Automated, controlled distribution and execution of commands and scripts

• US 9,135,056 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Shang Q., Palakodeti, Ramesh S., Puri, Rajeev, Rosu, Daniela, Venugopal, Cashchakanithara, Wu, Frederick Y., Zeng, Sai
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US13/592,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration

Abstract

Distributed execution of commands and scripts may comprise a script execution manager having access to a library of executable objects comprising at least one or more of commands or scripts or combination of commands and scripts. A script execution console may be operable to present a graphical user interface for selecting an executable object from the library to execute and for selecting one or more managed computers, on which to execute the selected executable object. The script execution console may be further operable to present a dynamically updated collation of results from execution of the selected executable object. One or more script execution agents may be operable to run on the selected respective one or more managed computers and further operable to communicate with the script execution manager.

Claims

1. A system of distributed execution of commands and scripts, comprising:

a script execution manager having access to a library of executable objects comprising at least one or more of commands or scripts or combination of commands and scripts;

a script execution console operable to present a graphical user interface for selecting an executable object from the library to execute and for selecting one or more managed computers, on which to execute the selected executable object, the script execution console further operable to present a dynamically updated collation of results from execution of the selected executable object;

one or more script execution agents operable to run on the selected respective one or more managed computers and further operable to communicate with the script execution manager; and

a hardware processor operable to execute the script execution manager and the script execution console,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a command line field for entering an identifier of the one or more of commands or scripts, a menu of operating system platforms from which to select, wherein the one or more managed computers are automatically selected based on a selection from the menu of operating system platforms, and a results window that presents the dynamically updated collation of results, the command line field, the menu of operating system platforms, and the results window presented in one screen,

the script execution manager further operable to assign a temporary role for determining which list of executable objects to use to validate the selected executable object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the script execution console is further operable to automatically map the selected executable object into a platform specific executable object compatible to execute on the selected one or more managed computers.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a translation engine operable to translate the selected executable object into the platform specific executable object.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the script execution agent is further operable to check for existence of the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers, and in response to determining that the selected executable object exists, the script execution agent is further operable to compare a digital signature of the executable object with an approved digital signature associated with the executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature matches with the approved digital signature, the script execution agent is further operable to execute the selected executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature does not match with the approved digital signature, the script execution agent is further operable to download a version of the executable object from an approved server and execute the downloaded version of the executable object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the script execution console is further operable to validate the selected executable object against a list of executable objects.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a privilege manager operable to validate the selected executable object against a list of executable objects specific to a role of a user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a service request system that contains service request information accessed by the script execution manager to assign the temporary role.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the list of executable objects for each service request type is automatically generated by analyzing prior service requests of said each service type and collecting the executable objects used to complete said prior service requests.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable object is a script.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable object is a command.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method of distributed execution of commands and scripts, comprising:

receiving a selected executable object via a graphical user interface from a user;

receiving via the graphical user interface, a selected one or more managed computers on which to execute the selected executable object;

determining whether the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers;

in response to determining that the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object, communicating to the selected one or more managed computers to execute the executable object and dynamically collating results from the execution of the executable object on all of the selected one or more managed computers; and

in response to determining that the user is not authorized to execute the selected executable object, presenting an alert to the user via the graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface presents at least a command line field for entering an identifier of the selected executable object, a menu of operating system platforms from which to select, wherein the one or more managed computers are automatically selected based on a selection from the menu of operating system platforms, and a results window that presents the dynamically collated results, the command line field, the menu of operating system platforms, and the results window presented in one screen,

the method further comprising assigning a temporary role to the user, the temporary role determining which list of executable objects to use to validate the selected executable object.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to determining that the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object, checking for existence of the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers, and in response to determining that the selected executable object exists, comparing a digital signature of the executable object with an approved digital signature associated with the executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature matches with the approved digital signature, executing the selected executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature does not match with the approved digital signature, downloading a version of the executable object from an approved server and executing the downloaded version of the executable object.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically mapping the selected executable object into a platform specific executable object compatible to execute on the selected one or more managed computers.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining of whether the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers comprises checking a control list containing allowable executable objects specific to a user role.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining of whether the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers comprises checking a list containing executable objects said user is disallowed from executing.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the executable object is a script.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the executable object is a command.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising presenting via the graphical user interface the dynamically collated results.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method of distributed execution of commands and scripts, the method comprising:

receiving a selected executable object via a graphical user interface from a user;

receiving via the graphical user interface, a selected one or more managed computers on which to execute the selected executable object;

determining whether the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers;

in response to determining that the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object, determining whether the selected executable object has a parameter file and in response to determining that the selected executable object has a parameter file, allowing a user to customize the parameter file, and communicating to the selected one or more managed computers to execute the executable object with the customized parameter file, and dynamically collating results from the execution of the executable object on all of the selected one or more managed computers; and

in response to determining that the user is not authorized to execute the selected executable object, presenting an alert to the user via the graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface presents at least a command line field for entering an identifier of the selected executable object, a menu of operating system platforms from which to select, wherein the one or more managed computers are automatically selected based on a selection from the menu of operating system platforms, and a results window that presents the dynamically collated results, the command line field, the menu of operating system platforms, and the results window presented in one screen,

the method further comprising assigning a temporary role to the user, the temporary role determining which list of executable objects to use to validate the selected executable object.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

in response to determining that the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object, checking for existence of the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers, and in response to determining that the selected executable object exists, comparing a digital signature of the executable object with an approved digital signature associated with the executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature matches with the approved digital signature, executing the selected executable object, and in response to determining that the digital signature does not match with the approved digital signature, downloading a version of the executable object from an approved server and executing the downloaded version of the executable object.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

automatically mapping the selected executable object into a platform specific executable object compatible to execute on the selected one or more managed computers.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the determining of whether the user is authorized to execute the selected executable object on the selected one or more managed computers comprises checking a control list containing allowable executable objects specific to a user role.