Method and system for configuring processing entities according to their roles in a data processing system with a distributed architecture

Abstract

A method ( 300 ) and a corresponding system are proposed for configuring different computers of a network. Each computer plays a specific physic role (defined by an architecture of the network) and/or a specific logic role (defined by the applications running in the network). A reference model and a transition table are associated ( 306 - 312 ) with each product to be installed in the network; the reference model specifies a target configuration for each role (defined by the components of the product to be installed), while the transition table specifies the actions required to reach each target configuration from each current configuration of the computers. A server identifies ( 330 - 336 ) the role and the current configuration of each computer; the actions required to enforce the desired target configuration on the computer are then established and executed ( 333,339 - 366 ).

1 . In a data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of processing entities, each entity playing at least one of a plurality of predetermined roles in the system, a method of configuring the entities including the steps of: 
 defining a target configuration for each role,    identifying the at least one role of each entity, and    configuring each entity according to the target configuration corresponding to the at least one role of the entity.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of roles includes at least one physic role defined by an architecture of the system.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein an indication of the physic role of each entity is stored in a memory structure at an installation of the entity in the system, the step of identifying the at least one role of each entity including retrieving the indication of the corresponding physic role from the memory structure.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of roles includes at least one logic role defined by a software application installed in the system.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the software application includes a plurality of software features, each logic role being associated with a corresponding software feature, and wherein the step of identifying the at least one role of each entity includes: 
 detecting the software feature installed on the entity, and    establishing the logic role according to the installed software feature.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring each entity according to the target configuration includes: 
 detecting a current configuration of the entity,    identifying at least one action required to reach the target configuration from the current configuration, and    executing the at least one action.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further including the steps of: 
 providing a software product including a plurality of components,    associating a reference structure with the product, the reference structure defining the target configuration for each role specifying at least one component to be installed, and    associating a transition structure with the product, for each current configuration the transition structure identifying the at least one action required to reach each target configuration.    
   
   
       8 . A computer program application directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing system with a distributed architecture for performing the method of  claim 1  when the program application is run in the system.  
   
   
       9 . In a data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of processing entities, each entity playing at least one of a plurality of predetermined roles in the system, a computer program application directly loadable into a working memory of a server computer for performing a method of configuring the entities when the program application is run on the server computer, the method including the steps of: 
 defining a target configuration for each role,    identifying the at least one role of each entity, and    causing each entity to be configured according to the target configuration corresponding to the at least one role of the entity.    
   
   
       10 . A program product comprising a computer readable medium on which the program application of  claim 8  is stored.  
   
   
       11 . A data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of processing entities, each entity playing at least one of a plurality of predetermined roles in the system, means for defining a target configuration for each role, means for identifying the at least one role of each entity, and means for configuring each entity according to the target configuration corresponding to the at least one role of the entity.  
   
   
       12 . In a data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of processing entities, each entity playing at least one of a plurality of predetermined roles in the system, a server computer for configuring the entities including means for defining a target configuration for each role, means for identifying the at least one role of each entity, and means for causing each entity to be configured according to the target configuration corresponding to the at least one role of the entity.