System and method for managing virtual and dedicated servers

• US 9,288,117 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: GoGrid LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Angrish, Yogesh, Berryman, Martin A., Kitagawa, Justin M., Lappas, Paul, Lin, Yueqin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Ayesha Huertas
• Application Number:
  US13/023,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a hosting system for managing virtual and dedicated servers. The system includes a front-end user interface (UI) that allows users to configure, provision, and control virtual and dedicated servers through UI elements. The back-end system includes different actuators that perform different tasks related to the virtual and dedicated server. To interface with these different actuators, the hosting system includes a remote management component (1) that receives a user request from the front-end UI, (2) identifies an actuator that can fulfill the user request, and (3) sends the user request to the identified actuator.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that when executed by at least one processor provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing servers, the GUI comprising:

a first set of controls for configuring a dedicated server to provision and for specifying a first image to deploy on the dedicated server, wherein the first image includes a first operating system preconfigured with a first set of applications for the dedicated server;

a second set of controls for configuring a virtual server to provision and for specifying a second image to deploy on the virtual server, wherein the second image includes a second operating system preconfigured with a second set of applications for the virtual server; and

a display area for displaying graphical representations of the virtual and dedicated servers, wherein the graphical representations are organized into a plurality of different tiers and each graphical representation is organized into a particular tier based on a type of image specified for the server to which the graphical representation corresponds.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the sets of controls allow users to specify hardware specifications for the dedicated and virtual servers.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one tier of the plurality of different tiers comprises both a first graphical representation for the dedicated server and a second graphical representation for the virtual server.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the display area displays graphical representations for dedicated servers differently from graphical representations for virtual servers within the plurality of different tiers.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different tiers comprises a web server tier and a database server tier.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the sets of controls allow users to specify network settings for the dedicated and virtual servers.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the GUI further comprises at least one control for automatically managing power supplied to a particular dedicated server.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein each particular graphical representation of the dedicated and virtual servers comprises a resource utilization indicator that displays at least one of processor usage and memory usage.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the resource utilization indicator comprises a meter that indicates whether the usage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

10. A method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing servers, the method comprising:

providing a first set of controls for configuring a dedicated server to provision and for specifying a first image to deploy on the dedicated server, wherein the first image includes a first operating system preconfigured with a first set of applications for the dedicated server;

providing a second set of controls for configuring a virtual server to provision and for specifying a second image to deploy on the virtual server, wherein the second image includes a second operating system preconfigured with a second set of applications for the virtual server; and

providing a display area for displaying graphical representations of the virtual and dedicated servers, wherein the graphical representations are organized into a plurality of different tiers and each graphical representation is organized into a particular tier based on a type of image specified for the server to which the graphical representation corresponds.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sets of controls allow users to specify hardware specifications for the dedicated and virtual servers.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one tier of the plurality of different tiers comprises both a first graphical representation for the dedicated server and a second graphical representation for the virtual server.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the display area displays graphical representations for dedicated servers differently from graphical representations for virtual servers within the plurality of different tiers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of different tiers comprises a web server tier and a database server tier.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the sets of controls allow users to specify network settings for the dedicated and virtual servers.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing at least one control for automatically managing power supplied to a particular dedicated server.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein each particular graphical representation of the dedicated and virtual servers comprises a resource utilization indicator that displays at least one of processor usage and memory usage.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the resource utilization indicator comprises a meter that indicates whether the usage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.