System and methd for common information model object manager proxy interface and management

Abstract

A system, method and computer program for transmitting and receiving information between computer systems. This is accomplished using a common information model object manager (CIMOM) proxy that serves to receive and transmit information from one computer on the network to another. The CIMOM proxy relies on both managed system providers and client applications to register with the CIMOM proxy. Once registered the client application may request information and receive it from managed system providers.

1 . A system for communicating component management data between computers in a network, comprising: 
 a plurality of remote managed systems comprising one or more information providers to supply system management data from one or more components;    a plurality of client management applications;    an object manager, connected to the plurality of remote managed systems and to the plurality of client management applications, to store information models of the components of one or more of the managed systems, and to relay requests for data between the information providers and client management applications; and    a lookup service, communicatively coupled with the plurality of remote managed systems, the plurality of client management applications, and the object manager, to discover the locations of the information providers and of the object manager, and to register the remote information providers and the client management applications with the object manager.    
     
     
         2 . The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the object manager further comprises: 
 a connection authentication module to authenticate the client systems management applications by checking a client management application user name for a match with a plurality of user names entered into a file located on the object manager by the lookup service.    
     
     
         3 . The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the object manager further comprises: 
 a discovery module to register the the object manager with the lookup service and to determine the locations of the plurality of remote managed systems.    
     
     
         4 . The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the object manager further comprises: 
 a request processing module to query a selected remote information provider for information requested by a querying client management application.    
     
     
         5 . The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the object manager further comprises: 
 an event module to receive information from a selected remote information provider and to transmit the information to a querying client management application.    
     
     
         6 . The system recited in  claim 5 , wherein a client management application requests that asynchronous remote information provider events be received from a selected remote information provider by transmitting to the event module the client management application identifier and a selected communication protocol.  
     
     
         7 . The system recited in  claim 4 , wherein a remote information provider registers with the object manager by transmitting to the lookup service an information provider identifier, a selected communication protocol, and information regarding corresponding components which the lookup service relays to the object manager.  
     
     
         8 . A method of communicating component management data between computers in a network, comprising: 
 storing information models of components of a plurality of managed systems in an object manager;    registering with the object manager via a plurality of remote information providers from a plurality of managed systems and a plurality of client management applications sending information to a lookup service;    discovering the location of the object manager by the lookup service and transmitting the registration information received from the plurality of remote information providers and the plurality of client management applications to the object manager;    transmitting the location of the object manager to the plurality of remote information providers and to the plurality of client management applications;    requesting information of a selected remote information provider by a querying client management application transmitting a request to the object manager;    relaying the request to the selected remote information provider with the object manager; and    transmitting the information to the querying client management application upon receipt by the object manager.    
     
     
         9 . The method recited in  claim 8 , wherein relaying the request to the selected remote information provider with the object manager, further comprises: 
 checking a database contained in the object manager to determine the location of the selected remote information provider; and    transmitting the request for information to the selected remote information provider.    
     
     
         10 . The method recited in  claim 9 , wherein checking the database contained in the object manager to determine the location of the selected remote information provider, further comprises: 
 queuing the request for information in a file when a match for the selected remote information provider cannot be found in the database.    
     
     
         11 . The method recited in  claim 10 , wherein registering with the object manager by a remote information provider, further comprises: 
 checking the file containing the queued requests for information to determine whether a request for information corresponding to the remote information provider exists in the file; and    transmitting the request for information to the remote information provider upon completing the registration of the remote information provider.    
     
     
         12 . The method recited in  claim 8 , wherein registering with the object manager by a client management application sending information to a lookup service, further comprises: 
 transmitting a client management identifier and a selected communication protocol to the lookup service; and    relaying the client management application identifier and the selected communication protocol to the object manager by the lookup service.    
     
     
         13 . The method recited in  claim 8 , wherein registering with the object manager by a remote information provider sending information to a lookup service, further comprises: 
 transmitting a remote information provider identifier, information regarding corresponding components, and a selected communication protocol to the lookup service; and    relaying the remote information provider identifier, the component information, and the selected communication protocol to the object manager by the lookup service.    
     
     
         14 . A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium executable by a computer for communicating component management data between computers in a network, comprising: 
 storing information models of the components of a plurality of managed systems in an object manager,    registering with an object manager via a plurality of remote information providers from a plurality of managed systems and a plurality of client management applications sending information to a lookup service;    discovering the location of the object manager by the lookup service and transmitting the registration information received from the plurality of remote information providers and of the plurality of client management applications to the object manager;    transmitting the location of the object manager to the plurality of remote information providers and to the the plurality of client management applications;    requesting information of a selected remote information provider by a querying client management application transmitting the request to the object manager;    relaying the request to the selected remote information provider with the object manager; and    transmitting the information to the querying client management application upon receipt by the object manager.    
     
     
         15 . The computer program recited in  claim 14 , wherein relaying the request to the selected remote information provider with the object manager, further comprises: 
 checking a database contained in the object manager to determine the location of the selected remote information provider; and    transmitting the request for information to the selected remote information provider.    
     
     
         16 . The computer program recited in  claim 15 , wherein checking the database contained in the object manager to determine the location of the selected remote information provider, further comprises: 
 queuing the request for information in a file when a match for the selected remote information provider cannot be found in the database.    
     
     
         17 . The computer program recited in  claim 16 , wherein registering with the object manager by a remote information provider, further comprises: 
 checking the file containing the queued requests for information to determine whether a request for information directed to the remote information provider exists in the file; and    transmitting the request for information to the remote information provider upon completing the registration of the remote information provider.    
     
     
         18 . The computer program recited in  claim 14 , wherein registering with the object manager by a client management application sending information to a lookup service, further comprises: 
 transmitting a client management application identifier and a selected communication protocol to the lookup service; and    relaying the client management application identifier and the selected communication protocol to the object manager.    
     
     
         19 . The computer program recited in  claim 14 , wherein registering with the object manager by a remote information provider sending information to a lookup service, further comprises: 
 transmitting a remote information provider identifier, information regarding corresponding components, and a selected communication protocol to the lookup service; and    relaying the remote information provider identifier, the component information, and the selected communication protocol to the object manager by the lookup service.    
     
     
         20 . The computer program of  claim 19 , wherein transmitting information regarding managed system components corresponding to the information provider comprises transmitting a CIM Managed Object Format (MOF) file.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object manager stores information about the components of the managed systems according to the Common Information Model (CIM) specification and schema.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lookup service is a CIM lookup service.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the managed systems are personal computers  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the information model is a CIM Managed Object Format (MOF) file.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein storing information models of the components of a plurality of managed systems comprises storing CIM models of the components.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein transmitting information regarding managed system components corresponding to the information provider comprises transmitting a CIM Managed Object Format (MOF) file.  
     
     
         27 . The computer program of  claim 14 , wherein storing information models of the components of a plurality of managed systems comprises storing CIM models of the components.