System and method for providing a framework for network appliance management in a distributed computing environment

A method for providing a framework for network appliance management in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

• recording a status report periodically received from a status daemon autonomously operating on each of a plurality of network appliances, each status report containing health and status information and application-specific data pertaining to autonomous configuration and management of each network appliance;
• maintaining configuration settings for each network appliance progressively assembled concurrent to providing installable components;
• and
• dynamically providing a catalog listing currently installable components for being installed on each network appliance based on the configuration settings independently received from the network appliance;
• wherein each network appliance, prior to sending the status report, executes at least one initial plug-in;
• and, after installing the installable components, executes at least one post-plug-in;
• wherein the at least one initial plug-in monitors the status daemon to determine if the status daemon is running, and restart the status daemon if it is determined that the status daemon is not running;
• wherein the catalog further includes installable component names, installable component versions, a tag indicating a component server at which to locate and obtain each installable component, and a type indicator indicating whether each installable component is a package or a file;
• wherein a secure session is established with each network appliance utilizing Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS);
• wherein a user identifier associated with one of the network appliances from which the status report is received and a time the status report is received are recorded.

A system for autonomously managing a network appliance deployed within a distributed computing environment, comprising:

• an internal catalog of components installed on one such network appliance identified by component and version;
• and
• a status daemon operating autonomously on the one such network appliance and periodically providing a status report containing health and status information and application-specific data pertaining to autonomous configuration and management of the one such network appliance;
• and
• a catalog checker obtaining a catalog of currently installable components dynamically generated for the one such network appliance based on the status report independently received from the one such network appliance and determining non-current components by comparing the components and versions listed in the obtained catalog against the internal catalog;
• wherein each network appliance, prior to sending the status report, executes at least one initial plug-in;
• and, after installing the installable components, executes at least one post-plug-in;
• wherein the at least one initial plug-in monitors the status daemon to determine if the status daemon is running, and restart the status daemon if it is determined that the status daemon is not running;
• wherein the catalog further includes a tag indicating a component server at which to locate and obtain each installable component, and a type indicator indicating whether each installable component is a package or a file;
• wherein a network operations center negotiates a secure session with the one such network appliance utilizing Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS);
• wherein an appliance status table records a user identifier associated with the one such network appliance from which the status report is received and a time the status report is received.

A method for autonomously managing a network appliance deployed within a distributed computing environment, comprising:

• maintaining an internal catalog of components installed on one such network appliance identified by component and version;
• periodically providing a status report containing health and status information and application-specific data pertaining to autonomous configuration and management of the one such network appliance and received from a status daemon autonomously operating on for the one such network appliance,
• obtaining a catalog of currently installable components dynamically generated for the one such network appliance based on the status report independently received from the one such network appliance;
• and
• determining non-current components by comparing the components and versions listed in the obtained catalog against the internal catalog;
• wherein each network appliance, prior to sending the status report, executes at least one initial plug-in;
• and, after installing the installable components, executes at least one post-plug-in;
• wherein the at least one initial plug-in monitors the status daemon to determine if the status daemon is running, and restart the status daemon if it is determined that the status daemon is not running;
• wherein the catalog further includes a tag indicating a component server at which to locate and obtain each installable component, and a type indicator indicating whether each installable component is a package or a file;
• wherein a secure session is negotiated with the one such network appliance utilizing Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS);
• wherein a user identifier associated with the one such network appliance from which the status report is received and a time the status report is received are recorded.