System and method for delivering an integrated server administration platform

• US 9,110,934 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, John H., Canis, Walter, Christiance, Kenneth David, Guo, Shang Qing, Hellerstein, Joseph L., Heywood, Patrick B., Lenchner, Jonathan, Ravirajan, Rajan, Spisak, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSHI, SURAJ M
• Application Number:
  US11/421,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,364 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 715734-737, 715/740
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases

Abstract

The invention enables server administrators (SAs) to improve their productivity and performance. With the methods and systems described herein, the prior art needed to search for appropriate tools for appropriate tasks is minimized and/or eliminated. Easier scripting and automation that does not require implementation across tools is provided. A consistent logical place is provided for all resources to be used. Standardization of tools enables improvements in service quality. Tools may be provided using one unambiguous authoritative data model, which eliminates data inconsistencies between sources. With the invention, updates to service delivery clients may be delivered more quickly. The invention also reduces costs for developing, deploying, and maintaining a tightly integrated service delivery client. Integration may be provided from the bottom up rather than after the fact. With the invention, common base objects are provided for events, problem and change records, and other system administration artifacts.

Claims

1. A computer implemented integrated administration environment (IAE), wherein the IAE comprises:

one underlying resource model to enable server administrator interaction with a plurality of services and access to functionality of a plurality of tools via one tool, wherein the interaction with the services is enabled to occur in at least one perspective via the one tool,

the perspective comprising an information management perspective illustrating data across multiple resources residing on servers, wherein the information management perspective delivers cross-server and cross-logical partition (cross-LPAR) views for trouble-shooting, correlation, analysis, and visualization, the servers connected to a non-transitory storage device, the information management perspective including;

a problem management view showing problem records across the servers, and

a system vitals view showing consumption of system resources across the servers.

2. The IAE of claim 1, wherein the interaction is enabled via a common data model comprising common base objects, the common base objects including events, problem, and change events.

3. The IAE of claim 1, wherein the perspective further comprises a resource management perspective including

a hierarchical view of physical resources and logical resources associated with the servers,

logical partitions (LPARs), and

business processes.

4. The IAE of claim 3, wherein the resource management perspective incorporates hierarchical views across multiple customer or in-house accounts.

5. The IAE of claim 3, wherein the resource management perspective provides a consistent logical place for access to all resources.

6. The IAE of claim 3, wherein the resource management perspective further includes, underneath the LPARs, associated hardware, associated software, problem records, change records, server policies, server advisories.

7. The IAE of claim 1, wherein the information management perspective further includes:

a change management view showing change records across the servers,

a systems based policy and profile view showing policies and profiles across the servers,

an advisory view showing advisory conditions evoking alerts across the servers, and

a server history view showing historical information across the servers.

8. The IAE of claim 1, wherein the perspective further comprises a collaboration view to assist with formal workflow, scheduling, teaming, and prioritizing.

9. The IAE of claim 1, wherein the services and tools are capable of:

sharing common data and object models,

acting upon the common data, and

presenting information based on a common set of interaction paradigms.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer usable program code implementing one underlying resource model to enable server administrator interaction with a plurality of services and access to functionality of a plurality of tools via one tool, wherein the interaction with the services is enabled to occur in at least one perspective via the one tool,

the perspective comprising an information management perspective illustrating data across multiple resources residing on servers, the information management perspective including a problem management view showing problem records across the servers, wherein the information management perspective delivers cross-server and cross logical partition (cross-LPAR) views for trouble-shooting, correlation, analysis, and visualization.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the interaction is enabled via a common data model comprising common base objects, the common base objects including events, problem, and change events.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the perspective further comprises:

a resource management perspective including;

a hierarchical view of physical resources and logical resources associated with the servers,

logical partitions (LPARs), and

business processes; and

a collaboration view to assist with formal workflow, scheduling, teaming, and prioritizing,

wherein the information management perspective further includes;

a change management view showing change records across the servers,

a systems based policy and profile view showing policies and profiles across the servers,

an advisory view showing advisory conditions that evoking alerts across the servers, and

a server history view showing historical information across the servers.

13. A service delivery system, comprising:

a plurality of services residing on one or more computer, and

an integrated administration environment (IAE) residing on another computer, wherein the IAE uses one underlying resource model to enable a server administrator to interact with the plurality of services and access to functionality of a plurality of tools via one tool, wherein the interaction with the services is enabled to occur in at least one perspective via the one tool,

the perspective comprising an information management perspective illustrating data across multiple resources residing on servers, the servers connected to a non-transitory storage device, the information management perspective including a problem management view showing problem records across the servers, wherein the information management perspective delivers cross-server and cross logical partition (cross-LPAR) views for trouble-shooting, correlation, analysis, and visualization.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the interaction is enabled via a common data model comprising common base objects, the common base objects including events, problem, and change events.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the perspective further comprises:

a resource management perspective including;

a hierarchical view of physical resources and logical resources associated with the servers,

logical partitions (LPARs), and

business processes; and

a collaboration view to assist with formal workflow, scheduling, teaming, and prioritizing,

wherein the information management perspective further includes;

a change management view showing change records across the servers,

a systems based policy and profile view showing policies and profiles across the servers,

an advisory view showing advisory conditions that evoking alerts across the servers, and

a server history view showing historical information across the servers.

16. A method of administering one or more server, comprising the steps of:

providing an integrated administration environment (IAE) comprising one underlying resource model;

providing a plurality of services; and

interacting with all the plurality of services via the underlying resource model of the IAE using one tool,

said interaction with the services is enabled to occur in at least one perspective via the one tool, the perspective comprising an information management perspective illustrating data across multiple resources residing on servers, the information management perspective including a problem management view showing problem records across the servers, wherein the information management perspective delivers cross-server and cross logical partition (cross-LPAR) views for trouble-shooting, correlation, analysis, and visualization.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interaction is enabled via a common data model that comprises common base objects, the common base objects including events, problem, and change events.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the perspective further comprises:

a resource management perspective including;

a hierarchical view of physical resources and logical resources associated with the servers,

logical partitions (LPARs), and

business processes; and

a collaboration view to assist with formal workflow, scheduling, teaming, and prioritizing,

wherein the information management perspective further includes;

a change management view showing change records across the servers,

a systems based policy and profile view showing policies and profiles across the servers,

an advisory view showing advisory conditions that evoking alerts across the servers, and

a server history view showing historical information across the servers.