Programmatically managing connections between servers and clients

• US 8,234,330 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hall, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US11/465,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

The present invention generally provides for the programmatic management of connections between servers (e.g., open system servers) and clients (local and/or remote). Specifically, under the present invention, a management console is provided through which connections between the servers and clients are established, maintained and/or terminated. Software loaded on the management console will provide a client menu for connections between servers and clients and an administrative menu for managing configurations of the servers on a management console through which the connections are established. Based on selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu, the connections and the configurations will be programmatically managed.

Claims

1. A programmatic management system, comprising:

at least one processor, comprising;

a client menu system, comprising a list of possible client selections, for providing a client menu that enables a client to manage connections between servers and the client, the connections management including selecting a server by the client for connection from among a plurality of allocated consoles, the connections being console connections in a serial/IP infrastructure environment which is a static isolated network environment;

an administrative menu system, comprising a list of possible administrative selections, for providing an administrative menu that enables an administrator to manage configurations of the servers on a management console through which the connections with clients to consoles of the servers are established, the managing including allocating the server to the client for console connection, the serial/IP infrastructure being accessible only via the management console; and

a management system for programmatically managing the connections and the configurations based on selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu, the programmatically managing including the management console establishing a console connection between the client and the selected server using software that simulates a direct serial connection, wherein the management system automatically edits a set of files based on the selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu and wherein the management console automatically configures network interfaces.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the servers comprise open system servers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the clients can comprise both clients that are local to the management console and clients that are remote from the management console.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client menu comprises a list of possible client selections displayed in an interface on each of the clients.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the interfaces comprise browser-based interfaces.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrative menu comprises a list of possible administrative selections displayed in an interface on the management console.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the client menu system, the administrative menu system, and the management system reside on the management console.

8. A programmatic management method, comprising:

providing a client menu, comprising a list of possible client selections, that enables a client to manage connections between servers and the client, the connections management including selecting a server by the client for connection from among a plurality of allocated consoles, the connections being console connections in a serial/IP infrastructure environment which is a static isolated network environment;

providing an administrative menu, comprising a list of possible administrative selections, that enables an administrator to manage configurations of the servers on a management console through which the connections to consoles of the servers are established, the managing including allocating the server to the client for console connection, the serial/IP infrastructure being accessible only via the management console; and

programmatically managing the connections and the configurations based on selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu, the programmatically managing including the management console establishing a console connection between the client and the selected server using software that simulates a direct serial connection, wherein the programmatically managing the connections and configurations comprises automatically editing a set of files based on the selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu and wherein the management console automatically configures network interfaces.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the servers comprise open system servers.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the clients can comprise both clients that are local to the management console and clients that are remote from the management console.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the client menu comprises a list of possible client selections displayed in an interface on each of the clients.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interfaces comprise browser-based interfaces.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the administrative menu comprises a list of possible selections displayed in an interface on the management console.

14. A method for programmatically managing connections between clients and servers, comprising:

providing a client menu comprising a list of possible client selections to the clients from a management console through which the connections are established by selecting a server by the client for connection from among a plurality of allocated consoles, the connections being console connections in a serial/IP infrastructure environment which is a static isolated network environment;

receiving a client selection made from the list of possible client selections on the management console from one of the clients, the managing including allocating the server to the client for console connection, the serial/IP infrastructure being accessible only via the management console; and

programmatically managing a connection between the client and one of the servers to a console of the one of the servers based on the client selection, the programmatically managing including the management console establishing a console connection between the client and the selected server using software that simulates a direct serial connection, wherein the programmatically managing the connections and configurations comprises automatically editing a set of files based on the selections made using the client menu and on the management console and wherein the management console automatically configures network interfaces.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing an administrative menu comprising a list of possible administrative selections on the management console;

receiving an administrative selection made from the list of possible administrative selections; and

programmatically managing a configuration of one of the servers based on the administrative selection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the programmatically managing the connection and the programmatically managing the configuration comprises automatically editing a set of files based on the client selection and the administrative selection.

17. The method of claim 14, client menu being provided in an interface on each of clients, and the administrative menu being provided in an interface on the management console.

18. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for programmatically managing connections between servers and clients, the computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a computer system to perform the following:

provide a client menu, comprising a list of possible client selections, that enables a client to manage the connections to the clients, the connections management including selecting a server by the client for connection from among a plurality of allocated consoles, the connections being console connections in a serial/IP infrastructure environment which is a static isolated network environment;

provide an administrative menu, comprising a list of possible administrative selections, that enables an administrator to manage configurations of the servers on a management console through which the connections are established to consoles of the servers, the managing including allocating the server to the client for console connection, the serial/IP infrastructure being accessible only via the management console; and

programmatically manage the connections and the configurations based on selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu, the programmatically managing including the management console establishing a console connection between the client and the selected server using software that simulates a direct serial connection, wherein program code for causing the computer system to programmatically manage the connections and configurations comprises program code for causing the computer system to automatically edit a set of files based on the selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu and wherein the management console automatically configures network interfaces.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein the servers comprise open system servers.

20. The program product of claim 18, wherein the clients can comprise both clients that are local to the management console and clients that are remote from the management console.

21. The program product of claim 18, wherein the client menu comprises a list of possible client selections displayed in an interface on each of the clients.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the interfaces comprise browser-based interfaces.

23. The program product of claim 18, wherein the administrative menu comprises a list of possible selections displayed in an interface on the management console.

24. A method for deploying a system for programmatically managing connections between servers and clients, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

provide a client menu, comprising a list of possible client selections, that enables a client to manage the connections to the clients, the connections management including selecting a server by the client for connection from among a plurality of allocated consoles, the connections being console connections in a serial/IP infrastructure environment which is a static isolated network environment;

provide an administrative menu, comprising a list of possible administrative selections, that enables an administrator to manage configurations of the servers on a management console through which the connections are established to consoles of the servers, the managing including allocating the server to the client for console connection, the serial/IP infrastructure being accessible only via the management console; and

programmatically manage the connections and the configurations based on selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu, the programmatically managing including the management console establishing a console connection between the client and the selected server using software that simulates a direct serial connection, wherein the programmatically managing the connections and configurations comprises automatically editing a set of files based on the selections made using the client menu and the administrative menu and wherein the management console automatically configures network interfaces.