Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-05
2002-08-20
Maung, Zarni (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
C709S241000, C709S224000, C709S225000, C709S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06438591
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of management of complex systems, and more particularly to arrangements for managing complex systems such as distributed digital data processing systems.
As digital data processing systems, or computers, have become smaller and less expensive, individual computers are being used by individuals and small groups. To enhance sharing of data, communications among users and economy in connection with resources which may be infrequently used by an individual, computers have been connected into net-works which communicate by means of messages transmitted over communications links, which include, in addition to the computers used directly by the various users, servers which, for example, store large amounts of data which may be accessed, used and updated by a number of users in the system, thereby facilitating sharing of data. Servers may also control printers, telecommunications links, and so forth. In addition, servers may provide specialized computational services, such as database searching and sorting, and so forth. The various computers, which are termed clients, and servers are interconnected by a communications link to permit messages to be transferred among the various computers and servers comprising the distributed system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a new and improved control arrangement for controlling and monitoring a complex system, such as a distributed digital data processing system in which a plurality of computers communicate over, for example, a local area network.
In brief summary, the control arrangement includes one or more presentation modules, functional modules and access modules that communicate through kernel means to process requests generated in response to commands from an operator, and to display responses to the operator. The presentation modules handle operator interface functions, including receipt of commands from an operator and presentation of responses thereto. In response to a command from an operator, the presentation module generates a request. The kernel means receives a request and may route it to a functional module for further processing. The functional modules handle general functional operations in connection with processing a request. In response to a request, a functional module generates one or more requests (sometimes for convenience called subsidiary requests in what follows) that it transfers to the kernel means or to other functional modules for processing. The kernel means routes subsidiary requests which it receives to an access module for processing. The access modules handle primitive operations in connection with the entities comprising the complex system.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a system for controlling and carrying out management functions over an assemblage of entities, wherein the entities interface within the assemblage for control of primary information handling functions and the entities further interface with the system to permit the carrying out of the management functions. The system includes stored management modules adapted to carry out the management functions by independently interpreting and executing selected management-related commands, a kernel comprising a table of dispatch pointers for directing the commands to the respective modules in which they are to be interpreted and executed, and an enroller for enrolling new management modules into the system by adding further pointers to the table.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect include the following features. The management modules are adapted for one or more of requesting status information from the entities, modifying management parameters of the entities, or enabling self-test modes of the entities. The system also includes stored management specification information listing, in compliance with a universal specification language having a common syntax for representing the attributes and operations of any arbitrary manageable entity, the attributes which relate to the entities functioning and control, and the management functions of the entities. The management specification information may further list the attributes and operations of entities which are subordinate to other entities. The management specification information includes polling information in predetermined fields of the common syntax. The polling information includes fields for specifying a default rate and a maximum polling rate at which the values of attributes should be requested from the entities. The management specification information may also include partition information in predetermined fields of the common syntax, the partition information representing groups of attributes having common data types. The management specification information may also include aggregation information in predetermined fields of the common syntax. The aggregation information represents groups of attributes having related functions in the management of the entity.
The management specification information may also include command information in predetermined fields of the common syntax, the command information lists the management functions which the entities are adapted to perform, the structure of the commands to be issued to the entities, and the structure of the replies to be received. The structure of the requests to be issued includes fields for listing arguments to a command. The structure of the replies to be received includes fields used for indicating the successful completion of the requested operation. The structure of the replies to be received includes fields used for indicating error conditions causing unsuccessful completion of the requested operation.
At least one management module includes an access module implementing protocols for communicating with one or more entities. The protocols are consistent with Ethernet standards or DECnet Phase IV standards, or DECnet Phase V standards.
Each command includes fields listing at least a related entity and operation, and the kernel includes a dispatcher for receiving and forwarding commands based at least in part on the entity and operation listed therein. The table of dispatch pointers comprises a directed graph of data structures, successive data structures in the graph corresponding to fields of the commands. The dispatcher includes a parser for parsing the directed graph in accordance with the entity and operation listed in a command to locate a terminal data structure having a dispatch pointer. The directed graph includes wildcard flags and successive data structures which may correspond to any value in a particular field of a command. The directed graph includes ellipsis flags and successive data structures which may correspond to any number of values in fields of commands. The parser includes a best-match unit for determining the most exact match for fields of a command, by searching first for exact matches for fields and then for wildcard matches for fields, or by searching first for exact matches for fields, then for ellipsis matches for fields.
The system includes a presentation device for displaying information to a user and receiving commands from a user, the commands and information being in specific predetermined formats. A presentation module receives commands from the presentation device and forwards information to the presentation device, the presentation module including conversion code to convert information received from an entity into a predetermined format for the presentation device, and forwarding code for forwarding commands from the presentation device to the dispatcher. The presentation module includes user interface information defining modes in which users interact with the system. The user interface information includes help information for providing information to the user on how to use the system. The user interface information includes graphic mode information defining pop-up menu contents and command line parse tables.
The kernel also includes a class database defining the different management i
Adams, Jr. William C.
Aronson David L.
Burgess Peter H.
Callander Jill F.
Chan-Lizardo Christine C.
Compaq Information Technologies Group L.P.
El-Hady Nabil
Hamilton, Brook, Smith and Reynolds, P.C.
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