Resource Data Management

• US 20090276786A1
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kolluri, Srinivas, Knipfer, Diane Lacey, Bavaria, Priti
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

In an illustrative embodiment, a data processing system for resource data management is provided. The data process system comprises a set of data structures defining resource relationships and locations for a set of resources to form defined resource relationships and defined locations for the set of resources, and a receiver capable of obtaining replaceable unit data and obtaining characterization data for a current resource in the set of resources to form obtained replaceable unit data and obtained characterization data for the current resource, wherein the obtained replaceable unit data is obtained from a secure device and the obtained characterization data is obtained from an unsecure device. The data processing system further comprises a writer capable of merging the obtained replaceable unit data for the current resource with the obtained characterization data for the current resource for each resource of the set of resources to form a set of data files, wherein each data file corresponds to a resource in the set of resources.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for resource data management, the computer implemented method comprising:

determining whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the resource entry is a current resource;

responsive to a determination that the current resource is unique, identifying a corresponding entry in a second data structure;

storing a replaceable unit data for the current resource to form a current data file;

determining whether the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator;

responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator, copying the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator;

determining whether the corresponding entry has a modify indicator; and

responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, updating each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the resource entry is a current resource, comprises determining whether a resource location code array entry for the current resource contains a unique indicator;

and

wherein responsive to a determination that the current resource is unique, identifying a corresponding entry in a second data structure, comprises obtaining a replaceable unit data for the current resource.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first data structure contains a resource location code array, the second data structure contains hardware vital product data address information, and a third data structure contains path information for a location of the characterization data for the set of resources.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein copying the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator comprises:

locating a template indicator in the resource entry in the first data structure referring to a resource determined to be unique and using the replaceable unit data as a template.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, locating an entry in a third data structure for the current resource to identify a path to the characterization data.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the characterization data contains serial number and part number data.

7. A data processing system for resource data management, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory comprises computer-executable instructions;

a communications adapter connected to the bus;

a display adapter connected to the bus;

a processor connected to the bus, wherein the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to direct the data processing system to;

determine whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the entry is a current resource;

responsive to a determination that the current resource is unique, identify a corresponding entry in a second data structure;

store a replaceable unit data for the current resource to form a current data file;

determine whether the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator;

responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator, copy the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator;

determine whether the corresponding entry has a modify indicator; and

responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, update each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions to determine whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the resource entry is a current resource, directs the data processing system to determine whether a resource location code array entry for the current resource contains a unique indicator;

and

wherein executing the computer-executable instructions to respond to a determination that the current resource is unique, identifying a corresponding entry in a second data structure, directs the data processing system to obtain a replaceable unit data for the current resource.

9. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the first data structure contains a resource location code array, the second data structure contains hardware vital product data address information, and a third data structure contains path information for a location of the characterization data for the set of resources.

10. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions to copy the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator directs the data processing system to:

locate a template indicator in the resource entry in the first data structure referring to a resource determined to be unique and use the replaceable unit data as a template.

11. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions to respond to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, directs the data processing system to:

locate an entry in a third data structure for the current resource to identify a path to the characterization data.

12. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the characterization data contains serial number and part number data.

13. A computer program product for resource data management, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable recordable type medium, tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions thereon, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

computer-executable instructions for determining whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the entry is a current resource;

computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that the current resource is unique, for identifying a corresponding entry in a second data structure;

computer-executable instructions for storing a replaceable unit data for the current resource to form a current data file;

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator;

computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry contains a copy indicator, for copying the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator;

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the corresponding entry has a modify indicator; and

computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, for updating each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein computer-executable instructions for determining whether a resource entry in a first data structure for a set of resources is unique in which the resource entry is a current resource, comprise computer-executable instructions for determining whether a resource location code array entry for the current resource contains a unique indicator;

and

wherein executing the computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that the current resource is unique, identify a corresponding entry in a second data structure, to obtain a replaceable unit data for the current resource.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein computer-executable instructions for the first data structure contains computer-executable instructions for a resource location code array, computer-executable instructions for the second data structure contains computer-executable instructions for hardware vital product data address information, and computer-executable instructions for a third data structure contains computer-executable instructions for path information for a location of the characterization data for the set of resources.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein computer-executable instructions for copying the current data file into a set of data files, wherein each data file represents a resource identified by the copy indicator comprises:

computer-executable instructions for locating a template indicator in the resource entry in the first data structure referring to a resource determined to be unique and computer-executable instructions for using the replaceable unit data as a template.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that the corresponding entry has a modify indicator, further comprise computer-executable instructions for locating an entry in a third data structure for the current resource to identify a path to the characterization data.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein computer-executable instructions for locating an entry in a third data structure for the current resource to identify a path to the characterization data comprises identifying a device containing the characterization data.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the characterization data contains serial number and part number data.

20. A data processing system for resource data management, the data process system comprising:

a set of data structures defining resource relationships and locations for a set of resources to form defined resource relationships and defined locations for the set of resources;

a receiver, wherein the receiver obtains replaceable unit data and obtains characterization data for a current resource in the set of resources to form obtained replaceable unit data and obtained characterization data for the current resource and wherein the obtained replaceable unit data is obtained from a secure device and the obtained characterization data is obtained from an unsecure device; and

a writer, wherein the writer merges the obtained replaceable unit data for the current resource with the obtained characterization data for the current resource for each resource of the set of resources to form a set of data files and wherein each data file corresponds to a resource in the set of resources.