Methods and apparatus for displaying data storage management information
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method to support displaying management information in a graphical user interface, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving selection of multiple entries in a hierarchy, the selection including multiple managed entities in a network;
displaying a management information view that includes management information associated with the multiple managed entities in the network;
displaying a drill down menu associated with the management information view, the drill down menu including selectable drill down options that correspond to respective drill down functions selectively applied to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities;
identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu;
producing a drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities, the produced drill down view including a presentation of the management information based on the applied respective drill down function;
displaying the drill down view on the graphical user interface; and
continuing to display the drill down menu even after producing the drill down view for selection of another drill down option from the drill down menu and further drilling down with respect to the produced drill down view; and
displaying path information in relation to the management information view, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;
wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and
wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information view.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A graphical user interface displays management information associated with one or more selected managed entities along with a drill down menu. The drill down menu includes selectable drill down options corresponding to respective drill down functions. Based on selection of a drill down option by a user, a respective drill down function is applied to the management information associated with the one or more selected managed entities. For example, after identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu, a processor function associated with the graphical user interface produces a successive drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the management view. This technique of drilling down based on selection of one of multiple selectable drill down options enables a network manager to more quickly traverse network management information.
25 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method to support displaying management information in a graphical user interface, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving selection of multiple entries in a hierarchy, the selection including multiple managed entities in a network; displaying a management information view that includes management information associated with the multiple managed entities in the network; displaying a drill down menu associated with the management information view, the drill down menu including selectable drill down options that correspond to respective drill down functions selectively applied to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities; identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu; producing a drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities, the produced drill down view including a presentation of the management information based on the applied respective drill down function; displaying the drill down view on the graphical user interface; and continuing to display the drill down menu even after producing the drill down view for selection of another drill down option from the drill down menu and further drilling down with respect to the produced drill down view; and displaying path information in relation to the management information view, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-implemented method of displaying management information on a display screen, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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on a first portion of the display screen, displaying a hierarchy of selectable icons representing managed entities of a storage area network; on a second portion of the display screen, displaying a detailed view of separately listed management information for each of at least two managed entities selected from the hierarchy; and on a third portion of the display screen, displaying a drill down menu of multiple selectable drill down options, the drill down menu being continuously displayed even after selection of one of the multiple selectable drill down options, the drill down menu enabling drilling down with respect to at least a portion of the management information displayed in the detailed view of separately listed management information; in a fourth portion of the display screen, displaying path information in relation to the management information, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information back to corresponding previously displayed management information; highlighting a first selectable drill down option and a second selectable drill down option in the drill down menu to indicate that from the first selectable drill down option and the second selectable drill down option can be selected by a viewer and applied to the management information in the second portion of the display screen; and in response to receiving selection of the first selectable drill down option from the drill down menu; i) updating the separately listed management information for each of the at least two managed entities selected from the hierarchy by providing a drill down view in accordance with the selection of the first selectable drill download; and ii) discontinuing highlighting of the first selectable drill down option from the drill down menu to indicate that the first selectable drill down option can no longer be selected to drill down with respect to a current drill down level view of the management information in the second portion of the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer system supporting management information views associated with a storage area network, the computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; a communication interface that supports communication with other nodes of the storage area network; and an interconnect coupling the processor, the memory unit, and the communication interface, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of; receiving selection of multiple entries in a hierarchy, the selection including multiple managed entities in a network; displaying a management information view that includes management information associated with the multiple managed entities in the network; displaying a drill down menu associated with the management information view, the drill down menu including selectable drill down options that correspond to respective drill down functions selectively applied to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities; identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu; producing a drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the multiple managed entities, the produced drill down view including a presentation of the management information based on the applied respective drill down function;
displaying the drill down view on the graphical user interface; andcontinuing to display the drill down menu even after producing the drill down view for selection of another drill down option from the drill down menu and further drilling down with respect to the produced drill down view; and displaying path information in relation to the management information view, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information view. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer system for displaying management information views associated with a storage area network, the computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; a communication interface that supports communication with nodes of the storage area network; and an interconnect coupling the processor, the memory unit, and the communication interface, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of; on a first portion of a display screen, displaying a vertical hierarchy of selectable icons representing managed entities of a storage area network; on a second portion of the display screen, displaying a detailed view of separately listed management information for each of the at least two selected managed entities selected from the hierarchy; and on a third portion of the display screen, displaying a drill down menu including multiple selectable drill down options, the drill down menu being continuously displayed even after selection of one of the multiple selectable drill down options, the drill down menu enabling drilling down with respect to at least a portion of the management information displayed in the detailed view of separately listed management information; in a fourth portion of the display screen, displaying path information in relation to the management information, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A computer program product including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to perform operations of:
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displaying a management information view that includes management information associated with at least one managed entity in a network; displaying a drill down menu associated with the management information view, the drill down menu including selectable drill down options that correspond to respective drill down functions selectively applied to the management information associated with the at least one managed entity; identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu; producing a drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the at least one managed entity, the produced drill down view including a presentation of the management information based on the applied respective drill down function; displaying the drill down view on the graphical user interface; and continuing to display the drill down menu even after producing the drill down view for selection of another drill down option from the drill down menu and further drilling down with respect to the produced drill down view; displaying path information in relation to the management information view, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information view.
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36. A computer system for supporting management information views associated with a storage area network, the computer system including:
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means for displaying a management information view that includes management information associated with at least one managed entity in a network; means for displaying a drill down menu associated with the management information view, the drill down menu including selectable drill down options that correspond to respective drill down functions selectively applied to the management information associated with the at least one managed entity; means for identifying a selected drill down option chosen from the drill down menu; means for producing a drill down view by applying the respective drill down function associated with the selected drill down option to the management information associated with the at least one managed entity, the produced drill down view including a presentation of the management information based on the applied respective drill down function; and means for displaying the produced drill down view means for continuing to display the drill down menu even after producing the drill down view for selection of another drill down option from the drill down menu and further drilling down with respect to the produced drill down view; means for displaying path information in relation to the management information view, the path information including;
i) an entry corresponding to a present drill down level view of the displayed management information in the management view, and ii) at least one entry of a previous drill down level view of previously displayed management information;wherein the path information includes entries indicating a sequence of drill down options selected from the drill down menu to view the present drill down menu view; and wherein the at least one entry of the previous drill down level view may be selected by a user to change contents of the management information view back to a corresponding previously displayed management information view.
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Specification