Forming configuration information about components of systems which include components for which acquisition of configuration information is restricted

• US 8,996,692 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sasatani, Yohkichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US13/515,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 726/24, 707/741, 709/224, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for managing configuration information about components of a management target system. Identification is made of the existence of a first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component. Pattern data is stored for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and attribute values. Pattern data is retrieved whose configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions. Analogized configuration information is formed about the first component using attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

identify the existence of the first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component;

store pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and one or more attribute values;

retrieve pattern data whose configuration information about a component related first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions, from the storage section; and

form analogized configuration information about the first component using one or more attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the configuration information about the one or more other components and the analogized configuration information about the first component as CIs (configuration items) in a configuration management database.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a CI expressing the existence of the first component is formed in the configuration management database in response to the existence of the first component having been identified.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, when multiple CIs expressing the existence of the first component are formed, the multiple CIs are integrated in response to the analogized information having been formed.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the existence of the first component is identified from connection information related to the first component, among the configuration information about the one or more other components.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the analogized configuration information is stored together with data indicating that the configuration information is analogized information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on a display device together with the configuration information about the one or more other components.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on the display device in a manner so that it is shown that the configuration information is analogized configuration information.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, on condition that actual configuration information about the first component has been acquired, the instructions further cause the processor to:

replace the analogized configuration information with the actual configuration information.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

acquire the configuration information about the one or more other components.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information about the one or more other components includes connection relations among components of a management target system.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first component is any of a hardware element or a software element.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first component is software on a discovery-restricted computer.

14. A program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer device to:

identify the existence of the first component from configuration information about one or more other components except the first component;

store pattern data for analogizing configuration information about a component for which acquisition of the configuration information is restricted, the pattern data being associated with a set of one or more conditions and one or more attribute values;

retrieve pattern data whose configuration information about a component related to the first component, among the one or more other components, satisfies the set of conditions, from the storage section; and

form analogized configuration information about the first component using one or more attribute values associated with the retrieved pattern data.

15. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

store the configuration information about the one or more other components and the analogized configuration information about the first component as CIs (configuration items) in a configuration management database.

16. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on a display device together with the configuration information about the one or more other components.

17. The program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

display the analogized configuration information about the first component on the display device in a manner so that it is shown that the configuration information is analogized configuration information.

18. The program product according to claim 14, wherein, on condition that actual configuration information about the first component has been acquired, the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

replace the analogized configuration information with the actual configuration information.

19. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

acquire the configuration information about the one or more other components.

20. The program product according to claim 15, wherein a CI expressing the existence of the first component is formed in the configuration management database in response to the existence of the first component having been identified.

21. The program product according to claim 20, wherein, when multiple CIs expressing the existence of the first component are formed, the multiple CIs are integrated in response to the analogized information having been formed.

22. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the identification of the existence of the first component is identified from connection information related to the first component, among the configuration information about the one or more other components.

23. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the analogized configuration information is stored together with data indicating that the configuration information is analogized information.

24. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the configuration information about the one or more other components includes connection relations among components of a management target system.

25. The program product according to claim 14, wherein the first component is any of a hardware element or a software element and wherein the first component is software on a discovery-restricted computer.