System and apparatus for administration of configuration information using a catalog server object to describe and manage requested configuration information to be stored in a table object

#The invention relates generally to object-oriented data processing and system management, and more particularly to the administration of configuration information in a catalog system.

#An executable software program or application can require access to system-wide, configuration-type information when the application is being installed or modified on a computer system (i.e., at configuration-time) and at the time the application is executed to perform its intended function (i.e., at runtime). Typically, the application accesses configuration information related to available services and resources on the local computer system, including available software components, hardware, and available services offered by the system that improve the functionality of the application within the overall system.

#Accessing the configuration information is done through a catalog management system having both a catalog of the configuration information and an ability to provide available services to a requesting application. The application code requests the configuration information from the catalog management system, which responds by presenting the configuration information to the application in the requested format. Meanwhile, the management system also provides services through embedded logic in response to the configuration information requests. The services may relate to such items as security, validation, roles, etc. as well as network communication conflict management.

#FIG 1. illustrates a pictorial representation of a suitable client/server computing environment in which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in both clients and servers.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a client table/catalog server architecture of an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 illustrates a general purpose computer for implementing an embodiment of the present invention.

#In an embodiment of the present invention, a client table object communicates with one or more catalog server objects to access configuration information stored in datastores on one or more computer systems. The catalog server objects may be local (i.e., on the same computer as the client table object) or remote (i.e., on a different computer).

#An administration tool causes the client table object to be created in order to read or write configuration information available to the client table object. Once the client table object obtains the configuration information from one or more catalog server objects and records the information in its cache, subsequent access by the administration tool to the configuration information is serviced by the client table object until the cache is refreshed or changes to the configuration information are written back to the corresponding datastores. While the client table object is servicing these accesses internally, any connections to the catalog server objects may be released.

#FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a suitable client-server computing environment in which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in both clients and servers. In a computing network 100, client computer systems 102, 104, 106 and 108 are connected to server computer systems 110, 112, 114 and 116 by a network connection 118. Additionally, client computer 120 is connected to server computer 110 via a communication link, such as the Internet 122 or a local area network. Since the server 110 is connected via the network connection 118 to the other servers 112, 114 and 116, the client computer 120 is also connected and may access information on the other servers 112, 114 and 116, and clients 102, 104, 106, and 108, as well as other computer systems coupled to the network 100.