System and method for managing configuration information for dispersed computing systems

Abstract

A customer configuration server may provide access to configuration data for multiple computer systems and organize the configuration data for the computer systems within a hierarchy of logical groups. Logical groups may correspond to geographic locations, customers, and individual computer systems. For example, configuration data for several computer systems may be logically grouped by customer, and configuration data for several customers may be logically grouped by geographic location. The configuration data may be available from a variety of different data sources and accessible via a single software application. Such a software application may also provide an interface to various common functions, allowing those functions to be applied to any of the computer systems' configuration data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to: 
 receive system configuration data for each of a plurality of computer systems;  
 organize the system configuration data within a hierarchy of logical groupings;  
 access the system configuration data included in a specified portion of the hierarchy in response to a request specifying the specified portion of the hierarchy;  
 perform a function identified in the request on the system configuration data included in the specified portion of the hierarchy.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is a search request, wherein the specified portion of the hierarchy is all of the hierarchy, and wherein the program instructions are executable to search the system configuration data and to display search results.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is a report request, wherein the specified portion of the hierarchy is one of the plurality of computer systems, and wherein the program instructions are executable to process a portion of the system configuration data associated with the one of the plurality of computer systems in order to generate a report.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the program instructions are executable to process data identifying components currently included in the one of the plurality of computer systems, to detect one or more components included in the one of the plurality of computer systems that are below a minimum acceptable revision, and to identify the one or more components in the report.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is an automated task request, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to automatically process the system configuration data included in the specified portion of the hierarchy in response to a trigger condition specified in the automated task request.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to organize the system configuration data within the hierarchy by storing a received portion of the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems in a directory associated with the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to access system configuration data from a plurality of data sources, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources is a database.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to display one or more menu options corresponding to a level of the hierarchy, wherein in response to a user selecting one of the one or more menu options, the program instructions are executable to display one or more menu options corresponding to a different level of the hierarchy.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to build a patch bundle in response to the request if the request is a request for a plurality of software patches.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems includes FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) list identifying which FRUs are currently included in the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are executable to generate the FRU list by querying a database for information identifying FRUs included in the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are executable to automatically generate the FRU list in response to receiving data corresponding to the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems includes one or more image objects, wherein the program instructions are executable to display the one or more image objects on a web browser.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems includes a plurality of reports generated from other portions of the system configuration data associated with the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the program instructions are executable to generate the plurality of reports from other portions of the system configuration data associated with the one of the plurality of computer systems by calling one or more software processes external to the program instructions.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to perform data mining on the system configuration data associated with the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hierarchy of logical groupings includes a plurality of computer system groupings.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the hierarchy of logical groupings includes a plurality of customer groupings, wherein each customer grouping includes at least one of the computer system groupings.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the hierarchy of logical groupings includes a plurality of geographic location groupings, wherein each geographic location grouping includes at least one of the customer groupings.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions implement a customer configuration server, wherein the processor and the memory are comprised in one computer system configured to execute an instance of the customer configuration server; 
 wherein the system further comprises an other customer configuration server comprising a processor and a memory and configured to execute an other instance of the customer configuration server.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the instance of the customer configuration server is configured to respond to requests targeting the system configuration data included in one portion of the hierarchy and wherein the other instance of the customer configuration server is configured to respond to requests targeting the system configuration data included in an other portion of the hierarchy; 
 wherein if the one instance of the customer configuration server receives a request targeting the system configuration data included in the other portion of the hierarchy, the one instance is configured to transfer the request to the other instance of the customer configuration server.    
     
     
         22 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving system configuration data for each of a plurality of computer systems;    organizing the system configuration data within a hierarchy;    accessing the system configuration data included in a specified portion of the hierarchy in response to a request specifying the specified portion of the hierarchy;    performing a function identified in the request on the system configuration data included in the specified portion of the hierarchy.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the request is a search request, wherein the specified portion of the hierarchy is all of the hierarchy, and wherein said performing the function comprises searching the system configuration data and displaying search results.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the request is a report request, wherein the specified portion of the hierarchy includes one or more of the plurality of computer systems, and wherein said performing comprises processing a portion of the system configuration data associated with the one or more of the plurality of computer systems in order to generate a report.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said performing comprises: processing data identifying components currently included in the one of the plurality of computer systems, detecting one or more components included in the one of the plurality of computer systems that are below a minimum acceptable revision, and identifying the one or more components in the report.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the request is an automated task request, and wherein the method further comprises automatically processing the system configuration data included in the specified portion of the hierarchy in response to a trigger condition specified in the automated task request.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the automated task request specifies a recurring trigger condition, and wherein the method further comprises automatically processing the system configuration data included in the specified portion of the hierarchy each time the recurring trigger condition occurs.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said organizing the system configuration data within the hierarchy comprises storing a received portion of the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems in a directory associated with the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising accessing system configuration data from a plurality of data sources, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources is a database.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising displaying one or more menu options corresponding to a level of the hierarchy and, in response to a user selecting one of the one or more menu options, responsively displaying one or more menu options corresponding to a different level of the hierarchy.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said performing comprises building a patch bundle in response to the request if the request is a request for a plurality of software patches.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems includes FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) list identifying which FRUs are currently included in the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising generating the FRU list by querying a database for information identifying FRUs included in the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising automatically generating the FRU list in response to receiving data identifying components included in the one of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one of the plurality of computer systems includes one or more image objects; the method further comprising displaying the one or more image objects on a web browser.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the system configuration data associated with one or more of the plurality of computer systems includes a plurality of reports generated from other portions of the system configuration data associated with the one or more of the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising generating the plurality of reports from other portions of the system configuration data associated with the one or more of the plurality of computer systems by initiating one or more software processes.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising performing data mining on the system configuration data associated with the plurality of computer systems.  
     
     
         39 . A method, comprising: 
 requesting configuration data for a computer system included in a plurality of computer systems from a customer configuration server that organizes configuration data for the plurality of computer systems according to a hierarchy of logical groups;    in response to said requesting, the customer configuration server displaying a plurality of options identifying data objects included in the logical group of system configuration data associated with the computer system;    selecting one of the plurality of options;    in response to said selecting, the customer configuration server accessing a corresponding data object; and    repeating said requesting, said displaying, said selecting, and said accessing for a different computer system.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising providing a new configuration data object to the customer configuration server and the customer configuration server organizing the new configuration data within the hierarchy of logical groups.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said organizing comprises organizing the new configuration data object in a logical grouping associated with a geographic location, wherein a plurality of logical groupings included in one level of the hierarchy are each associated with a respective geographic location.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said organizing comprises organizing the new configuration data object in a logical grouping associated with a customer, wherein one level of the hierarchy includes a plurality of logical groupings that are each associated with a respective customer.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said organizing comprises organizing the new configuration data object in a logical grouping associated with a business type, wherein one level of the hierarchy includes a plurality of logical groupings that are each associated with a respective business type.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said organizing comprises navigating a directory tree, wherein each directory included in the directory tree corresponds to a respective logical grouping within the hierarchy.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein one level of the hierarchy includes a plurality of logical groupings that are each associated with a respective computer system.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying the plurality of options via a web browser.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein at least one of the plurality of options corresponds to a group of data objects.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the customer configuration server providing a plurality of additional options, wherein each of the additional options corresponds to a respective function.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said selecting comprises selecting one of the additional options, and wherein said accessing comprises the customer configuration server performing a selected function on the corresponding data object.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said accessing comprises the customer configuration server querying a database for the corresponding data object.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the customer configuration server displaying the corresponding data object via a web browser.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying a multilingual interface.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising one instance of the customer configuration server transferring a request for access to the system configuration data to an other instance of the customer configuration server if the other instance of the customer configuration server is better suited to respond to the request.