function automatically once initial set up is complete. This data is then processed and stored into an internal database for the express purpose of allowing timely access to stability and configuration information.

Claims

1. A system for securely transporting proprietary customer configuration and availability data from a plurality of separately operating customer servers via a non-secure public server to a secure company operating server such that said company is provided with timely access to said customer configuration and stability data for providing customer support services for said customer servers, said stability data including customer availability data and customer configuration data including a user code for each customer server, said system comprising:

(a) first means provided in each customer server including a processor system event log, an application event log and also an availability monitor program which periodically scans said event logs to collect pertinent availability data for determining customer availability, wherein said customer availability for each customer server over a given time interval is determined based on the time during said interval for which the customer server is considered up and running, said first means also providing for transporting the collected availability data for each customer server along with customer configuration data for each server to said non-secure public server;

(b) second means for transporting said collected customer availability data along with customer configuration data from said non-secure public server through a firewall to said secure company operating server;

(c) said first and second means using said user code for each customer server and other customer configuration data so that each customer is provided with only restricted write access to said public non-secure server and said secure company operating server to protect information from one customer being available to other customers; and

(d) third means located in said secure company operating server for processing transported customer availability data to provide results indicative of the availability of each customer server, said processing being initiated in response to transporting of said customer availability data to said secure company operating server;

(e) said secure company operating server also including a central proprietary database which receives the results of said processing, said central proprietary database being accessible only to people in said secure company operating server;

(f) said abovementioned first and second means operating such that the collecting and transporting of customer availability data from said customer servers and the transporting thereof to said secure company operating server via said non-secure public server is able to function automatically after initial set-up.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transported customer data is provided to said third means as XML files and wherein said secure company operating server includes:

means for receiving and importing said files into a temporary input folder;

means using an OPENXMLANDFINDVERSION program to open each XML file and verify it; and

means to receive each said verified file from said input folder and to read it via an READXMLFILE process for output to said central proprietary database.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said secure company operating server also includes:

means to utilize a MAKECONNECTION process to access XML files collected on said public server;

means to find each XML file on said public server;

means to copy each XML file into a current directory input folder; and

means to get a timestamp to indicate the time that said XML file was moved into the current directory input folder.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said OPENXMLANDFINDVERSION process includes:

means to open and load an XML file;

means to get version information from an XML control block; and

means to provide and check a tally of said XML file to verify that no modification has occurred.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said means to receive each verified XML file includes:

means to call a process UPDATASYSTEMINFOTABLE to move information from said XML file into a central database;

means to call a process UPDATEPARTITIONINFOTABLE to store partition information into a central database;

means to check that the system configuration information is available; and

means to call a process UPDATECONFIGURATIONINFOTABLE to store system configuration information from said XML file to said central database.

6. The system of claim 5, which further includes:

means to call a process UPDATEWINVENTORYTABLE to store hardware inventory information from said XML file into a central database;

means to call a process UPDATEEXCEPTIONLOGTABLE to move exception information from said XML file to said central database; and

means to call a process UPDATEEVENTLOGTABLE to store stability information from said XML file to said central database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said customer data is provided as XML files and wherein said secure company operating server includes:

means for receiving and importing NUL X files from a public express server;

means to make connection to said public express server and set the current director to “

SENTINEL”

, which holds said XML files;

means to find a first NUL XML file and subsequent NUL XML files available and to copy each NUL XML file to said current directory;

means to change the timestamp of each copied XML file in said current directory; and

means to delete each copied NUL XML file from said public express server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said means to make connection includes:

means to select a connection to a Proxy Server, and

means for making a connection to a public express server using said Proxy Server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means to select includes:

means for utilizing an OPEN-CONNECTION

Internet_OPENTYPE_PRECONFIGURATION FTP parameter to establish a connection to a server, which may include;

(i) said Proxy Server;

(ii) said public server.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said means to make a connection further includes:

means to complete a connection to the Internet.