Dynamically configurable human-machine interface

Abstract

A framework is presented to provide support for dynamically configuring a human-machine interface in a network management and service provisioning environment. The framework implements a file parser, methods of accessing a managed object server to interact with instances of managed data network entity objects, a plurality of view panel components and a command interpreter. A plurality of run-time loadable descriptor files are provided to specify the functionality, look-and-feel of view panel instances used by an analyst manipulate information in interacting with the network management and service provisioning environment. The view panel components are generically coded to provide support for the dynamically configured human-machine interface. The parser is used to load the .form files and instantiate view panels on demand such as: list display, list filter, tree display, parameter inspection, entity creation, entity configuration forms, etc. Advantages are derived from a separation between network management and service provisioning software application coded functionality and the specification of the human-machine interface presented to the analyst. The separation also provides for an efficient development, maintenance and deployment of the network management and service provisioning solution.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.