Storing resource information

• US 8,196,143 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bavaria, Priti, Knipfer, Diane Lacey, Kolluri, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Alrobaye, Idriss N
• Application Number:
  US12/115,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 resource location code array 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 hardware vital product data address information in a second data structure and obtaining a replaceable unit data for the current resource from the hardware vital product data address information;

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 by locating a template indicator in the resource entry in the resource location code array in the first data structure referring to the current resource and using the replaceable unit data as a template, 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, identifying a path to characterization data in a third data structure comprising path information for the location of the characterization data for the set of resources and updating each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files using the identified path to the to the characterization data.

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

3. 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 resource location code array 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 hardware vital product data address information in a second data structure and obtain a replaceable unit data for the current resource from the hardware vital product data address information;

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 by locating a template indicator in the resource entry in the resource location code array in the first data structure referring to the current resource and using the replaceable unit data as a template, 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, identify a path to characterization data in a third data structure comprising path information for the location of the characterization data for the set of resources and update each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files using the identified path to the to the characterization data.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein the characterization data contains serial number and part number data.

5. A computer program product for resource data management, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable, tangible storage device, tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions thereon, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

computer-executable instructions for determining whether a resource entry in a resource location code array 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 hardware vital product data address information in a second data structure and obtaining a replaceable unit data for the current resource from the hardware vital product data address information;

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 by locating a template indicator in the resource entry in the resource location code array in the first data structure referring to the current resource and using the replaceable unit data as a template, 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 identifying a path to characterization data in a third data structure comprising path information for the location of the characterization data for the set of resources and updating each data file in the set of data files with a characterization data for a respective resource in the set of data files using the identified path to the to the characterization data.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein computer-executable instructions for identifying the path to the characterization data comprises identifying a device containing the characterization data.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the characterization data contains serial number and part number data.