System and method for configuration, management, and monitoring of a computer network using inheritance

A method for management of a network of devices and resources available to the devices via a computer network, comprising:

• for each device of the network of devices, calculating control settings to be enforced by the device upon the resources corresponding to the device;
• wherein the calculating is performed by the device by accessing data stored in a network directory defining a hierarchical tree structure containing nodes, each node corresponding to a device of the network of devices and defining control settings corresponding to and to be enforced upon the resources available to the corresponding device and wherein the control settings corresponding to the resources of each device are selectively inherited down the hierarchical tree structure of the network directory;
• wherein the hierarchical tree structure and the control settings stored in the network directory for one of the devices are selectively displayed by a management console, the management console being in communication with the network directory and the directory server, the management console providing a user interface at the corresponding device;
• wherein when the control setting is a scheduled task, further comprising causing performance of the task by the end node when the scheduled task is to be performed;
• wherein the scheduled task is an anti-virus-related task;
• wherein further included is a get policy component that obtains relevant policies, a first cache for caching an output of the get policy component, and a calculate policy component that calculates an inheritance with the output received from the first cache and transmits the inheritance to a second cache, wherein the information in the first cache is updated based on a time stamping;
• wherein broad control settings are set higher in the hierarchical tree structure while lower level control settings are set at a level of one of the devices.

A computer program product for management of a network of devices and resources available to the devices via a computer network, comprising:

• for each device of the network of devices, computer code that calculates control settings to the enforced by the device upon the resources corresponding to the device, wherein the calculating is performed by the device by accessing data stored in a network directory defining a hierarchical tree structure containing nodes, each node corresponding to a device of the network of devices and defining control settings corresponding to and to be enforced upon the resources available to the corresponding device and wherein the control settings corresponding to the resources of each device are selectively inherited down the hierarchical tree structure of the network directory;
• and
• a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes;
• wherein the hierarchical tree structure and the control settings stored in the network directory are selectively displayed via a user interface;
• wherein when the control setting is a scheduled task, further comprising computer code that causes performance of the task by the end node when the scheduled task is to be performed;
• wherein the scheduled task is an anti-virus-related task;
• wherein further included is a get policy component that obtains relevant policies, a first cache for caching an output of the get policy component, and a calculate policy component that calculates an inheritance with the output received from the first cache and transmits the inheritance to a second cache, wherein the information in the first cache is updated based on a time stamping;
• wherein broad control settings are set higher in the hierarchical tree structure while lower level control settings are set at a level of one of the devices.

A computer program product for management of a network of devices and resources available to the devices via a computer network, comprising:

• computer code that contains a network directory defining a hierarchical tree structure containing nodes corresponding to the network of devices and defining control settings corresponding to and to be enforced upon the resources available to the devices;
• computer code that facilitates communication between a directory server and the network directory to facilitate accessing data from and storing data to the network directory, the data relating to the nodes of the hierarchical tree structure corresponding to the devices and to the control settings corresponding to the resources;
• computer code that facilitates communication between the device and the directory server and the resources corresponding to the device, the device computer code being adapted to enforce the control settings corresponding to the resources contained in the network directory, wherein the control settings corresponding to the resources of each device are selectively inherited down the hierarchical tree structure of the network directory;
• and
• a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes;
• wherein the hierarchical tree structure and the control settings stored in the network directory are selectively displayed, and computer code that selectively displays is in communication with the network directory and the directory server and provides a user interface;
• wherein when the control setting is a scheduled task, further comprising computer code that causes performance of the task by the end node when the scheduled task is to be performed;
• wherein the scheduled task is an anti-virus-related task;
• wherein further included is a get policy component that obtains relevant policies, a first cache for caching an output of the get policy component, and a calculate policy component that calculates an inheritance with the output received from the first cache and transmits the inheritance to a second cache, wherein the information in the first cache is undated based on a time stamping;
• wherein broad control settings are set higher in the hierarchical tree structure while lower level control settings are set at a level of one of the devices.