System and method for identifying application resources

• US 7,725,496 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paval, Eugen
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/454,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying

Abstract

A system and method for simplifying resource management is provided. Resources are represented by resource objects in a resource object model. Each resource object represents a single resource and contains one or more resource attributes to describe the resource. At least one of the resource attributes for each resource object is a string identifier formed within the constraints of a query grammar. The string identifier is a text-based identifier that is based upon a unique property of the represented resource. A characteristic of the resources is selected as the basis for the relationship between resource objects in the resource object model. In one embodiment, an application identifies resources by generating a search query using the same query grammar used to create the string identifier. In another embodiment, a user manually enters the search query into a command line interpreter.

Claims

1. A method for identifying application resources, comprising:

generating a resource object model that includes a plurality of resource objects organized within a hierarchical search tree according to one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects, wherein each of the plurality of resource objects represents a respective resource having a unique set of attributes, and wherein the hierarchical search tree can be parsed and searched using a predetermined query grammar;

creating a plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model, wherein the respective names that the plurality of unique resource identifiers provide for the plurality of resource objects each include a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the respectively represented resource within constraints of the predetermined query grammar;

searching the hierarchical search tree in response to a request for at least one of the resources represented in the resource object model, wherein the request includes a search query having a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar; and

returning, to an application that requested the resource, the unique resource identifier that provides the name for one of the plurality of resource objects that represents the requested resource, wherein the unique resource identifier includes the text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource, and wherein the application uses the unique resource identifier returned to the application to interact with the requested resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent application resources associated with the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent system resources associated with the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of unique resource identifiers are created according to a schema for uniquely naming the resources represented in the resource object model within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the hierarchical search tree in response to the request includes:

parsing the resource object model according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects in the search tree;

comparing the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the parsed resource object model to the text-based string in the search query that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource; and

locating the resource object that represents the requested resource in response to determining that the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource expresses the unique set of attributes that the text-based string in the search query expresses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application that requested the resource comprises a command line interpreter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application requests the resource through an application program interface, and wherein the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource is returned to the application through the application program interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource object model includes an XML document that assimilates the plurality of resource objects and the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects within the hierarchical search tree according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined query grammar is XPath.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resource objects comprise text-based nodes in the hierarchical search tree.

11. A system for identifying application resources, the system comprising one or more processing devices collectively configured to:

generate a resource object model that includes a plurality of resource objects organized within a hierarchical search tree according to one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects, wherein each of the plurality of resource objects represents a respective resource having a unique set of attributes, and wherein the hierarchical search tree can be parsed and searched using a predetermined query grammar;

create a plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model, wherein the respective names that the plurality of unique resource identifiers provide for the plurality of resource objects each include a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the respectively represented resource within constraints of the predetermined query grammar;

search the hierarchical search tree in response to a request for at least one of the resources represented in the resource object model, wherein the request includes a search query having a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar; and

return, to an application that requested the resource, the unique resource identifier that provides the name for one of the plurality of resource objects that represents the requested resource, wherein the unique resource identifier includes the text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource, and wherein the application uses the unique resource identifier returned to the application to interact with the requested resource.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent application resources associated with the application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent system resources associated with the application.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of unique resource identifiers are created according to a schema for uniquely naming the resources represented in the resource object model within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein to search the hierarchical search tree, the one or more processing devices are further collectively configured to:

parse the resource object model according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects in the search tree;

compare the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the parsed resource object model to the text-based string in the search query that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource; and

locate the resource object that represents the requested resource in response to determining that the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource expresses the unique set of attributes that the text-based string in the search query expresses.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the application that requested the resource comprises a command line interpreter.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the application requests the resource through an application program interface, and wherein the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource is returned to the application through the application program interface.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the resource object model includes an XML document that assimilates the plurality of resource objects and the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects within the hierarchical search tree according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined query, grammar is XPath.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of resource objects comprise text-based nodes in the hierarchical search tree.

21. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions for identifying application resources, the computer-executable instructions collectively configured when executed on a processor to:

generate a resource object model that includes a plurality of resource objects organized within a hierarchical search tree according to one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects, wherein each of the plurality of resource objects represents a respective resource having a unique set of attributes, and wherein the hierarchical search tree can be parsed and searched using a predetermined query grammar;

create a plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model, wherein the respective names that the plurality of unique resource identifiers provide for the plurality of resource objects each include a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the respectively represented resource within constraints of the predetermined query grammar;

search the hierarchical search tree in response to a request for at least one of the resources represented in the resource object model, wherein the request includes a search query having a text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar; and

return, to an application that requested the resource, the unique resource identifier that provides the name for one of the plurality of resource objects that represents the requested resource, wherein the unique resource identifier includes the text-based string that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource, and wherein the application uses the unique resource identifier returned to the application to interact with the requested resource.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent application resources associated with the application.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein one or more of the plurality of resource objects in the resource object model represent system resources associated with the application.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of unique resource identifiers are created according to a schema for uniquely naming the resources represented in the resource object model within the constraints of the predetermined query grammar.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein to search the hierarchical search tree, the computer-executable instructions, are further collectively configured to:

parse the resource object model according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects in the search tree;

compare the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects in the parsed resource object model to the text-based string in the search query that expresses the unique set of attributes for the requested resource; and

locate the resource object that represents the requested resource in response to determining that the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource expresses the unique set of attributes that the text-based string in the search query expresses.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the application that requested the resource comprises a command line interpreter.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the application requests the resource through an application program interface;

and wherein the unique resource identifier that provides the name for the resource object that represents the requested resource is returned to the application through the application program interface.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the resource object model includes an XML document that assimilates the plurality of resource objects and the plurality of unique resource identifiers that provide the respective names for each of the plurality of resource objects within the hierarchical search tree according to the one or more containment relationships among the plurality of resource objects.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the predetermined query grammar is XPath.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of resource objects comprise text-based nodes in the hierarchical search tree.