Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-19
2001-10-02
Choules, Jack (Department: 2777)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C345S215000, C709S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298349
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system resource display apparatus and a method for use in a network system, comprising a plurality of devices such as computers or the like connected via a network, for managing and displaying hardware and/or software resources of each of the devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A network system, comprising a plurality of computers connected via a network, has been used in the art to perform data processing, data transfers and the like. In general, system management operations in such a system have been performed by associating information unique to devices (constituents of the system) with users of the devices and organizational groups (e.g., subordinate organizations in a business organization) that possess the devices.
For example, Japanese Patent Publications, identified in Japanese as Tokkai sho 63-114337, Tokkai hei 4-79446, Tokko hei 1-16066 and Tokko hei 7-44541 (References 1 to 4), disclose electronic mail schemes and data transfer schemes, each exploiting such a network system. However, these References merely disclose methods for associating destinations and routes of mails (data) with subordinate organizations of users and names thereof. In other words, none of the References discloses a method of displaying hardware and/or software resources of each of the devices in association with a user and a subordinate organization thereof.
In view of the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it is an object of this invention to provide a system resource display apparatus and a method for use in a network system, comprising a plurality of devices such as computers or the like connected via a network, which are arranged to display information relating to hardware and/or software resources of each of the devices in association with users and organizational groups that possess the devices.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system resource display apparatus and a method, which are arranged to display information relating to hardware and/or software resources of each of the devices (constituents of a network system), thereby to facilitate system management operations and simultaneously to reduce system administrator's efforts required therefor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to accomplish said objects of this invention, there is provided a first system resource display apparatus for use in a system including one or more managed devices. Said first system resource display apparatus is arranged to display resources of each of said managed devices, and it comprises an information database for storing certain information data items arranged in a hierarchy, each information data item including a certain keyword data item; a resource database for storing resource data items, each indicating resources of each of said managed devices and said keyword data items in association with each of said resource data items; hierarchy display means for displaying one or more hierarchical levels of said information data items stored in said information database; information data display means, being responsive to an action of designating one of said displayed hierarchical levels, for displaying said information data items included in said designated hierarchical level; and resource data display means, being responsive to an action of designating one of said displayed information data items, for displaying one of said resource data items that is stored in said resource database in association with one of said keyword data items included in said designated information data item.
Further, in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a second system resource display apparatus for use in a system including one or more managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said second system resource display apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique resource data item and a certain keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a retrieval operation via said network for returning said assigned resource data item and keyword data item. Said second system resource display apparatus is arranged to display resources of each of said managed devices, and it comprises: an information database for storing certain information data items arranged in a hierarchy, each information data item including a certain keyword data item; a resource database for storing said managed devices and said keyword data items in association with each of said managed devices; hierarchy display means for displaying one or more hierarchical levels of said information data items stored in said information database; information data display means, being responsive to an action of designating one of said displayed hierarchical levels, for displaying said information data items included in said designated hierarchical level; managed device display means, being responsive to an action of designating one of said displayed information data items, for displaying one of said managed devices that is stored in said resource database in association with one of said keyword data items included in said designated information data item; and resource data display means, being responsive to an action of designating one of said managed devices, for retrieving said designated managed device via said network, and for displaying said resource data item returned from said retrieved managed device.
Preferably, said managed devices and said first or second system resource display apparatus communicate with each other via a network, and said first or second system resource display apparatus comprises: setup acceptance means for accepting a change to said displayed resource data item; and setup transmission means for transmitting said accepted change of said displayed resource data item to said designated managed device via said network; whereby said designated managed device adapts settings of its resources in line with said accepted change to said displayed resource data item received via said network.
Preferably, said first or second system resource display apparatus comprises: setup acceptance means for accepting a change to said displayed resource data item; whereby said resource database updates content of said displayed resource data item in line with said accepted change to said displayed resource data item.
Said information data item indicates an information item relating to a user of said managed device, said keyword data item is indicates a user of said managed device, and said resource data item indicates a hardware information item and/or a software information item relating to said managed device.
In a typical network system for use in a business organization where a plurality of computers (managed devices) are connected via a network, said first or second system resource display apparatus of this invention is arranged to display information relating to hardware and/or software resources of each of the computers in association with a subordinate organization and the computer's user (member of such a subordinate organization).
Further, in this network system, each of the computers has a resource data item (indicating its unique software and/or hardware resources) and a keyword data item (indicating a user such as his/her employee number or the like) assigned thereto, and each of the computers is responsive to a request from said first or second system resource display apparatus via said network for returning said assigned resource data item and keyword data item to said first or second system resource display apparatus via said network.
In said first system resource display apparatus of this invention, said information database stores, for example, an information item relating to each user in association with his/her subordinate organization. That is, for each of those subordinate organizations that makes use of the network system, said information database arranges personnel information data (information data items), including employee numbers of
Akiyama Kazuhito
Ishii Sugio
Niimura Yasuhide
Toyoshima Hirobumi
Choules Jack
Dougherty Anne Vachon
International Business Machines Corp.
Lewis Cheryl
Shofi David M.
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