System and method for interfacing with existing system management products or software solutions

• US 20030200319A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bodine, Gregory L., Kane, John P., Anderson, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5018 Thread allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A system and method for providing a consistent interface with different system products or software solutions includes one or more system units or machines wherein the different system products or software solutions (instruments) reside. A service request can be made to an instrument gateway associated with a particular system unit or machine that includes an instrument that can service the request. The instrument gateway selects an instrument sponsor associated with that particular instrument to invoke the requested service from that particular instrument.

Claims

1. A system for providing a consistent interface with a plurality of instruments, comprising:

at least one system unit;

an instrument gateway, the instrument gateway coupled to one or more of the system units;

a plurality of instrument sponsors, each instrument sponsor of the plurality of instrument sponsors coupled to one instrument gateway; and

a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments coupled to one of the plurality of instrument sponsors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each instrument of the plurality of instruments is coupled to one of the plurality of instrument sponsors by a respective interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the system units comprises a data storage machine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a plurality of system products.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a plurality of software solutions.

6. A system for providing a consistent interface with a plurality of instruments, comprising:

means for creating a service request message;

means for sending the service request message to a gateway associated with at least one system unit;

means for determining if one of a plurality of instruments is available to fulfill a service request included in the service request message;

means for selecting a sponsor associated with the instrument if the instrument is available; and

means for invoking the service with the instrument.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for coupling the instrument of the plurality of instruments to the sponsor via an interface.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a plurality of system products.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a plurality of software solutions.

10. A method for providing a consistent interface with a plurality of instruments, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a service request message at a gateway associated with at least one system unit;

determining if one instrument of a plurality of instruments is available to fulfill a service request included in the service request message;

if so, selecting a sponsor including an interface associated with the instrument; and

invoking the service with the instrument via the interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating the service request message comprises creating an XML message.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising returning results of the invoked service to a service requestor using an XML message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein creating a service request message is performed by a user.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining if the instrument of the plurality of instruments is available to fulfill a service request included in the service request message comprises sending a describe message to a plurality of instrument sponsors associated with the gateway.

15. The method of claim 10, the interface comprising a product-specific interface for the instrument.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting step is performed by the gateway.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the invoking step is performed by the sponsor.

18. The method of claim 10, at least one system unit comprising a data storage machine.

19. The method of claim 10, the gateway comprising an instrument gateway.

20. The method of claim 10, the sponsor comprising an instrument sponsor.

21. The method of claim 10, the plurality of instruments comprising a plurality of system products.

22. The method of claim 10, the plurality of instruments comprising a plurality of software solutions.

23. Software for providing a consistent interface with a plurality of instruments, the software being embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

receive a service request message at a gateway associated with at least one system unit;

determine if one instrument of a plurality of instruments is available to fulfill a service request included in the service request message;

if so, select a sponsor including an interface associated with the instrument; and

invoke the service with the instrument.

24. The software of claim 23, further operable to couple one of the plurality of instruments to the sponsor via the interface.

25. The software of claim 23, the plurality of instruments comprising a plurality of system products.

26. The software of claim 23, the plurality of instruments comprising a plurality of software products.