System and method for representing an object used in management of multiple network resources

• US 7,308,440 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rajarajan, Vij, Nedungadi, Kishnan, Kiernan, Casey, MacMahon, Mel, Ganesan, Anandha
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US10/014,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/101, 707/5, 707/104.1, 707/103.X, 719/315, 709/313, 715/762
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 : Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method and system for representing an object in a network environment. The system uses web technology, preferably XML-technology, to receive and store information related to back-end resources and the objects managed by the resources. Initially a first schema document conforming to a property sheet definition, such as an XML document type definition, is used to define a property sheet, the property sheet having object-type information. Next, the two or more schema documents that conform to a property page definition, such as an XML document type definition, to thereby define a plurality of property pages are incorporated into the property sheet and the different property pages may originate from different resources. Using the property sheet and its associated property pages, a representation of the object may then be displayed.

Claims

1. In a distributed network environment having a server computer system and a plurality of managed resources including hardware and software resources, each resource maintaining a plurality of objects, a method of representing an object maintained by a first resource comprising:

receiving a first schema document that conforms to a property sheet definition such that the first schema document defines a property sheet;

receiving two or more second schema documents that conform to a property page definition to thereby define a plurality of property pages, wherein at least one property page originates from a first resource and at least one property page originates from a second resource, wherein the first resource is a software resource, the second resource is a hardware resource, and the second resource being different from the first resource;

modifying the property sheet to include the received property pages;

wherein the property sheet represents the object;

adding a third resource; and

appending a third property page associated with the third resource to the property sheet.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the property sheet comprises object-type information applicable to objects of the same type, and wherein the property pages comprise resource-specific information.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to display information related to an instance of an object;

accessing the property sheet related to the object-type of the instance of the object;

displaying object-type information gleaned from the property sheet;

using the property pages of the property sheet, displaying information related to resources associated with the instance of the object;

requesting the resources associated with the instance of the object to supply instance-specific information; and

displaying received instance-specific information from the associated resources.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein at least one property page includes a pointer to executable code on its associated resource for resolving a request for instance specific information.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the code relates to a search engine on the associated resource.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined definitions for the property sheet and property pages are XML document type definitions.

7. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 1.

8. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 2.

9. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 3.

10. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 6.

11. In a network environment having a computer and multiple resources, a computer program product readable by the computer and having stored thereon a computer readable data structure for managing an object associated with multiple resources, the data structure comprising:

a property sheet displayable to a user on the network environment representing the object maintained by one of the multiple resources, the property sheet conforming to a property sheet definition;

a first property page describing properties of the object associated with a software resource, the first property page generated by the software resource;

a second property page describing properties of the object associated with a hardware resource, the second property page generated by the hardware resource;

wherein the first and second property pages are stored in association with the property

sheet and the first and second property pages conform to a property page definition;

adding a third resource; and

appending a third property page associated with the third resource to the property sheet.

12. A computer program product as defined in claim 11 wherein the property sheet relates to object type information and wherein the property pages relate to resource-specific information.

13. A computer program product as defined in claim 12 wherein at least one property page includes a pointer to executable code on its associated resource for resolving a request for instance specific information.