Tear-away topology views

• US 20060048075A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Steven P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Enabling users to select a subset of elements represented by a rendered topology view, and in response, a new view comprising the selected elements is automatically created. Preferred embodiments render this subset view, referred to herein as a “tear-away view”, alongside the topology view from which the elements were selected, thereby enabling the user to focus on the selected elements in context of the bigger picture. An active correlation is preferably maintained between the views, such that various updates to one view are also reflected in the other view. Preferred embodiments automatically create a new data model underlying the tear-away view, and in one aspect, this data model and/or tear-away view may be persisted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising steps of:

rendering a first topology view representing a plurality of elements;

detecting a selection of one or more of the rendered elements;

detecting a dragging of the selected elements across a defined boundary; and

creating, responsive to the defined boundary being crossed, a second topology view representing the selected elements.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the boundary surrounds the first rendered topology view and further comprising the step of detecting a dropping of the dragged elements outside the boundary, wherein the creating step then operates responsive to detecting the dropping.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the boundary is a visual boundary.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the boundary is an invisible boundary.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of sounding an audible indicator when the boundary is crossed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the boundary is an outermost perimeter of the elements in the first rendered topology view.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second topology view is rendered alongside the first rendered topology view.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elements comprise nodes and links of a network.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing access control rights to al the selected elements by establishing an access control right to the second topology view.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises the steps of:

locating, in a topology model corresponding to the first rendered topology view, information for each of the selected elements;

creating a new topology model corresponding to the second topology view; and

populating the new topology model with the located information.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the dragging is replaced by the step of detecting a positioning of the selected items outside the boundary, and wherein the creating step then operates responsive to the detecting the positioning.

12. A method, comprising steps of:

rendering a first topology view representing a plurality of elements;

detecting a selection of one or more of the rendered elements;

detecting a dragging of the selected elements across a defined boundary;

creating, responsive to the defined boundary being crossed, a second topology view representing the selected elements; and

rendering the second topology view.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of maintaining correlation between the one or more selected elements and corresponding representations thereof in the second topology view.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of using the correlation to update the second topology view, responsive to updating one or more of the selected elements in the first rendered topology view.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of using the correlation to update the first rendered topology view, responsive to updating one or more of the elements in the second rendered topology view.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of persisting the second topology view.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the creating step further comprises the steps of:

locating, in a topology model corresponding to the first rendered topology view, information for each of the selected elements;

creating a new topology model corresponding to the second topology view;

populating the new topology model with the located information; and

persisting the populated new topology model.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of using the second topology view as a basis for defining a third topology view, wherein the third topology view comprises a subset of the selected elements.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of enabling the persisted second topology view to be selectively rendered upon a subsequent rendering of the first topology view.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of altering a visual representation of the selected elements within using the first rendered topology view, responsive to the creating step.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of using the correlation to communicate events received for one or more of the selected elements to corresponding representations thereof in the second topology view.

22. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

disabling the correlation prior to performing an operation on the second rendered topology view;

restoring the correlation following the operation; and

automatically revising the first rendered topology view, responsive to the restoring step, such that the first rendered topology view also reflects the operation.

23. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

disabling the correlation for a particular one of the elements, prior to initiating an operation affecting the particular element using the second rendered topology view;

restoring the correlation following the operation; and

automatically revising a visual representation of the particular element in the first rendered topology view, responsive to the restoring step, such that the first rendered topology view also reflects the operation.

24. A system, comprising:

means for rendering a first topology view representing a plurality of elements;

means for detecting a selection of one or more of the rendered elements;

means for detecting a dragging of the selected elements across a defined boundary; and

means for creating, responsive to the defined boundary being crossed, a second topology view representing the selected elements.

25. A computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising computer-readable instructions for:

rendering a first topology view representing a plurality of elements;

detecting a selection of one or more of the rendered elements;

detecting a dragging of the selected elements across a defined boundary;

creating, responsive to the defined boundary being crossed, a second topology view representing the selected elements; and

rendering the second topology view.