US 9,794,110 B2Granted

Method and system for simplifying distributed server management

AssigneeBladlogic, Inc.

InventorsThomas M. Kraus, Vijay G. Manwani, Sekhar Muddana

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Abstract

A method and system for managing a large number of servers and their server components distributed throughout a heterogeneous computing environment is provided. In one embodiment, an authenticated user, such as a IT system administrator, can securely and simultaneously control and configure multiple servers, supporting different operating systems, through a “virtual server.” A virtual server is an abstract model representing a collection of actual target servers. To represent multiple physical servers as one virtual server, abstract system calls that extend execution of operating-system-specific system calls to multiple servers, regardless of their supported operating systems, are used. A virtual server is implemented by a virtual server client and a collection of virtual server agents associated with a collection of actual servers.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

initiating a system command from a graphical user interface of a virtual server management system interacting with a virtual server client and a plurality of virtual server agents, each virtual server agent running on a respective server;
translating the system command to an abstract system command that requests a service from an operating system of at least one of the plurality of servers;
receiving the abstract system command at the virtual server client;
and
instantiating the abstract system command by:
identifying, by the virtual server client, a target server to receive the abstract system command and a corresponding virtual server agent associated with the target server,
transmitting the abstract system command to the virtual server agent for the identified target server for translation of the abstract system command into an operating-system-specific system command for execution on the target server,
executing the operating-system-specific system command under permissions determined as a function of the target server, and
receiving execution results from the virtual server agent.

6 more elements

A virtual server comprising:

a virtual server management system;
a virtual server client;
and
a plurality of servers each running a virtual server agent,
the virtual server management system including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the virtual server management system to perform operations including:
receiving, from a graphical user interface, a system command that requests a service from an operating system of at least one of the plurality of servers, and
translating the system command to an abstract system command;
and
the virtual server client including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor cause the virtual server client to perform operations including:
receiving the abstract system command;
and
instantiating the abstract system command by:
identifying a target server to receive the abstract system command and a corresponding virtual server agent associated with the target server,
transmitting the abstract system command to the virtual server agent for the identified target server for translation of the abstract system command into an operating-system-specific system command for execution on the target server,
executing the operating-system-specific system command under permissions determined as a function of the target server,
receiving execution results from the virtual server agent, and
providing the execution results to the virtual server management system.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/802,507Filed 17 Jul 2015 · division
Priority: 12 Jun 2002
Published: US 2015/0326423 A112 Nov 2015
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H04L 41/022
Standardisation; Integration: multivendor or multi-standard integration
G06F 9/466
Multiprogramming arrangements: transaction processing
H04L 41/0803
Configuration management of networks or network elements: configuration setting
H04L 41/0806
Configuration setting: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Family

Application60/388,112Us provisional application · filed 12 Jun 2002
Application60/453,308Us provisional application · filed 10 Mar 2003
Application10/414,959Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Apr 2003
Application13/856,089Parent of this division · filed 3 Apr 2013
US 8,447,963 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 21 May 2013
US 2015/0326423 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Nov 2015
US 9,100,283 B2Parent of this division
Application13/856,089Parent of this continuation
US 2003/0233571 A1Published application
US 2013/0232248 A1Published application
US 9,794,110 B2This patent

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