Computing resource management in information technology systems

• US 8,806,360 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cramer, Keith D., Eischeid, Todd M., Molander, Mark E., Pruett, Gregory B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US12/976,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A computing resource management system maintains plural sessions for managing plural computing resources using an administration console. The system further maintains a management user interface on an electronic display screen of the administration console. The management user interface includes plural tabbed user interface elements, wherein each user interface element corresponds to a session for managing a computing resource via a communication link. The system dynamically refreshes the status of each computing resource in a corresponding user interface element tab in the management user interface. User interaction with a user interface element based on user input is monitored, and based on the user interaction with a user interface element, display a panel is displayed on the display for the user managing the corresponding computing resource.

Claims

1. A method of computing resource management, comprising:

maintaining plural sessions for managing plural computing resources using an administration console;

maintaining a management user interface on an electronic display screen of the administration console, the management user interface comprising plural visual tabbed user interface elements, wherein each user interface element corresponds to a session for remotely managing a computing resource via a communication link, wherein managing a computing resource comprises monitoring and controlling the computing resource, wherein controlling the computing resource comprises sending control information to the computing resource;

dynamically refreshing the status of each computing resource in a corresponding user interface element tab in the management user interface based on a visible portion of the display screen;

monitoring user interaction with a user interface element based on user input;

based on the user interaction with a user interface element, displaying a panel on the display screen for the user managing the corresponding computing resource; and

selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for a user interface element from a management server to the administration console for display in the user interface element, wherein the quantity of refresh information transmitted is a function of display status for the corresponding computing resource on the administration console, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the corresponding computing resource, wherein the display status comprises one of a thumbnail and a window.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a computing resource comprises a server system, wherein the administration console sends the control information to the computing resource.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a computing resource comprises an application module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a remote session window, and multiple computing resources are managed using multiple panels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interface element comprises a thumbnail tab including a screen output of a corresponding virtual machine (VM) at a server, wherein multiple VMs running on the server are monitored and controlled.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selectively providing additional visual information for a thumbnail tab to alert a user to status of a corresponding computing resource.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said panel comprises an enlarged view of the corresponding thumbnail enabling user interaction with the corresponding computing resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for a panel from a management server to the administration console for display in the panel, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for a corresponding computing resource.

9. A computer program product for computing resource management comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith for execution on a computer, the computer readable program code configured to;

maintain plural sessions for managing plural computing resources using an administration console;

maintain a management user interface on an electronic display screen of the administration console, the management user interface comprising plural visual tabbed user interface elements, wherein each user interface element corresponds to a session for remotely managing a computing resource via a communication link, wherein managing a computing resource comprises monitoring and controlling the computing resource, wherein controlling the computing resource comprises sending control information to the computing resource;

dynamically refresh the status of each computing resource in a corresponding user interface element tab in the management user interface based on a visible portion of the display screen;

monitor user interaction with a user interface element based on user input;

based on the user interaction with a user interface element, display a panel on the display for the user managing the corresponding computing resource; and

selectively transmit a quantity of refresh information for a user interface element from a management server to the administration console for display in the user interface element, wherein the quantity of refresh information transmitted is a function of display status for the corresponding computing resource on the administration console, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the corresponding computing resource, wherein the display status comprises one of a thumbnail and a window.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a computing resource comprises one or more of:

a server system, and an application module.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the panel comprises a remote session window, and multiple computing resources are managed using multiple panels.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a user interface element comprises a thumbnail tab including a screen output of a corresponding virtual machine (VM) at a server, wherein multiple VMs running on the server are monitored and controlled.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to:

selectively provide additional visual indicators for a thumbnail tab to alert a user to status of a corresponding computing resource.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said panel comprises an enlarged view of the corresponding thumbnail enabling user interaction with the corresponding computing resource.

15. A system for computer resource management, comprising:

a management module using a hardware processor for maintaining plural sessions for managing plural computing resources using an administration console;

a user interface module using the hardware processor for maintaining a management user interface on an electronic display screen of the administration console, the management user interface comprising plural visual tabbed user interface elements, wherein each user interface element corresponds to a session for remotely managing a computing resource via a communication link, wherein managing a computing resource comprises monitoring and controlling the computing resource, wherein controlling the computing resource comprises sending control information to the computing resource; and

the management module further using the hardware processor for dynamically refreshing the status of each computing resource in a corresponding user interface element tab in the management user interface based on a visible portion of the display screen, and monitoring user interaction with a user interface element based on user input, wherein based on the user interaction with a user interface element, the monitor module causes display of a panel on the display for the user managing the corresponding computing resource, and for selectively transmitting a quantity of refresh information for a user interface element from a management server to the administration console for display in the user interface element, wherein the quantity of refresh information transmitted is a function of display status for the corresponding computing resource on the administration console, wherein the refresh information comprises status information for the corresponding computing resource, wherein the display status comprises one of a thumbnail and a window.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a computing resource comprises one or more of:

a server system, and an application module.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the panel comprises a remote session window;

a user interface element comprises a thumbnail tab;

the management module further selectively provides additional visual information for a thumbnail tab to alert a user to status of a corresponding computing resource; and

said panel comprises an enlarged view of the corresponding thumbnail enabling user interaction with the corresponding managed computing resource.