Configuring a plurality of diverse devices/services from an adaptive configuration control hyper-server apparatus

• US 9,021,017 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Bowers, Jeremy Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US13/225,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,333 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0286 for search or classification or discovery of web services providing management functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

When each new device or service is installed into a network, a hyper-server reads a configuration description provided by the new device or service and adapts to provide a user interface for configuring its capabilities. A first server gathers descriptions of available commands and parameters from many diverse devices and services. A second server presents an administrator or operator with a control panel for one or many client devices. The panel presentation changes with respect to the devices or services selected. The hyper-server registers the capabilities of each device or service and transfers the commands and parameter settings to the appropriate device or service under configuration control.

Claims

1. A configuration control server, comprising:

a register configured to store user interface descriptions of systems and services;

a configuration server configured to receive a user interface description from each of a plurality of heterogeneous systems and services and to record these user interface descriptions into the register,

an administrator management server configured to

automatically generate an object selection and navigation user interface based on user interface descriptions of one or more systems and services when the systems and services are newly installed and connected to the configuration server, wherein the user interface allows for navigation, search, and selection of the systems and services;

present the object selection and navigation user interface from the administrator management server to the systems and services.

9. The configuration control server of claim 1, wherein:

display and control panel of the user interface is determined by the user interface descriptions of the systems and services.

10. The configuration control server of claim 1, wherein:

display and control panel of the user interface reflects changes in the user interfaces of the systems and services.

11. The configuration control server of claim 10, wherein:

display and control panel of the user interface is dynamically updated to be consistent with the user interface descriptions of the systems and services when the systems and services are changed.

12. The configuration control server of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface descriptions are metadata of the user interface of the systems and services.

13. The configuration control server of claim 1, wherein:

the metadata is dynamically updated over time by clients of the systems and services.

14. The configuration control server of claim 1, wherein:

the administrator management server is further configured to

select a group of the systems and services having common user interface descriptions; and

generate and present one user interface for the group of the systems and services based on the user interface descriptions.

15. The configuration control server of claim 14, wherein:

portions of the user interface that are shared by only certain members of the group are presented only to those members of the group.

2. A method for operating a configuration control server comprising:

receiving from each of a plurality of heterogeneous systems and services under configuration control a description of its user interface;

storing said description into a register,

automatically generating an object selection and navigation user interface based on user interface descriptions of one or more systems and services when the systems and services are newly installed, wherein the user interface allows for navigation, search, and selection of the systems and services;

presenting the object selection and navigation user interface to the systems and services.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

expanding the register to accommodate the user interface descriptions of the newly installed systems and services.

4. A method for operating a configuration server apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of services or devices which are represented in a register;

determining which parameters, commands, or variables are common to user interfaces of the selection of the services or devices;

determining which of the selection of the services or devices belong to a subgroup with parameters, commands, or variables common to the subgroup,

reading user interface descriptions of how each parameter, command, or variable is displayed and set by the services or devices;

determining a standard value for the parameters and identifying the parameters which are variant from the standard value;

automatically generating and presenting a user interface displaying the standard value and the variant of based on the user interface descriptions for the services or devices belong to the subgroup.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the standard value is the value with the highest percentage of all the settings in the selected members.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the standard value is a unanimous value by all the settings for the parameter in the selected members.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the standard value is the median value of all the settings for the parameter in the selected members.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the standard value is the most current setting of all settings for the parameter in the selected members.