Registering software management component types in a managed network

• US 8,914,787 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): COYER, RYAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/551,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 717/121, 717/171
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for registering management software component types in a managed network. In embodiments, a central registration server can scan a managed network to identify different types and configurations of target machines. The registration server can, for instance, perform an authorization process on some or all targets in a network, and determine a management software component type required by or compatible with each target. The Different target machines may have requirements for different management software component types depending, for instance, on the operating system or other resources installed on each target. Once a management software component type has been identified, the registration server can take an inventory of further resources hosted on the target, as well as identify types of management agents that can be distributed to the target to registration to remote management services, such as configuration management or performance monitoring services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a target machine via a registration tool to identify a management software component type for the target machine;

registering the management software component type for the target machine to a registration database;

interrogating the target machine to identify an inventory of resources present in the target machine;

associating, by a processor, the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for the target machine;

storing the identifier, the management software component type, and the inventory of resources for the target machine to the registration database; and

generating, in view of the registration database, a link to a management software component to permit the target machine to download the management software component that corresponds to the management software component type, wherein the link is stored in the registration database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the management software component type identifies at least one of an associated configuration management tool class, an associated network management tool class, an associated provisioning tool class, or an associated monitoring tool class.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing the target machine comprises scanning a network via the registration tool in view of predetermined criteria.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a set of predetermined network events or a predetermined schedule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of resources comprises at least one of hardware resources, software resources, communications resources, or security resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the target machine comprises performing an authorization routine via the registration tool for the target machine.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the management software component type and the inventory of resources in the registration database to an application via an application programming interface (API).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the management software component type is included in an extensible library of management software component types.

10. A system, comprising:

a first interface to a target machine;

a second interface to a registration database that stores information related to the target machine; and

a registration server, to communicate with the target machine via the first interface and the registration database via the second interface, and to;

access the target machine via a registration tool to identify a management software component type for the target machine,

register a management software component type for the target machine to the registration database,

interrogate the target machine to identify an inventory of resources present in the target machine,

associate the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for the target machine,

store the identifier, the management software component type, and the inventory of resources for the target machine to the registration database, and

generate, in view of the registration database, a link to a management software component to permit the target machine to download the management software component that corresponds to the management software component type, wherein the link is stored in the registration database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the management software component type identifies at least one of an associated configuration management tool class, an associated network management tool class, an associated provisioning tool class, or an associated monitoring tool class.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further to scan a network via the registration tool in view of predetermined criteria in order to access the target machine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a set of predetermined network events or a predetermined schedule.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the inventory of resources comprises at least one of hardware resources, software resources, communications resources, or security resources.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further to perform an authorization routine via the registration tool for the target machine in order to access the target machine.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the registration server is further to expose the management software component type and the inventory of resources in the registration database to an application via an application programming interface (API).

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the management software component type is included in an extensible library.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

accessing a target machine via a registration tool to identify a management software component type for the target machine;

registering the management software component type for the target machine to a registration database;

interrogating the target machine to identify an inventory of resources present in the target machine;

associating, with the processor, the management software component type and the inventory of resources with an identifier for the target machine;

storing the identifier, the management software component type, and the inventory of resources to the registration database; and

generating, in view of the registration database, a link to a management software component to permit the target machine to download the management software component that corresponds to the management software component type, wherein the link is stored in the registration database.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the management software component type is associated with an operating system class.