Method and system for task based management of multiple network resources

• US 7,584,278 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nedungadi, Kishnan, Rajarajan, Vij, Kiernan, Casey, MacMahon, Mel, Bhatia, Brijesh, Hodge, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US10/014,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,821 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 707/10, 718/104
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 : Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method and system for task-based management of a plurality of resources in a network environment. The system uses web technology, preferably XML-technology, to receive and store information related to back-end resources and to provide a framework by which client computer systems can manage the plurality of back-end resources in a uniform manner. The method for managing a plurality of resources relates to receiving information from a resource related to a task for an object type and then receiving information from another resource related to a different task, but where the different task is associated with the same object type. The method then stores the information received from the second resource in association with the information received from the first resource. Next, the method receives a request to perform the management task in relation to the first managed object and determines which resource to call in response to the request; and then sends a task request to the determined resource to perform the management task.

Claims

1. A method of performing a management task, the task modifying information associated with one or more back-end resources in a distributed network, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first back-end resource related to a first task, the first task for a first managed object of a predetermined object type, wherein the first managed object has associated attributes, and wherein each attribute has a data field and a value, and wherein the information received from the first back-end resource indicates whether the first back-end resource is used to perform the management task;

receiving information from a second back-end resource related to a second task, the second task associated with the first managed object, wherein the information received from the second back-end resource indicates whether the second back-end resource is used to perform the management task;

storing in a memory the information received from the second back-end resource in association with the information received from the first back-end resource;

receiving a request to perform the management task in relation to the first managed object;

determining, based on the stored information, which of the first back-end resource and the second back-end resource to call in response to the request; and

sending a task request to the determined resource to perform the management task on the first managed object, wherein the sending occurs after receiving information from the first back-end resource and receiving information from the second back-end resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to display task information related to the first object; and

displaying task information received from both back-end resources in response to the request to display task information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving static task information related to the object type of the first managed object;

storing the static task information in a task store;

receiving dynamic task information related to the first managed object, the dynamic task information including a task handler identification within the back-end resource; and

in response to the request to display task information, displaying both static and dynamic task information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the task handler identification is a pointer to executable code on the first back-end resource.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the task handler identification relates to executable code on the first back-end resource and the second back-end resource.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to the request to display task information, retrieving the static task information from the task store;

sending a request for dynamic task information to one of the first back-end resource or the second back-end resource using the handler identification, the request including instance information for the first managed object; and

receiving dynamic task information for the instance of the first managed object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a first management task with a second management task; and

storing a script function, wherein the script function is callable and performs both the first management task and the second management task.

8. In a network environment having multiple resources, a computer storage medium encoding instructions for executing a method, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first resource related to a first task, the first task for a first managed object of a predetermined object type, wherein the first managed object has associated attributes and task information, and wherein each attribute has a data field and a value, and wherein the information received from the first resource indicates whether the first resource is used to perform the management task;

receiving information from a second resource related to a second task, the second task associated with the first managed object, wherein the information received from the second resource indicates whether the second resource is used to perform the management task;

storing in a memory the information received from the second resource in association with the information received from the first resource;

receiving a request to perform the management task in relation to the first managed object;

determining, based on the stored information, which of the first and second resource to call in response to the request; and

sending a task request to the determined resource to perform the management task on the first managed object, wherein the sending occurs after receiving information from the first resource and receiving information from the second resource.

9. A system for task-based management of a plurality of resources comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer-program instructions executable by the process for;

identifying a plurality of resources which are in communication with a management module, wherein each of the resources are configured to provide information corresponding to the management of a plurality of objects associated with each of the resources, wherein each of the plurality of objects has associated attributes having a data field and a value, and wherein at least one of the plurality of objects is a user object that contains information corresponding to a network user, and wherein the management module is capable of receiving a request to access the information related to one or more of the plurality of resources and to receive task information from the plurality of resources related to their associated objects;

wherein in response to receipt of a request to perform a network administration task, the management module performing task functions on the associated objects of more than one resource; and

combining the task functions into a single script function through the use of a scripting manager.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the management module comprises a task manager to receive and store task information, wherein the task manager is configured to communicate with the resources to perform the network administration task.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of resources provides information to the task manager in XML format.