Providing status information for components in a distributed landscape

• US 8,577,960 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Boller, Stefan, Stoyanov, Tihomir
• Primary Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US12/846,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20120030275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

In a distributed landscape, different levels of data caches, such as a memory cache and prefetch tables, are provided for storing status and other information about a remote system to a client. Status information may be provided to the client from a memory cache if available and up to date. The memory cache may be updated using information stored in the one or more prefetch tables or by reading the data from the remote system(s). The prefetch tables may be updated by reading information from the remote systems. The data caches are dynamically updated to store the most up-to-date status information available. The data stored in each data cache level may be updated at predetermined intervals or upon a request by the client. Status messages for the one or more remote systems selected are displayed, providing the client with a status overview of the distributed landscape.

Claims

1. A method for providing a status message to a client for a component in a distributed computing landscape, the method comprising:

identifying a memory cache, the memory cache configured to store status information for the component in the distributed computing landscape;

identifying one or more prefetch tables, the one or more prefetch tables configured to store status information for the component in the distributed computing landscape;

determining that the status information is unavailable from the memory cache;

based on a determination that the status information is unavailable from the memory cache,

obtaining the status information from the one or more prefetch tables;

identifying an accuracy of the status information obtained from the one or more prefetch tables;

based on a determination that the accuracy of the status information is less than a threshold, obtaining the status information from the component;

identifying a system performance cost to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on the identified system performance cost, determining whether to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on a determination to update the one or more prefetch tables, updating the one or more prefetch with the status information obtained from the component;

based on a determination to bypass updating the one or more prefetch tables, updating the memory cache with the status information obtained from the component; and

displaying the status message for the component to the client, the status message based on the obtained status information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the determination to update the one or more prefetch tables, further updating the memory cache with the status information stored in the one or more prefetch tables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information stored in the memory cache is different from the status information stored in the one or more prefetch tables.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the status information stored in the memory cache has a different age than the status information stored in the one or more prefetch tables.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information is unavailable from the memory cache when the status information exceeds a predetermined age.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the status message to the client further comprises:

generating the status message based on information received from the component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the status information is unavailable from the one or more prefetch tables when the status information exceeds a predetermined age.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the determination to update the one or more prefetch tables:

reading the status information from the one or more prefetch tables; and

storing the status information read from the one or more prefetch tables in the memory cache.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory cache stores first status information for the component, and the one or more prefetch tables store second status information for the component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first status information and the second status information have the same properties.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first status information has a first time-out value, and the second status information has a second time-out value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first time-out value is less than the second time-out value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory cache is automatically updated based on the status information stored in the one or more prefetch tables, the one or more prefetch tables corresponding to the component.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is a first component, the memory cache further configured to store the status information for a second component in the distributed computing landscape, the one or more prefetch tables further configured to store the status information for the second component, and the second component accessible to provide status information associated with the second component.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the status information associated with the first component is updated independent of the status information associated with the second component.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the client to receive the status information for the component in the distributed computing landscape.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the component is a first component, the method further comprising:

receiving a first request from the client to receive the status information of the first component;

receiving a second request from the client to receive status information of a second component; and

processing the first request independent of the second request.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing metadata associated with the status information displayed to the client upon execution of a status update process for the component;

processing the metadata; and

establishing statistical data associated with the update process for the component.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the statistical data includes errors associated with the update process, and the method further comprises alerting the client to errors found by the statistical data.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the statistical data to enhance the efficiency of the update process.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading the status information from the one or more prefetch tables;

streaming the status information to the client; and

displaying the status information to the client.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the memory cache and the one or more prefetch tables are located in a cloud-based computing network.

23. A system for providing to a client status updates of one or more components of a distributed computing landscape, the system comprising:

a memory device storing a memory cache, the memory cache configured to store status information for the component in the distributed computing landscape;

a memory device storing one or more prefetch tables, the one or more prefetch tables stored on a repository, and configured to store status information for the component in the distributed computing landscape;

a server comprising one or more hardware processors, the server in communication with the client and the one or more components of the distributed computing landscape, the one or more components of the distributed computing landscape accessible by the server, the server operable to;

determine that the status information is unavailable from the memory cache;

based on a determination that the status information is unavailable from the memory cache;

obtain the status information from the one or more prefetch tables;

identify an accuracy of the status information obtained from the one or more prefetch tables;

based on a determination that the accuracy of the status information is less than a threshold, obtain the status information from the component;

identify a system performance cost to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on the identified system performance cost, determine whether to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on a determination to update the one or more prefetch tables, update the one or more prefetch with the status information obtained from the component;

based on a determination to bypass updating the one or more prefetch tables, update the memory cache with the status information obtained from the component; and

provide the obtained status information to the client.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to provide the status information to the client based on receiving a request for the status information.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to store the status information in the memory cache and the one or more prefetch tables based on predetermined configuration information.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory cache is located local to the client.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the one or more prefetch tables is located local to the client.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the distributed computing landscape includes a cloud-based computing network, the cloud-based computing network including the server, and wherein the client is in communication with the cloud-based computing network to receive the status information from the cloud-based computing network of the one or more components of the distributed computing landscape.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the cloud-based computing network includes at least one of the memory cache and the one or more prefetch tables.

30. An article comprising software for providing to a client status updates for a component in a distributed computing environment, the software including instructions stored on a non-transitory and tangible computer readable medium and operable when executed by a processor to perform the following operations:

determining that status information is unavailable from a memory cache, the status information associated with the component in the distributed computing environment;

based on a determination that the status information is unavailable from the memory cache obtaining the status information from the one or more prefetch tables;

identifying an accuracy of the status information obtained from the one or more prefetch tables;

based on a determination that the accuracy of the status information is less than a threshold, obtaining the status information from the component;

identifying a system performance cost to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on the identified system performance cost, determining whether to update the one or more prefetch tables with the status information obtained from the component;

based on a determination to update the one or more prefetch tables, updating the one or more prefetch with the status information obtained from the component; and

based on a determination to bypass updating the one or more prefetch tables, updating the memory cache with the status information obtained from the component.