Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-06
2002-10-15
Maung, Zarni (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
C709S241000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466973
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to management software, and more particularly to methods and systems for efficiently interfacing existing management user interfaces with networked computer and computer peripheral storage product lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to stay competitive in today's business environment, more and more computer systems, storage devices, and peripheral devices are being networked together. As is well known, this degree of networking is needed to provide users with shared access to data that is stored on the various networked devices. Although networking devices provides users with a high degree of flexibility and shared access to data stored in numerous storage devices, these shared devices must be managed to ensure compatibility issues are addressed, and to monitor their operational status.
To accomplish such management tasks,
FIG. 1A
shows a management system
100
in which various storage devices
104
a
through
104
d
are networked to a management console computer
106
. In this simplified example, the storage devices
104
a
-
104
d
are shown directly coupled to a network
102
, however, such storage devices are usually coupled to a networked computer via a host adapter. In conventional management systems
100
, the management console computer
106
runs a graphical user interface
112
, which is engineered to be compatible with the storage devices
104
a
-
104
d
. As such, the software designer of the graphical user interface
112
is required to integrate the relationships, attributes and methods of each of the storage devices
104
a
-
104
d
, so that the user of the management console computer
106
will actually be able to communicate (i.e., call) with and invoke the methods that control the storage devices
104
a
-
104
d.
A problem with conventional management systems
100
is that the storage devices
104
a
-
104
d
are independently developed, tested and connected to a given network, which may produce compatibility issues. To avoid this, the software engineers that design the software (also known here as “the managed objects”) for the various storage devices have to coordinate the design and interoperability of such storage devices with the software engineer of the graphical user interface
112
. Although this works fine, this solution also creates a substantial amount of work for the software engineering team that programs the graphical user interface
112
for the management console computer
106
and slows down the release of new features.
For example, the software features that are integrated into the managed objects that are associated with each of the storage devices
104
a
-
104
b
are frequently updated, modified or completely replaced with new releases. In some cases, the managed objects are redesigned once or twice a year. Although one or two modifications to the graphical user interface software is not necessarily a large undertaking, a typical network may have up to 20 different types of storage devices, each having its unique managed object. As a result, the software engineering team that programs the graphical user interface
112
may be required to make up to 40 or more code modifications a year to the graphical user interface code, just to keep up with the changes being independently performed by the developers of the managed objects. Many times, the changes may not get implemented into the graphical user interface
112
software due to time constraints and testing requirements, which therefore, may hamper or sever functional communication between the management console computer
106
and the various storage devices.
FIG. 1B
is a block diagram illustrating the conventional communication protocols
110
that are exchanged between a group of managed objects
118
a
-
118
c
and the graphical user interface
112
. In one example, assume that the managed object
118
c
of a given storage device was recently updated without performing the necessary software manipulations to a managed object interface
114
of the graphical user interface
112
. When this is the case, if the user of the management console computer
106
desires to print some data form a selected storage device, the managed object
118
c
will normally pass a data structure
116
c
to the managed object interface
114
.
Unfortunately, a screen manager of the management console computer
106
will not be able to invoke any of the methods of the managed object
118
c,
because the data structure
116
c
will typically only contain the necessary data and pointers to methods. However, because the graphical user interface
112
was not updated with the necessary code to handle the data structure pointers of data structure
116
c,
the management console computer
106
will not be able to adequately manage the appearance, attributes and methods of the new or updated managed object
118
c.
Even if the data structure
116
c
contained the necessary icon for the new or updated managed object
118
c,
when the user of the management console computer
106
clicked on that icon, nothing would happen because the graphical user interface
112
was not previously updated to handle the new managed object
118
c.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is a method and system for designing managed objects so that they are able to inherently communicate with an existing management graphical user interface without having to custom upgrade the graphical user interface code for each new revision of a managed object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly speaking, the present invention fills these needs by providing methods, apparatus and systems for integrating custom facets that contain attributes, relationships and methods directly into a managed object to avoid the continual redesign of management graphical user interface software. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, a method, or a computer readable medium. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
In one embodiment, a method for making a managed object that is in communication with a management console that is used for storage device management over a network is disclosed. The method includes building an object having a data structure and a method for operating on the data structure. The object represents a set of basic functions of a storage device that is being managed over the network. The method also includes identifying at least one display function of the managed object that will be used to display a view of the managed object through the management console. In this embodiment, the at least one display function includes an attribute, a relationship, and a display method of the managed object. The method further includes appending the at least one display function to the managed object so that the managed object can communicate with the management console through the at least one display function. In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the method includes generating a graphical user interface that is executed on the management console, and the graphical user interface is configured to communicate with the at least one display function of the managed object.
In another embodiment, an apparatus for managing storage devices over a network is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a management console having a graphical user interface for displaying a physical view and a logical view of a storage device. The management apparatus further includes a managed object of the storage device that is configured to communicate with the graphical user interface of the management console through a facet interface that is wrapped around the managed object. The facet interface is divided into a plurality of specific facets that communicate with the graphical user interface and enable the display of the physical view and the logical view of the storage device. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the graphical user
Adaptec, Inc.
Cardone Jason D.
Martine & Penilla LLP
Maung Zarni
LandOfFree
Method and system for managing storage devices over a network does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for managing storage devices over a network, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for managing storage devices over a network will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2928113