Patent Application
20070282983
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.
Management of server information handling system operations through a directory service schema simplifies the deployment of tools to perform management functions. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.
Referring now to
Tool box 18 provides a centralized location to which server objects 12 point to accomplish tasks. Tool box 18 includes plural tool box objects 20 which each tool box object 20 pointing to a tool object 22 having a tool 24. For instance, tool box objects 20 are directory service distinguished names used to call associated tools 24. Thus, server objects 12 point to unique tool box objects 20 which, in turn, point to unique tools 24 through distinguished name pointers. Each tool 24 points to an application image 26 to be pushed down to the server 10 associated with the server object 12. This directory service object and policy schema creates a hierarchy of tool box and tool objects using distinguished name pointers having an extensibility to map different objects and policies to invoke meta-directory services, such as for triggering enterprise-wide functions like diagnostics and software updates. A scalable map through unique objects in the directory service infrastructure can be extended to create customized groupings and deploying of solutions. Tools and application images may be distributed throughout servers 10 with the centralized tool box 18 providing coordination of tasks by distributed components, improved security and logical groupings. As new servers 10 are brought into service, the configuration of the new server may be established by copying a server object 12 and server policy 14 having a standardized configuration to rapidly and seamlessly bring the new server 10 to an operational state. Applications receive a facilities policy push to the new server without user intervention based upon defined server object policies. Further, in the event of difficulties in a policy push of an application, reassertion of previous or known safe policy provides a roll-back ability to a known valid server configuration state.
Referring now to
At step 32, the directory service schema is extended for server objects in the form of policy objects that specify permissions and distinguished name pointers to tool box objects and task lists. The policy object is, for example, an auxiliary or derived class of the server object. The policy object establishes the tasks desired at an associated server and allows scheduling of the tasks at desired times. Different tool boxes may be organized according to functions, such as a tool box for system compliant functions like virus protection and operating system updates and a tool box for enterprise applications. To perform a policy based task, the server at step 34 authenticates the directory service, such as through LDAP credentials, and at step 36 the server object searches the task list for the tools to run the task. The tools are tracked in the task list with tool box objects that point to the appropriate tool box. The tools are deployed to the server through a policy based push or, if the server authenticates the directory, through a autonomical pull. Based on the directory server mapping structure, meta directory server or other services interacting with the directory service can subscribe to server policy objects with implicit asks for groups of tools. Alternatively, a directory service can subscribe to server policy objects to invoke a predetermined task listed in a task list, such as to perform enterprise facility based applications, like diagnostics or software updates.
Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
