System and process for reporting network events with a plurality of hierarchically-structured databases in a distributed computing environment

A process for reporting network events using hierarchically-structured event databases in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

• executing a centralized broker on a designated system within the distributed computing environment;
• providing at least one security application as a plug-in component on a client system interfaced remotely to the centralized broker;
• maintaining a local event database on the client system, the local event database comprising a set of entries in which network events generated by the at least one security application are transitorily stored;
• receiving network events forwarded from the local event database via a communications server service which exposes a set of communication interfaces implementing a plurality of event methods which each define an event management function which can be invoked by the centralized broker;
• accessing network entries in a centralized event database responsive to calls on the event management functions by the centralized broker;
• maintaining the centralized event database on the designated system, the centralized event database comprising a set of entries in which network events received via the communications server service are stored;
• interfacing a local security application with the centralized broker as a snap-in component comprising at least one of an antivirus scanner and a firewall, the local security application providing controls for viewing the network events;
• executing at least one intermediate security application as a plug-in component on an intermediate client system remotely interfaced to the centralized broker and logically situated within the distributed computing environment between the client system and the designated system;
• and
• maintaining a local intermediate vent database on the intermediate client system and comprising a set of entries in which network events forwarded from the local event database are transitorily staged.

A computer-readable storage medium holding code for reporting network events using hierarchically-structured event databases in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

• executing a centralized broker on a designated system within the distributed computing environment;
• providing at least one security application as a plug-in component on a client system interfaced remotely to the centralized broker,
• maintaining a local event database on the client system, the local event database comprising a set of entries in which network events generated by the at least one security application are transitorily stored;
• receiving network events forwarded from the local event database via a communications server service which exposes a set of communication interfaces implementing a plurality of event methods which each define an event management function which can be invoked by the centralized broker;
• accessing network entries in a centralized event database responsive to calls on the event management functions by the centralized broker;
• maintaining the centralized event database on the designated system, the centralized event database comprising a set of entries in which network events received via the communications server service are stored;
• and
• interfacing a local security application with the centralized broker as a snap-in component comprising at least one of an antivirus scanner and a firewall, the local security application providing controls for viewing the network events;
• executing at least one intermediate security application as a plug-in component on an intermediate client system remotely interfaced to the centralized broker and logically situated within the distributed computing environment between the client system and the designated system;
• and
• maintaining a local intermediate event database on the intermediate client system and comprising a set of entries in which network events forwarded from the local event database are transitorily staged.