Starting point configuration determination for complex configurable systems

• US 7,725,702 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wingard, Daniel Jack, Hurst, Lawrence Allen Jr., Arnfield, David Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US11/469,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 707/3, 707/4, 714/1, 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A single starting point configuration for a complex, configurable system, is determined by collecting machine-reported data from a configurable system; obtaining information regarding the configurable system from one or more document applications external to the configurable system; merging the machine-reported data and the external document application data to produce a proposed configuration starting point; creating a user-readable actual starting point configuration according to the merged data; receiving a system configuration change description; receiving a proposed final system configuration; and verifying that the system configuration changes applied to the actual starting point configuration yields the proposed final system configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating by a processor an actual starting point configuration by merging machine-reported data collectd from and representing a configurable system with external document application data to produce a proposed configuration starting point;

verifying by a processor that one or more system configuration changes applied to the actual starting point configuration yields a received proposed final system configuration; and

responsive to said verification that the applied changes yields the proposed final system configuration, providing by a processor an approval output to a user.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining information from one or more external document applications comprises obtaining information from a Vital Product Data collection system.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining information from one or more external document applications comprises obtaining information from a product description system.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining information from one or more external document applications comprises obtaining information from an inventory database system.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining information from one or more external document applications comprises obtaining information from a customer information system.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage memory;

first program instructions creating an actual starting point configuration by merging machine-reported data collected from and representing a configurable system with external document application data to produce a proposed configuration starting point;

second program instructions verifing that one or more system configuration changes applied to the actual starting point configuration yields a received proposed final system configuration; and

third program instructions, responsive to said verification that the appplied changes yields a received proposed final system configuration, providing an approval output to a user;

wherein the first, second, and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage memory.

7. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6 wherein the program instructions to obtain information from one or more external document applications comprises program instructions to obtain information from a Vital Product Data collection system.

8. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6 wherein the program instructions to obtain information from one or more external document applications comprises program instructions information from a product description system.

9. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6 wherein the program instructions to obtain information from one or more external document applications comprises program instructions to obtain information from an inventory database system.

10. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6 wherein the program instructions to obtain information from one or more external document applications comprises program instructions to obtain information from a customer information system.

11. A system comprising:

an actual starting point configuration creator creating an actual starting point configuration by merging machine-reported data collected from and representing a configurable system with external document application data to produce a proposed configuration starting point;

a verifier verifying that one or more received system configuration changes applied to the actual starting point configuration yields a received proposed final system configuration; and

an approval output, responsive to said verification, providing an approval output to a user.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the non-machine reported data collector obtains information from a Vital Product Data collection system.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the non-machine reported data collector obtains information from a product description system.

14. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the non-machine reported data collector obtains information from an inventory database system.

15. System as set forth in claim 11 wherein the non-machine reported data collector obtains information from a customer information system.