Apparatus, system, and method for progressively disclosing information in support of information technology system visualization and management

• US 7,716,586 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dieberger, Andreas, Kandogan, Eser, Kieliszewski, Cheryl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/356,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 715/713, 715/736, 715/734, 715/738, 715/853, 715/854, 709/224, 709/202, 709/223, 345/440, 345/441
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for progressively disclosing information in support of information technology system visualization and management. An organization module establishes a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class. An assignment module assigns an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level. A display module displays the entity graphical representation for a selected entity with the entity information granularity for a level and a context graphical representation of an adjacent entity relationship. A modification module progressively modifies the information environment in response to a user request.

Claims

1. An apparatus to disclose information, the apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor device storing executable code;

a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising

an organization module establishing a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity is selected from an object comprising at least one physical device in a data center and a resource comprising a logical portion of an object and represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class comprising similar objects, and each level with a specified granularity of entity information, the granularities ranging from a least fine granularity with high level information and the entity having at least one sub-entity to a finest granularity wherein the entity has no sub-entity;

an assignment module assigning an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level;

a navigation module navigating from a first entity graphical representation to a selected entity graphical representation, the navigation comprising a diagonal navigation moving from the first entity graphical representation of a first level and a first entity class to the selected entity graphical representation of a second level and a second entity class;

a display module displaying the selected entity graphical representation with the entity information granularity for a finer granularity level and a context graphical representation of each entity with a direct relationship with the selected entity with the entity information granularity for a less fine granularity level, the selected entity graphical representation and context graphical representation comprising an information environment and displaying a plurality of connections for a group of entities, each connection with a specified relationship metric, as a single aggregated connection and a single aggregated information disclosure of the specified relationship metric, the specified relationship metric selected from a priority connection and a failed connection; and

a modification module progressively modifying the information environment in response to a user request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the levels comprise a global level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and a properties level configured with an entity information granularity that provides detailed information about each entity and minimal abstraction.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the levels comprise an ambient level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for groups of entities within a specified entity class.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the levels comprise an orbital level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and the immediate information environment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the levels comprise a context level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for individual entities and the immediate information environment where the immediate information environment may include both grouped and individual entities.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the levels comprise a case level with an entity information granularity that displays connections between entities in a group.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation further comprises a vertical movement from the first entity graphical representation to a second entity graphical representation of a different level and same entity class.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation further comprises a horizontal movement from the first entity graphical representation to a second entity graphical representation of the same level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation further comprises a skip level movement bypassing a level of granularity.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation further comprises a skip level movement bypassing an entity class.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation further comprises a tunneling movement between the first entity graphical representation of a highest level of granularity and a second entity graphical representation of a lowest level of granularity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, the display module further displaying expanded information on an entity in response to a user information query.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user information query is selected from a cursor hover, a voice command, a visual area-of-interest indication, or a haptic indication.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected graphical representation is determined from an area-of-interest where a user is looking on a screen.

14. A semiconductor device storing executable code executed by a processor to perform an operation to disclose information, the operation comprising:

establishing a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity is selected from an object comprising at least one physical device in a data center and a resource comprising a logical portion of an object and represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class comprising similar objects, each level with a specified granularity of entity information, the granularities ranging from a least fine granularity with high level information and the entity having at least one sub-entity to a finest granularity wherein the entity has no sub-entity;

assigning an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level wherein the entity graphical representation comprises at least one icon;

navigating from a first entity graphical representation to a selected entity graphical representation, the navigation comprising a diagonal navigation moving from the first entity graphical representation of a first level and a first entity class to the selected entity graphical representation of a second level and a second entity class;

displaying the selected entity graphical representation with the entity information granularity for a finer granularity level and a context graphical representation of each entity with a direct relationship with the selected entity with the entity information granularity for a less fine granularity level, the selected entity graphical representation and context graphical representation comprising an information environment and displaying a plurality of connections for a group of entities, each connection with a specified relationship metric, as a single aggregated connection and a single aggregated information disclosure of the specified relationship metric, the specified relationship metric selected from a priority connection and a failed connection; and

progressively modifying the information environment in response to a user request.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the levels comprise a global level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and a properties level configured with an entity information granularity that provides detailed information about each entity and minimal abstraction.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the levels comprise an ambient level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for groups of entities within a specified entity class.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the levels comprise an orbital level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and the immediate environment.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 17, wherein the levels comprise a context level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for individual entities and the immediate information environment.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 18, wherein the levels comprise a case level with an entity information granularity that displays connections between entities in a group.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the navigation further comprises a vertical movement between the first entity graphical representation to a second entity graphical representation of a different level and same entity class.

21. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the navigation further comprises a tunneling movement between the first entity graphical representation of a highest level of granularity and a second entity graphical representation of a lowest level of granularity.

22. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the navigation further comprises a horizontal movement from the first entity graphical representation to a second entity graphical representation of the same level.

23. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the navigation further comprises a skip level movement bypassing a level of granularity.

24. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the navigation further comprises a skip level movement bypassing an entity class.

25. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further comprising an operation to display a plurality of connections for a group of entities as an aggregated connection and aggregated information disclosure.

26. The semiconductor device of claim 25, further comprising an operation to display a relationship metric of a priority connection in the aggregated connection.

27. The semiconductor device of claim 25, further comprising an operation to display a plurality of de-aggregated connections for a selected aggregated connection.

28. A system to disclose information, the system comprising:

an information technology system configured to process data;

a computer in communication with the information technology system and comprising a semiconductor device storing executable code and a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising;

an organization module establishing a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity is selected from an object comprising at least one physical device in a data center and a resource comprising a logical portion of an object and represents one or more sub-entities that are objects and/or resources and each entity is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class comprising similar objects, each level with a specified granularity of entity information, the granularities ranging from a least fine granularity with high level information and the entity having at least one sub-entity to a finest granularity wherein the entity has no sub-entity;

an assignment module assigning an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level wherein the entity graphical representation comprises at least one icon;

a navigation module navigating from a first entity graphical representation to a selected entity graphical representation, the navigation comprising a diagonal navigation moving from the first entity graphical representation of a first level and a first entity class to the selected entity graphical representation of a second level and a second entity class;

a display module displaying the selected entity graphical representation with the entity information granularity for a finer granularity level and a context graphical representation of each entity with a direct relationship with the selected entity with the entity information granularity for a less fine granularity level, the selected entity graphical representation and context graphical representation comprising an information environment and displaying a plurality of connections for a group of entities, each connection with a specified relationship metric, as a single aggregated connection and a single aggregated information disclosure of the specified relationship metric, the specified relationship metric selected from a priority connection and a failed connection;

a modification module progressively modifying the information environment in response to a user request; and

a navigation module navigating to an entity graphical representation of the information environment.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the navigation further comprises a horizontal movement from the first entity graphical representation to a second entity graphical representation of the same level, a skip level movement bypassing a level of granularity, and a tunneling movement between the first entity graphical representation of a highest level of granularity and a second entity graphical representation of a lowest level of granularity.

30. A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

establishing a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity is selected from an object comprising at least one physical device in a data center and a resource comprising a logical portion of an object and represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class comprising similar objects, each level is configured with a specified granularity of entity information, the granularities ranging from a least fine granularity with high level information and the entity having at least one sub-entity to a finest granularity wherein the entity has no sub-entity, and wherein the levels comprise a global level configured with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities, and an orbital level configured with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and the immediate environment;

assigning an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level wherein the entity graphical representation comprises at least one icon;

navigating from a first entity graphical representation to a selected entity graphical representation, the navigation comprising a diagonal navigation moving from the first entity graphical representation of a first level and a first entity class to the selected entity graphical representation of a second level and a second entity class;

displaying the selected entity graphical representation with the entity information granularity for a finer granularity level and a context graphical representation of each entity with a direct relationship with the selected entity with the entity information granularity for a less fine granularity level, the selected entity graphical representation and context graphical representation comprising an information environment and displaying a plurality of connections for a group entities, each connection with a spec i tied relationship metric, as a single aggregated connection and a single aggregated information disclosure of the specified relationship metric, the specified relationship metric selected from a priority connection and a failed connection; and

progressively modifying the information environment in response to a user request.

31. An apparatus to disclose information, the apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor device storing executable code;

a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising

means for establishing a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity is selected from an object comprising at least one physical device in a data center and a resource comprising a logical portion of an object and represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class comprising similar objects, each level with a specified granularity of entity information, the granularities ranging from a least fine granularity with high level information and the entity having at least one sub-entity to a finest granularity wherein the entity has no sub-entity, and wherein the levels comprise a global level with a entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities, a properties level with an entity information granularity that provides detailed information about each entity and minimal abstraction, an ambient level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for groups of entities within a given entity class, an orbital level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for a group of entities and the immediate environment, a context level with an entity information granularity that provides abstracted information for entities in a group of entities, and a case level with an entity information granularity that displays connections between entities in a group;

means for assigning an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level wherein the entity graphical representation comprises at least one icon;

means for navigating from a first entity graphical representation to a selected entity graphical representation, the navigation comprising a diagonal navigation moving from the first entity graphical representation of a first level and a first entity class to the selected entity graphical representation of a second level and a second entity class;

means for displaying the selected entity graphical representation with the entity information granularity for a finer granularity level and a context graphical representation of each entity with a direct relationship with the selected entity with the entity information granularity for a less fine granularity level, the selected entity graphical representation and context graphical representation comprising an information environment and displaying a plurality of connections for a group of entities, each connection with a specified relationship metric, as a single aggregated connection and a single aggregated information disclosure of the specified relationship metric, the specified relationship metric selected from a priority connection arid a failed connection;

means for progressively modifying the information environment in response to a user request; and

the navigating means further navigating to a graphical representation of the information environment.