Environment manager

• US 8,645,515 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maxsp Corporation
• Inventors: Keith, Jr., Robert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/977,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/223, 715/736, 715/742
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

An environment manager includes a set of consolidated and integrated utilities which allow an administrator direct, remote access to information technology resources. The environment manager allows the administrator to control many aspects of the information technology environment including backup and archival of data systems, monitoring of systems, opening and closing of information technology systems, server fail-overs and virtual server environments, managing expert application, desktop management and security and system security.

Claims

1. A system for managing an information technology setup comprising:

a. a memory device comprising a set of management applications for managing a first computing device, wherein the set of management applications are stored on the first computing device;

b. a set of custom portlets coupled to the set of management applications for controlling the management applications by transmitting one or more commands to the management applications wherein the management applications manage the first computing device based on the one or more commands, and further wherein the management applications automatically manage the first computing device by adjusting the operation of the first computing device when one or more predetermined conditions of the first computing device are met, wherein the management applications locally automatically manage the first computing device when the one or more predetermined conditions of the first computing device are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the first computing device when the first computing device is unable to connect to the remainder of the system; and

c. a portal user interface coupled to the set of custom portlets for communicating with the set of management applications through the custom portlets.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the set of custom portlets are stored on the first computing device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the set of custom portlets are stored on a second computing device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portal user interface is stored on a second computing device.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second computing device is remote from the first computing device.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the custom portlets enable cross-platform communication.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first computing device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a server, a laptop, a cellular phone, a gaming system, a PDA and a networking device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein managing the first computing device includes at least one of backing up and archiving data, monitoring environmental conditions, handling server fail-over and virtual server environments, desktop management, desktop security, applications management and security.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein an additional custom portlet is generated by the system for each application to be controlled on an additional computing device when the additional computing device is coupled to a network.

10. A system for managing an information technology setup comprising:

a. a computing device containing a portal user interface;

b. a set of additional computing devices coupled to the computing device, wherein each of the additional computing devices contain a set of management applications for managing each of the additional computing devices, and further wherein the management applications automatically manage the additional computing devices by adjusting the operation of the additional computing devices when one or more predetermined conditions of the additional computing device are met, wherein the management applications locally automatically manage the computing device when the one or more predetermined conditions of the computing device are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the computing device when the computing device is unable to connect to the remainder of the system; and

c. a set of custom portlets for controlling the management applications;

wherein the portal user interface is for controlling the set of management applications through the custom portlets, and further wherein the controlling comprises transmitting one or more commands to the management applications wherein the management applications manage the set of additional computing devices based on the one or more commands.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the computing device further contains a set of portlets.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein each of the additional computing devices contain a set of portlets.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the computing device is remote from the set of additional computing devices.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the portlets enable cross-platform communication.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the additional computing devices are selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a server, a laptop, a cellular phone, a gaming system, a PDA and a networking device.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein managing each of the additional computing devices includes at least one of backing up and archiving data, monitoring environmental conditions, handling server fail-over and virtual server environments, desktop management, desktop security, applications management and security.

17. The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein an additional custom portlet is generated by the system for each application to be controlled on an additional computing device when the additional computing device is coupled to a network.

18. An apparatus for managing an information technology setup comprising:

a. a computing device comprising a processing component;

b. a portal interface for utilizing the processing component to communicate with a set of additional computing devices; and

c. a set of portlets for providing a mechanism for the portal interface to communicate with the additional computing devices, wherein the portal interface utilizes the set of portlets to control a set of management applications stored on each of the additional computing devices, wherein the controlling comprises transmitting one or more commands to the management applications wherein the management applications manage the additional computing devices by adjusting the operation of the additional computing devices based on the one or more commands, and further wherein the management applications automatically manage the additional computing devices when one or more predetermined conditions of the additional computing devices are met, wherein the set of management applications locally automatically manage the additional computing devices when the one or more predetermined conditions of the additional computing devices are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the additional computing devices when the additional computing devices are unable to connect to the computing device.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the set of portlets are contained on the computing device.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the set of portlets are contained on each of the additional computing devices.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the computing device is remote from the set of additional computing devices.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the portlets enable cross-platform communication.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the additional computing devices are selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a server, a laptop, a cellular phone, a gaming system, a PDA and a networking device.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein communicating with the set of additional computing devices includes at least one of backing up and archiving data, monitoring environmental conditions, handling server fail-over and virtual server environments, desktop management, desktop security, applications management and security.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein an additional custom portlet is generated by the system for each application to be controlled on an additional computing device when the additional computing device is coupled to a network.

26. A method of managing an information technology setup comprising:

a. generating a set of custom portlets;

b. utilizing a portal user interface contained on a computing device to control a set of management applications through the custom portlets; and

c. utilizing the management applications to manage a set of additional computing devices by transmitting one or more commands to the management applications wherein the management applications manage the set of additional computing devices based on the one or more commands, and further wherein the management applications automatically manage the additional computing devices by adjusting the operation of the additional computing devices when one or more predetermined conditions of the additional computing devices are met, wherein the management applications locally automatically manage the additional computing devices when the one or more predetermined conditions of the additional computing devices are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the additional computing devices when the additional computing devices are unable to connect to the computing device.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the computing device is remote from the set of additional computing devices.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the custom portlets enable cross-platform communication.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the additional computing devices are selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a server, a laptop, a cellular phone, a gaming system, a PDA and a networking device.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein utilizing the management applications to manage the set of additional computing devices includes at least one of backing up and archiving data, monitoring environmental conditions, handling server fail-over and virtual server environments, desktop management, desktop security, applications management and security.

31. The method as claimed in claim 26 further comprising generating an additional custom portlet for each application to be controlled on an additional computing device when the additional computing device is coupled to a network.

32. An environment manager for managing an information technology setup over a network comprising:

a. a memory device comprising a set of management applications for managing a first computing device, wherein the set of management applications are stored on the first computing device;

b. a set of custom portlets coupled to the set of management applications for controlling the management applications, wherein the management applications automatically manage the first computing device by adjusting the operation of the first computing device when one or more predetermined conditions on the first computing device are met and further wherein the management applications locally automatically manage the first computing device when the one or more predetermined conditions of the first computing device are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the first computing device when the first computing device is unable to connect to the remainder of the system; and

c. a portal user interface stored on a second computing device and coupled to the set of custom portlets for communicating with the set of management applications over the network through the custom portlets;

wherein an additional custom portlet is generated by the environment manager for each application to be controlled on an additional computing device when the additional computing device is coupled to the network.

33. A system for managing an information technology setup comprising:

a. a plurality of memory devices each comprising a set of management applications for managing a plurality of first computing devices, wherein the set of management applications are stored on the first computing devices;

b. a plurality of sets of custom portlets each coupled to one of the sets of management applications for controlling the management applications by transmitting one or more commands to the management applications wherein the management applications manage the plurality of first computing devices based on the one or more commands, and further wherein each set of the management applications automatically manage a corresponding one of the plurality of first computing devices when one or more predetermined conditions of the one of the plurality of first computing devices are met, wherein the management applications locally automatically manage the first computing devices when the one or more predetermined conditions of the first computing devices are met such that the management applications are able to continue to manage the first computing devices when the first computing devices are unable to connect to the remainder of the system; and

c. a portal user interface coupled to each of the sets of custom portlets for communicating with the sets of management applications through the custom portlets;

wherein each set of management applications correspond to an individual first computing device that the management applications control and further wherein an additional custom portlet is generated by the system when an additional computing device is coupled to a network.