US 7,689,921 B2Granted

User interface for managing multiple network resources

AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation

InventorsVij Rajarajan, Kishnan Nedungadi, Brijesh Bhatia, Casey Kiernan, Anandha Ganesan, James Johnston, Lauren Gallagher, Kevin Hodge, Tom Martino, Cary Rohwer, Andrew Hayes, Annette B. Hall, Audrius Zimnicks, Mel MacMahon

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method and system for displaying information related to a plurality of resources in a network environment. The system uses web technology to receive and store information related to back-end resources and to provide a framework by which client computer systems can manage the plurality of back-end resources in a uniform manner. In accordance with one method, a request is received to display object information from different network resources. In response, attribute and task information is retrieved from the appropriate different network resources and this information is displayed. A graphical user interface (GUI) displays information related to network resource objects. The GUI includes a console displaying a tool zone and a work zone. A module is displayed in the work zone having an object zone displaying a list of objects and a task zone displaying a list of tasks.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A computer system having a graphical user interface for displaying information on a display device in communication with the computer system, wherein the information displayed is related to network resource objects, the graphical user interface comprising:

a management console displayed on the display device that displays at least one tool zone and at least one work zone;
at least one module window displayed in the at least one work zone;
an object pane displayed in the at least one module window, the object pane displaying a list of two or more objects, wherein a selection capability exists for selecting at least one object from the list of two or more objects;
a task pane displayed in the at least one module window, the task pane displaying a list of one or more tasks applicable to each of the two or more objects, wherein the list of one or more tasks depends on a received indication of at least one selected object from the list of two or more objects in the object pane and is displayed in response to the received indication of the at least one selected object from the list of two or more objects, and wherein the one or more tasks is one or more from the group consisting of:
copy, disable, properties, and move;
a work pane displayed in the at least one module window, the work pane displaying additional information or sub-tasks related to the list of one or more tasks, wherein a section of the work pane is populated with a property sheet associated with the selected object from the list of two or more objects, and wherein the property sheet comprises a list of one or more property pages associated with the property sheet, each of the property pages comprising a plurality of controls for editing the at least one property sheet;
a query pane displayed in the at least one module window, the query pane providing an integrated manner in which the network resource objects from multiple resources are accessed;
and
wherein the management console allows a user to customize the contents and configuration of the at least one work zone including information displayed in the one or more property pages.

6 more elements

A method of displaying management information related to multiple network resources in a window of a web browser application, each of the network resources having at least one property sheet associated therewith, each property sheet including one or more property pages, the method comprising the steps of:

searching the multiple network resources through a query pane displayed in the window of the web browser application to retrieve a list of network resource objects and at least one property sheet associated therewith;
displaying the list of network resource objects and the at least one property sheet associated therewith in the window of the web browser application;
receiving an indication of a selection of two or more objects from the list of network resource objects;
displaying a list of one or more property pages associated with the at least one property sheet, wherein a selection capability exists to select a property page from the list of one or more property pages;
receiving an indication of a selection of a first property page from the list of one or more property pages;
in response to receiving an indication of a selection of the first property page, populating a work pane displayed in the window of the web browser application with the selected first property page and displaying the first selected property page for each of the two or more objects in the work pane, wherein the property page for each of the two or more objects comprises a plurality of controls for editing the at least one property sheet;
and
adjusting the size and position of the work pane and the size and position of the property sheet and associated property pages to compensate for the selection of the two or more objects, wherein the adjusting is dynamic;
and
receiving customization information from a user to customize the contents and configuration of the web browser application including information displayed in the one or more property pages.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/346,807Filed 3 Feb 2006 · continuation
Priority: 11 Dec 2000
Published: US 2006/0129940 A115 Jun 2006
Granted: 30 Mar 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification26 codes

H04L 41/22
Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks: comprising specially…
G06F 9/451
Arrangements for executing specific programs: execution arrangements for user interfaces
G06F 9/5055
The resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals: considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to…
G06F 11/3495
Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring: for systems

Family

Application60/255,044Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,051Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,238Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,041Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,153Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,043Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,050Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,042Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application60/255,052Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2000
Application10/014,120Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2001
US 2006/0129940 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jun 2006
US 6,996,778 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2002/0149601 A1Published application
US 7,689,921 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.