In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of...

Details In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of... In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of...

1999-02-22

2001-10-30

Chaki, Kakali (Department: 2122)

Data processing: software development, installation, and managem

Software program development tool

Translation of code

C717S152000, C710S108000, C709S220000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06311321

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to Enterprise management applications, and more particularly to an In-Context Launch Wrapper (ICLW) module which provides a comprehensive generic interface for automating integration of device management applications into existing multiple Enterprise management consoles without software customization for centralized, remote device management operations on a network.
BACKGROUND
A typical network for corporate computing environments may be one or more local area networks (LANs). One example of a network may be illustrated in
FIG. 1
as comprising a host system
12
which contains at least one processor and a plurality of network devices
16
,
18
,
20
. The host system
12
and the network devices
16
,
18
,
20
may be servers, workstations, desktops and mobile personal computers (PCs) or other types of communication devices connected on the network
10
. The host system
12
may contain one or more console control programs such as the popular Enterprise management console software
14
, and may serve as an Enterprise management console for providing centralized enterprise management solutions. The Enterprise management console software
14
may be provided by different vendors, such as, for example, Hewlett Packard (HP) OpenView Network Node Manager (NNM)®, Computer Associates (CA) Unicenter TNG Framework®, Intel LANDesk Server Manager® (LDSM), Intel LANDesk Client Manager® (LDCM), and IBM Tivoli Netview®.
Each Enterprise management console software
14
may be used to allow the network administrator at the host system
12
to centralize operations of the various network devices
16
,
18
,
20
on the network
10
, such as to discover and map all network devices
16
,
18
,
20
on the network
10
and display the correct device icons (graphical representations) in the network map for remote management of network devices
16
,
18
,
20
on the network
10
. Device (or LAN) management applications (or applets) may be installed at the host system
12
for allowing the network administrator to actually manage operations of the various network devices
16
,
18
,
20
on the network
10
, such as to remote control, reset and restoration, and to perform diagnostics, inventory, monitoring and emergency-management recovery. Examples of such device management applications (applets) include System Management Module (SMM) applets, Intel Server Control (ISC) applets, Remote Diagnostics applets, and Cluster applets, known as “Concord.” Many device management applications for PCs and servers may also be provided by Intel LANDesk Server Manager® (LDSM), Intel LANDesk Client Manager® (LDCM) and related Intel LANDesk family of products which may be available to the network administrator to monitor PC health such as conditions of any disk drive, memory, fan, temperature, voltage, chassis, boot process, to review system inventory, to power on, off and reboot remote PCs on the network, and to monitor server functions over the network. However, these device management applications must be plugged-in and arduously integrated into the popular Enterprise management console software
14
using one of HP OpenView, CA Unicenter, Intel LDSM/LDCM, and IBM Tivoli before launching for remote management operations on the network
10
.
One common solution to application integration may be to write new console integration code for every application-console pair existed on the network. This may be necessary because the device management applications and the Enterprise management console software may be manufactured by different commercial vendors such as HP, CA, Intel, and IBM with different, and often times not compatible software architecture and/or language. For example, if the network contains an Enterprise management console using a HP OpenView, and a device management application such as a SMM Applet needs to be integrated for remote management operations, a new console integration code must be written in accordance with HP OpenView specification in order to integrate such a SMM Applet into the HP OpenView console. Subsequently, if another Enterprise management console using a different enterprise management application such as CA Unicenter is available on the network, then another console integration code must be written in accordance with CA Unicenter specification in order to integrate the same SMM Applet into the CA Unicenter console. Consequently, new console integration code must be written to integrate a specific device management application for each of different Enterprise management console software on the network. These requirements and the time and expenditure of software engineering required to customize individual device management applications to operate in conjunction with diverse Enterprise management consoles on the network can be substantial both in cost and labor. Especially considering the fact that there can be hundreds or even thousands of different possible configurations.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for comprehensive generic and extensible interface solutions for automating integration of device management applications (applets) into existing multiple Enterprise management console software installed at a host system for centralized remote device management operations over a network.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an In-Context Launch Wrapper (ICLW) module which provides a comprehensive generic interface for automating integration of different device management applications (applets) into different Enterprise management console(s) installed at a host system of a network for centralized remote device management of remote network devices on a network.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5388211 (1995-02-01), Hornbuckle
patent: 6032202 (2000-02-01), Lea et al.
patent: 6052750 (2000-04-01), Lea
patent: 6167403 (2000-12-01), Whitmire et al.
patent: 6212585 (2001-04-01), Chrabaszcz
patent: 6226788 (2001-05-01), Schoening et al.
Title: U-Net: a user-level network interface for parallel and distributed computing (includes URL), Eicken et al, 1995, ACM.*
Title: Remote-Access Technologies: Distant Harvest Depends on Tools for : Remote sites, source: Communications Week, (Oct. 12, 1992).*
Title: Network Management: Will NT Balance the Load? Bruce et al, 1997, Network computing.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and In-context launch wrapper (ICLW) module and method of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2592875