Method and system for using presence in a system management environment

• US 20060168171A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Harold, Ward K., Childress, Rhonda L., Pennell, Neil R., Scott, Randy Allen
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Method, system and computer program product for communicating information regarding a managed resource in a network data processing system. A method, in a network data processing system, for communicating information regarding a managed resource includes receiving management information regarding at least one managed resource. The received management information is converted into a specified format, and the converted management information is then sent to at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application. The converted management information may then be extracted from the presence information for use in any desired manner. The invention provides a convenient mechanism for communicating status information and other appropriate information regarding a managed resource to interested parties connected to the network data processing system.

Claims

1. A method, in a network data processing system, for communicating management information regarding a managed resource comprising:

receiving management information regarding at least one managed resource;

converting the received management information into a specified format; and

sending the converted management information to at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving management information regarding at least one managed resource comprises:

receiving management information from at least one managed resource regarding the at least one managed resource.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein converting the received management information into a specified format comprises:

summarizing the received management information into a specified format suitable for being sent to the at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one management application is connected to an instant messaging system in the network data processing system.

5. The method according to claim 1, and further including:

extracting the sent converted management information from the presence information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management information comprises information regarding a state of the at least one managed resource.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the management information further includes summary information specific to the state of the at least one managed resource.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one managed resource comprises at least one managed component of the network data processing system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one managed resource comprises at least one managed subcomponent of a component of the network data processing system.

10. The method according to claim 1, and further including:

periodically sending updated converted management information to the at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

11. A system for communicating management information regarding a managed resource over a network data processing system, comprising:

at least one managed resource; and

a management service for receiving management information regarding the at least one managed resource, for converting the received management information into a specified format, and for sending the converted management information to at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one managed resource sends the management information regarding the at least one managed resource to the management service.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the management service converts the received management information into a specified format by summarizing the received management information into a specified format suitable for being sent to the at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one management application is connected to an instant messaging system in the network data processing system.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the management information comprises information regarding a state of the at least one managed resource.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the management information further includes summary information specific to the state of the at least one managed resource.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one managed resource comprises at least one managed component of the network data processing system.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one managed resource comprises at least one managed subcomponent of a component of the network data processing system.

19. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for communicating management information regarding a managed resource comprising:

first instructions for receiving management information regarding at least one managed resource;

second instructions converting the received management information into a specified format; and

third instructions for sending the converted management information to at least one management application in conjunction with the sending of presence information to the at least one management application.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, and further including:

fourth instructions for extracting the sent converted management information from the presence information.