Data processing apparatus and network system that outputs quality of service information to a user

• US 7,711,817 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Oeda, Takashi, Hara, Tsutomu, Ogura, Toshihiko, Osaka, Hideki, Hattori, Ryuichi, Tobita, Tsunehiro, Okazawa, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US12/243,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/224, 707/100, 707/200, 714/47, 714/57
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

In each of the information processing apparatuses connected to each other via a network, there is arranged a quality of service (QOS) table to which functions and performance thereof are registered. When an information processing apparatus is additionally linked with the network, a QOS table thereof is automatically registered to a local directory of the network such that an agent converts the contents of the QOS table into service information to be supplied via a user interface to the user. Thanks to the operation, information of functions and performance of each information processing apparatus connected to the network is converted into service information for the user. Consequently, the user can much more directly receive necessary services.

Claims

1. A service menu display method for use in an information processing system comprising:

information processing apparatuses including a plurality of processors each having a device; and

an information processing apparatus which is a client connected to said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors via a communication line, the method comprising the steps of;

each of said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors stores function and performance information of a device included in the information apparatus including an associated processor in a memory included in the information processing apparatus including the associated processor;

each of said processors transmits the stored function and performance information of the device included in the information processing apparatus including an associated processor via said communication line and said client information processing apparatus acquires function and performance information of a device included in each of the information processing apparatuses including the processors and stores the acquired function and performance information in a memory included in said client information processing apparatus,

wherein said client information processing apparatus stores information of service conversion in a memory included in the client information processing apparatus, said information of service conversion being used for converting function and performance information of a device included in each of said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors to respective service information pieces to be provided to a user,

wherein said client information processing apparatus displays a first service menu for receiving a designation of a type of service to be provided to the user on an input/output device connected to said client information processing apparatus,

wherein said client information processing apparatus receives the designation of the type of service to be provided to the user from the input/output device displaying said first service menu, and

wherein said client information processing apparatus converts each of function and performance information of a device relating to the service identified by said designation into respective service information pieces to be provided to the user by using said information of service conversion and displays respective service information pieces obtained by said conversion into a second service menu, said second service menu being used for receiving a designation as to which of the devices is to be used in connection with said identified service.

2. The service menu display method according to claim 1, wherein said device is a disk device and said function and performance information on the device includes storage capacity, data transfer performance of the disk device.

3. The service menu display method according to claim 2, wherein said information processing apparatuses including the processors are structured in an ARID configuration using a plurality of the devices.

4. A service menu display method for use in an information processing system comprising:

information processing apparatuses including a plurality of processors each having a plurality of devices; and

a client information processing apparatus connected to said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors via a communication line, the method comprising the steps of;

each of said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors stores function and performance information of the plurality of devices included in the information apparatus including an associated processor into a memory included in the information processing apparatus including the associated processor,

wherein said client information processing apparatus stores information of service conversion in a memory included in the client information processing apparatus, said information of service conversion being used for converting respective function and performance information of the plurality of devices included in each of said plurality of information processing apparatuses including the plural processors to respective service information provided to a plurality of users,

wherein said client information processing apparatus displays a service menu on an input/output device connected to said client information processing apparatus, and

wherein said client information processing apparatus receives a request for using a device from said input/output device displaying said service menu, acquires function and performance information of the device stored in an associated information processing apparatus including an associated processor via said communication line, converts the acquired function and performance information of the device to service information for an associated user by using said information of service conversion and displays the service information thus obtained by conversion as a new service menu onto said input/output device.

5. A service menu display method for use in an information processing system comprising:

information processing apparatuses including a plurality of processors each having a computing resource; and

an information processing apparatus including a server connected to said plurality of information processing apparatuses including the plural processors via a network and a client information processing apparatus connected to said server information apparatus via said network, the method comprising the steps of;

each of said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors stores function and performance information of a computing resource included in the information processing apparatus including as associated processor in a memory included in the information processing apparatus including the associated processor,

wherein said server information processing apparatus stores therein a directory that manages function/performance relating to said computing resources included in said information processing apparatuses including the plural processors,

wherein said client information processing apparatus stores information of service conversion in a memory included in said client information processing apparatus, said information of service conversion being used for converting respective function and performance information of each of the plurality of computing resources included in said plurality of information processing apparatuses including plural processors to each of service information pieces provided to each of a plurality of users,

wherein said client information processing apparatus displays a service menu on an input/output device connected to said client information processing apparatus,

said client information processing apparatus receives (accepts) a request from a user for using a computing resource from said input/output device displaying said service menu and inquires of said server information processing apparatus about said computing resource,

wherein said server information processing apparatus retrieves said directory information and transmits function and performance information of said computing resource of said information processing apparatuses including plural processors to said client information processing apparatus in accordance with said inquiry, and

wherein said client information processing apparatus converts a returned function and performance information of the computing resources to user service information by using said information of service conversion and outputs the service information thus obtained by conversion onto said input/output device as a new service menu.