US 6,662,222 B2Granted

Apparatus and method of managing system, and machine readable storage medium for storing program

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsSugio Ishii, Hirobumi Toyoshima, Yasuhide Niimura, Kazuhito Akiyama

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Abstract

A system management apparatus and method adapted for use in a network system that comprises a plurality of devices such as computers connected via a network, whereby it is possible to automatically manage device information unique to each of the devices in association with users of the devices and subordinate organizations that possess the devices. The system and method additionally allow for automatically creating a database for managing device information of each device that constitutes a network system, thereby reducing system administrator's efforts required for system management operations. Moreover, in accordance with the system management apparatus and method of this invention, it is possible to interlock a database for managing device information of each device that constitutes a network system with another database for managing information of subordinate organizations having the devices and users of the devices such that a change in the users and the subordinate organizations is automatically reflected in the device information of each device, thereby facilitating maintenance and management of the device information.

Claims10

Dependent claims

In a computer system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, said system comprising:

system management apparatus comprising:
an information handler for handling a plurality of information data items in an information database, each information data item having a keyword data item correlated to said keyword data item associated with each of said managed devices;
a device database for storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and for storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;
device change detecting means for issuing system scanning commands to each of said managed devices, said device change detecting means being responsive to a system scanning response comprising said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, for detecting at least one change including change to said devices and change to said device data items;
first device database updating means for updating stored device data items and keyword data items, consistent with said detected device change;
and
second device updating means for automatically issuing system update commands comprising keyword data and updated device data items to said managed devices based on changes to said information database;
wherein said information handler automatically interrogates said information database to determine whether said information data items require automatic updating in response to changes to said device data items;
and
managed devices comprising:
device database means for storing device data items and associated keyword data items;
and
device database control means for updating device data items in response to received system update commands and for generating system scanning responses directly in response to system scanning commands.

10 more elements

In a system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item for each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, a system management method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said system, each information data item having said keyword data item and storing said information data items at a system management information database;
storing at a system management device database said device data items of said managed devices respectively, correlating keyword data items from each said information data item to a keyword data item for each of said managed devices and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;
generating system scanning commands to each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned directly from each of said managed devices, detecting a device change including at least one of a change to a managed devices and a change to one of said device data items;
automatically updating said device data item and said keyword data item at said system management device database, responsive to said detected device change;
automatically generating system update commands to said managed devices;
and
updating device databases at said managed devices in response to system update commands.

4 more elements

A machine readable storage medium for storing a program adapted for use in a system including a plurality of managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing at least one device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item, said program being executable by a computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out machine-effected steps of:

obtaining a plurality of information data items about said system, each information data item having said keyword data item and storing said information data items at a system management information database;
storing at a system management device database said device data items of said managed devices respectively, correlating keyword data items from each said information data item to a keyword data item for each of said managed devices, and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively;
generating system scanning command to each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned directly from each of said managed devices, automatically detecting a device change including at least one of a change in a given one of said managed devices and a change in a given one of said device data items;
automatically updating said device data item and said keyword data item at said system management device database responsive to said detected device change;
automatically generating system update commands to said managed devices;
and
updating device databases at said managed devices in response to system update commands.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.