Data feeds for management systems

• US 7,617,190 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Feuerstein, Corina Eva, Srour, Benjamin Salim, La Riviere, Michael Todd, Sutton, Alexander Michael, Sterin, Mark Felix, Oltean, Paul Adrian, Wright, Travis A., Duque, Baelson B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LeRoux; Etienne P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US11/289,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A data feed is defined with a data type and criteria. Each data type corresponds to a type of management related data provided by a management system. The management system is searched for all management related data that corresponds with the data type and the criteria. An aggregator collects the management related data that corresponds with the data type and the criteria. The collected management related data is rendered for a display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of communicating management related data provided by a management system to a user, the computer-implemented method comprising:

cataloging pieces of management related data indicative of activity of at least one of a plurality of network devices that the management system is monitoring over a network, each piece of management related data including properties and is stored in a database of the management system;

defining data feed records specifying information that the user desires from the stored management related data, each data feed record is stored in the database of the management system and includes a data type and criteria, wherein the data type corresponds to a type of management related data that the user desires and the criteria corresponds with at least one of the properties of the type of management related data the user desires;

querying the database of the management system for select pieces of management related data using one of the data feed records;

sending the select pieces of management related data found in the query to a publisher, the publisher configured to generate a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) data feed item for each select piece of management related data obtained in the query and send each RSS data feed item to a user device under control of the user for rendering the RSS data feed items on a display of the user device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each data type of each data feed record is selected from a group comprising an alert, an event, a ticket, an incident, a problem, a new report, availability of a pack, a performance indicator, a health status, a notification of a problem, a notice of updated management related data, a task and a change in a performance indicator.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each criteria of each data feed record is selected from a group comprising a severity level, a priority level, a networked device, a group of network devices, an assignee, a date created, a resolution state, a tag, a category, a description, an identifier and a name.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising including an attachment in at least one of the RSS data feed items.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein including the attachment in at least one of the RSS data feed items comprises including an embedded link in the attachment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising including a link in at least one of the RSS data feed items.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising rendering an embedded link in at least one of the RSS data feed items, wherein the embedded link is configured to run a task or open a view on the user device to troubleshoot a problem.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a tag attached to the RSS data feed item from the user and storing the tag in the database, wherein the stored tag is used as criteria when defining a data feed record.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the data feed records in the management system in a file share system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the criteria in each data feed record is specified in a URL by exposing a DHMTL page to the management system.

11. An information system that communicates management related data to a user, the system comprising:

a management system configured to catalog pieces of management related data indicative of activity of at least one of a plurality of network devices that the management system is monitoring over a network, , each piece of management related data including properties;

a database configured to store the pieces of management related data and store a plurality of data feed records indicative of information that the user desires from the stored management related data, each data feed record comprising;

a data type that corresponds with a type of data of the data feed record that the user desires;

a criteria that corresponds with at least one of the properties of the type of management related data the user desire;

a publisher configured to;

receive at least one select data feed record from the database indicative of what the user has subscribed;

query the management system to access select pieces of management related data that correspond with the at least one select data feed record;

generate a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) data feed item for each select piece of management related data obtained in the query;

a user device in control of the user and including an aggregator configured to collect the RSS data feed items from the publisher, wherein the user device is configured to render the data feed items on a display of the user device for viewing by the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the publisher comprises a web server that is adapted to dynamically and/or periodically create the RSS data feed item.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the publisher comprises a file share system that is adapted to dynamically and/or periodically create the RSS data feed item.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the management system is included in an operating system of a computing device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the user device is configured to attached a tag to at least one of the RSS data feed items rendered in the display and configured to send the tag to the management system, the management system configured to make the tag available to all users of the management system.

16. A computer-implemented method of communicating management related data, the computer-implemented method comprising:

cataloging pieces of management related data indicative of activity of at least one of a plurality of networked devices the management system is monitoring over a network, each piece of management related data including properties and is stored in a database of the management system;

defining data feed records specifying information that the user desires from the stored management related data, each data feed records is stored in the database of the management system and comprises;

a data type that corresponds with a type of data of the data feed record that the user desires the data type selected from a group comprising an alert, an event, a ticket, an incident, a problem, a new report, availability of a pack, a performance indicator, a health status, a notification of a problem, a notice of updated management related data, a task and a change in a performance indicator;

a criteria that corresponds with at least one of the properties of the type of management related data the user desire, the criteria selected from a group comprising a severity level, a priority level, a managed networked device, a group of managed network devices, an assignee, a date created, a resolution state, a tag, a category, a description, an identifier and a name;

querying the database of the management system for select pieces of using one of the data feed records;

sending the select pieces of management related data found in the query to a publisher, the publisher configured to generate a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) a data feed item for each select piece of management related data obtained in the query and sending each RSS data feed item to a user device in control of the user for rendering the RSS data feed items on a display of the user device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising exporting management related data that the user desires in an OPML file.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising sending the RSS data feed items to a location remote from the display.