Dynamic generation of scenarios for managing computer system entities using management descriptors

• US 8,732,708 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Minov, Iassen
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMABE, BLAKE K
• Application Number:
  US12/973,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamic generation of scenarios for managing computer system entities are described herein. A number of management programs are deployed in an administrator framework as embedded plug-ins. One or more management descriptors are provided for the plug-ins. The management descriptors include a number of relationships between the deployed programs and a number of computer system entities. The relationships indicate that the management applications can administer one or more aspects of the corresponding entities. A first management program is selected from the number of deployed management programs to administer a related computer system entity. One or more other management programs are dynamically identified and presented to the user as possible management scenarios. The identification of the other management programs is based on correspondence defined in the management descriptors to the aspects or the types of the computer system entity.

Claims

1. A computer system for generating dynamic management scenarios comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory to execute the computer instructions to

load a first management program selected from a plurality of management programs;

read a first descriptor associated with the first management program, wherein the first descriptor specifies a first set of computer entities that can be managed by the first management program from a plurality of computer entities;

select a first computer entity from the first set of computer entities;

execute a management action from one or more management actions provided by the first management program, wherein the first descriptor includes at least one relationship between the executed management action and one or more aspects of the selected first computer entity;

dynamically identify a relationship between the first management program and a second management program from the plurality of management programs, the relationship identified by reading a second descriptor associated with the second management program, the second descriptor specifying a corresponding aspect corresponding to an aspect from the one or more aspects of the first computer entity; and

upon identifying the relationship, add a link from the first management program to the second management program to a dynamic management scenario for managing the first computer entity.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the second management program provides the executed management action by reading the second descriptor; and

upon determining that the second management program provides the executed management action supported by the first management program, add a link between the first management program and the second management program to a scenario for managing a second computer entity consistent with the action supported by the first management program.

3. An article of manufacture including non-transitory computer readable storage medium to tangibly store instructions for generating dynamic management scenarios, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

load a first management program selected from a plurality of management programs;

read a first descriptor associated with the first management program, wherein the first descriptor specifies a first set of computer entities that can be managed by the first management program from a plurality of computer entities;

select a first computer entity from the first set of computer entities;

execute a management action from one or more management actions provided by the first management program, wherein the first descriptor includes at least one relationship between the executed management action and one or more aspects of the selected first computer entity;

dynamically identify a relationship between the first management program and a second management program from the plurality of management programs, the relationship is identified by reading a second descriptor associated with the second management program, the second descriptor specifying a corresponding aspect corresponding to an aspect from the one or more aspects of the first computer entity; and

upon identifying the relationship, add a link representing the relationship between the first management program and the second management program to a dynamic management scenario for managing the first computer entity.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly stores further instructions, which when executed by the computer cause the computer to:

generate a management context for the first computer entity based on the execution of the management action; and

pass the management context from the first management program the second management program as part of the dynamic management scenario.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly stores further instructions, which when executed by the computer cause the computer to:

determining whether the second management program provides an action corresponding to the executed management action by reading the second descriptor; and

upon determining that the second management program provides the action corresponding to the executed management action, add a link between the first management program and the second management program to a dynamic management scenario for managing a second computer entity consistent with the executed management action.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein selecting the computer entity comprises:

displaying a user interface (UI) associated with the first management program, wherein the UI includes the first set of computer entities.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly stores further instructions, which when executed by the computer cause the computer to:

determining whether the second management program provides an action corresponding to the executed management action by reading the second descriptor; and

upon determining that the second management program provides the action corresponding to the executed management action, add a link between the first management program and the second management program to a dynamic management scenario for managing a second computer entity consistent with the executed management action.

8. A computer implemented method for generating dynamic management scenarios comprising:

loading in a computer system memory a first management program selected from a plurality of management programs;

reading a first descriptor associated with the first management program, wherein the first descriptor specifies a first set of computer entities that can be managed by the first management program from a plurality of computer entities;

selecting a first computer entity from the first set of computer entities;

executing a management action from one or more management actions provided by the first management program, wherein the first descriptor includes at least one relationship between the executed management action and one or more aspects of the selected first computer entity;

dynamically identifying by a processor a relationship between the first management program and a second management program from the plurality of management programs, wherein the second management program has a corresponding aspect corresponding to an aspect from the one or more aspects of the first computer entity; and

upon identifying the relationship based on the corresponding aspect, adding a link representing the relationship between the first management program and the second management program to a dynamic management scenario for managing the first computer entity.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating by the processor in the memory a management context for the first computer entity based on the execution of the management action; and

passing the management context from the first management program to the second management program as part of the dynamic management scenario during an execution of the second management program.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first descriptor includes at least one relationship between the first management program and the corresponding aspect of the first computer entity.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first descriptor includes at least one relationship between an action of the one or more actions provided by the first management program and at least one aspect from the one or more aspects of the first computer entity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the computer entity comprises:

displaying a user interface (UI) associated with the first management program, wherein the UI includes the first set of computer entities.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in the first descriptor, dynamically locating a relationship connecting the first management program to the corresponding aspect of the first computer entity.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

selecting an action from the one or more management actions provided by the first management program; and

in a second descriptor, dynamically identifying the second management program, wherein the second management program supports the selected action.