Data processing environment change management methods and apparatuses

• US 20060224663A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tripwire Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tripwire Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: DiFalco, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

An apparatus is provided with a change management module adapted to manage making changes to a data processing device of a data processing environment.

Claims

1. An automated method for facilitating management of a data processing environment comprising:

learning of a submission of a request, in digital form, to make a change to a data processing device of the data processing environment;

in response, determining whether to allow the requested change of the data processing device to be scheduled or assigned for implementation; and

conditionally indicating allowance of the requested change of the data processing device to be scheduled or assigned for implementation, based at least in part on the result of said determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said learning comprises detecting of a placement of the request in a request queue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises comparing component(s) impacted by the requested change with component(s) impacted by incomplete prior requested change(s).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said conditional indicating comprises setting an indicator associated with the request to indicate allowance of scheduling or assignment, if the result of said determining indicates that scheduling or assigning of the requested change for implementation is to be allowed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said conditional indicating comprises setting an indicator associated with the request to indicate disallowance of scheduling or assignment, if the result of said determining indicates that scheduling or assigning of the requested change for implementation is to be disallowed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is a selected one of a server, a client computing device, and a networking device.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a change management module adapted to be operated by the processor, to learn of a submission of a request to make a change to a data processing device of a data processing environment, in response, determine whether to allow the requested change of the data processing device to be scheduled or assigned for implementation, and conditionally indicate allowance of the requested change of the data processing device to be scheduled or assigned for implementation, based at least in part on the result of said determining.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said change management module is adapted to detect of a placement of the request in a request queue.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said change management module is adapted to compare component(s) impacted by the requested change with component(s) impacted by incomplete prior requested change(s).

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said change management module is adapted to set an indicator associated with the request to indicate allowance of scheduling or assignment, if the result of said determining indicates that scheduling or assigning of the requested change for implementation is to be allowed.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said change request module is adapted to set an indicator associated with the request to indicate disallowance of scheduling or assignment, if the result of said determining indicates that scheduling or assigning of the requested change for implementation is to be disallowed.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a server of the data processing device, and a peer computing device of the data processing device.

13. An automated method for facilitating management of a data processing environment comprising:

generating a change report, in digital form, enumerating changes made to a data processing device of the data processing environment, based at least in part on a reference state of the data processing device;

receiving an indication of approval of the enumerated changes; and

in response, updating the reference state of the data processing device to include the enumerated changes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference state being a previously saved known good state of the data processing device, and said generating comprises comparing a current state of the data processing device with the previously saved known good state of the data processing device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference state being a previously saved known good state of the data processing device, and said updating comprises saving a current state of the data processing device as a new reference state of the data processing device replacing the previously saved known good state of the data processing device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data processing device is a selected one of a server, a client computing device, and a networking device.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a change management module adapted to be operated by the processor, to enable the apparatus to generating a change report enumerating changes made to a data processing device of a data processing environment, based at least in part on a reference state of the data processing device, receive an indication of approval of the enumerated changes, and in response, updating the reference state of the data processing device to include the enumerated changes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reference state being a previously saved known good state of the data processing device, and said change management module is further adapted to compare a current state of the data processing device with the previously saved known good state of the data processing device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reference state being a previously saved known good state of the data processing device, and said change management module is further adapted to save a current state of the data processing device as a new reference state of the data processing device replacing the previously saved known good state of the data processing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a server of the data processing device, and a peer computing device of the data processing device.