Selection and configuration of servers

• US 20040133665A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yuen, Siu chung, Francis, Timothy M., Deboer, Timothy G., Wosnick, Sheldon B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

The invention provides a mechanism for convenient management for configuring and selecting servers for running modules. The invention provides a method for managing a plurality of servers including receiving a request to configure a suitable server being suitable for running a module, locating an identifier of the suitable server from a table comprising identifiers of suitable servers, configuring the suitable server to run the module.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of servers comprising:

receiving a request to configure a suitable server being suitable for running a module;

locating an identifier of the suitable server from a table comprising identifiers of suitable servers; and

configuring the suitable server to run the module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the table further comprises identifiers of modules corresponding to the identifiers of suitable servers.

3. The method of claims 1 or 2 further comprising:

creating the suitable server; and

having the suitable server run the module.

4. The method of claims 2 or 3 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a type of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a type of a module.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

using a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a prioritized suitable server before identifying the identifier or a suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

using a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a suitable server from the preferred table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the preferred table to run the module.

6. The method of claims 2 or 3 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a name of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a name of a module.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

using a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a suitable server from the priority table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

using a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server corresponding to a type of module from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the table comprises prioritized identifiers of suitable servers, and the method further comprises:

creating the suitable server; and

having the suitable server run the module.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

using a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a preferred suitable server from the preferred table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

using a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

10. The method of claims 5, 7 or 9 wherein the method is performed in a software development environment.

11. A computer program product for use in a computer system operatively coupled to a computer readable memory, the computer program product including a computer-readable data storage medium tangibly embodying computer readable program code for directing said computer to for manage a plurality of servers, said code comprising:

code for instructing said computer system to receive a request to configure a suitable server being suitable for running a module;

code for instructing said computer system to locate an identifier of the suitable server from a table comprising identifiers of suitable servers; and

code for instructing said computer system to configure the suitable server to run the module.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the table further comprises identifiers of modules corresponding to the identifiers of suitable servers.

13. The computer program product of claims 11 or 12 further comprising:

code for instructing said computer system to create the suitable server; and

code for instructing said computer system to have the suitable server run the module.

14. The computer program product of claims 12 or 13 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a type of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a type of a module.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

code for instructing said computer system to use a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a prioritized suitable server before identifying the identifier or a suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

code for instructing said computer system to use a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a suitable server from the preferred table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the preferred table to run the module.

16. The computer program product of claims 12 or 13 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a name of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a name of a module.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

code for instructing said computer system to use a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a suitable server from the priority table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

code for instructing said computer system to use a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server corresponding to a type of module from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the table comprises prioritized identifiers of suitable servers, and the method further comprises:

code for instructing said computer system to create the suitable server; and

code for instructing said computer system to have the suitable server run the module.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

code for instructing said computer system to use a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a preferred suitable server from the preferred table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

code for instructing said computer system to use a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

20. The computer program product of claims 15, 17 or 19 wherein the computer program product is used in a software development environment.

21. A computer system operatively coupled to a computer readable memory, the computer system for managing a plurality of servers, the computer system comprising:

means for receiving a request to configure a suitable server being suitable for running a module;

means for locating an identifier of the suitable server from a table comprising identifiers of suitable servers; and

means for configuring the suitable server to run the module.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the table further comprises identifiers of modules corresponding to the identifiers of suitable servers.

23. The computer system of claims 21 or 22 further comprising:

means for creating the suitable server; and

means for having the suitable server run the module.

24. The computer system of claims 22 or 23 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a type of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a type of a module.

25. The computer system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for using a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a prioritized suitable server before identifying the identifier or a suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

means for using a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a suitable server from the preferred table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the preferred table to run the module.

26. The computer system of claims 22 or 23 wherein:

the identifier of the suitable server identifies a name of a server; and

the identifier of the module identifies a name of a module.

27. The computer system of claim 26 further comprising:

means for using a priority table comprising prioritized identifiers of suitable servers for;

identifying a suitable server from the priority table before identifying the suitable server from the table;

configuring a server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the priority table to run the module;

means for using a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server corresponding to a type of module from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

28. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the table comprises prioritized identifiers of suitable servers, and the method further comprises:

means for creating the suitable server; and

means for having the suitable server run the module.

29. The computer system of claim 28 further comprising:

means for using a preferred table comprising identifiers of servers corresponding to identifiers of modules for;

identifying a preferred suitable server from the preferred table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

having the server being identified from the preferred table to run the module;

means for using a backup table comprising types of servers corresponding to types of modules for;

identifying a type of a suitable server from the backup table when the table does not provide the identifier of the suitable server;

configuring a server being identified from the backup table to run the module;

having the suitable server being identified from the backup table to run the module.

30. The computer system of claims 25, 27 or 29 wherein the computer system is used in a software development environment.

31. A set of data for configuring and selecting a server to run a module, the set of data comprising a table for containing an identifier of a suitable server being suitable for running the module.

32. The set of data of claim 31 wherein the identifier identifies a type of module and the data set further comprises an identifier for identifying a type of server corresponding to the identifier of the type of the module.

33. The set of data of claim 31 wherein the identifier identifies a name of a server and the data set further comprises an identifier for identifying a corresponding name of the module.

34. The set of data of claim 31 wherein the items of the data set are prioritized.