Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-08
2004-05-18
Alam, Shahid (Department: 2172)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C717S143000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06738781
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to command and interface control of Operating Administration and Monitoring (OAM) executable routines within software systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Operating Administration and Monitoring (OAM) tools are software-based resources used as administration and/or diagnostic tools for complex processor-based executable software systems, such as software-based unified messaging software systems. A subset of OAM tools includes Real Time Monitoring (RTM) programs, used to monitor and control selected states and processes within the software based system. For example, a given RTM program may generate a real-time display (i.e., “a screen”) of selected parameters during execution of a prescribed process; the RTM program may also provide a diagnostic resource that enables resetting of various states or variables within the prescribed process. Other administration and diagnostic tools include external binary files that execute in response to a procedure call, and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents or scripts configured for generating an e-mail message as an alarm in response to a detected event.
Hence, system administrators may attempt to utilize multiple tools within a software system in order to increase the available administration and diagnostic tools for improved system performance. The use of multiple RTM programs and other OAM tools, however, requires the users to remember the names and syntaxes of numerous commands for the respective RTM programs and OAM tools. Hence, an increase in the number of OAM tools would result in the system administrator needing to develop expertise in the command names and syntaxes for the respective OAM tools.
The commonly-assigned, copending application Ser. No. 09/604,880 discloses validation of a generic command relative to a command parse tree. The command parse tree includes multiple elements, each specifying at least one corresponding generic command component and a corresponding command action value. A parser, upon identifying a best match between the command parse tree elements and the received generic command, issues a prescribed command for a selected management program according to the corresponding command format. Hence, a user may control multiple management programs having respective command formats in a manner that eliminates the necessity that the user needs to know detailed command formats and syntaxes of each management program.
The addition of new commands, however, requires maintenance processing for the addition of new elements to the command parse tree. For example, each word in the new command needs to be compared to a dictionary of valid words in the system. In addition, for any new words found, a token number needs to be defined, and the word to token algorithm needs to be modified to include any new word in the string to token encoding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for an arrangement that enables a simple command language to be utilized for control of multiple RTM programs having respective command formats, wherein new commands can be automatically added without manual reconfiguration of the system by a system administrator.
These and other needs are attained by the present invention, where a processor based system includes a parser, configured for identifying whether an input word received from a user is a new command word relative to a character-based command parse tree, and a tree management process configured for managing the character-based command parse tree. The character-based command parse tree includes multiple element levels for respective character positions for each known command word, and at least one character element at each level. Each character element specifies at least one corresponding character component and a corresponding at least one index value. The parser determines whether the input word is a new command word based on whether the characters of the input word match successive elements, with the last character matching an end node, within the character-based parse tree; if the parser determines that the input word is a new command word, the tree management process performs update operations to accommodate the new command word, including updating the character-based command parse tree with the new command word.
One aspect of the present invention provides a method in a processor-based system configured for executing a plurality of management programs according to respective command formats. The method includes receiving from a user an input word representing at least a portion of a generic command, and determining whether the input word is a new command word relative to a character-based command parse tree configured for identifying known command words. The method also includes selectively adding the input word to the character-based command parse tree based on determining that the input word is a new command word. The method also includes validating the generic command, and issuing a prescribed command of a selected one of the management programs according to the corresponding command format, based on validating the generic command.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a system configured for executing a plurality of management programs according to respective command formats. The system includes a parser configured for accessing a character-based command parse tree for identifying whether an input word of a generic command received from a user is a new command word, and a command parse tree for validating the generic command. The system also includes a tree management process configured for selectively adding the input word to the character-based command parse tree and the command parse tree based on a determination that the input word is a new command word, and translators. The translators are configured for issuing commands for the management programs according to respective command formats, the parser outputting a prescribed command to a selected one of the translators based on the validating of the generic command.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the present invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Mustoe Paul Leon
Raut Monica
Alam Shahid
Cisco Technology Inc.
Turkevich Leon R.
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