Embedded management system for a physical device having virtual elements

Abstract

A single management facility in a virtualized system that facilitates the presentation of either a virtual element view or system view to a network management user depending upon the user's access rights is disclosed. The user interface presented to the user is modified based on the scope and type of access rights. The scope and type of access privileges afforded to the user of the virtualized system is found in a profile object that indicates the scope and type of user access established during the user login. The profile object is stored in an environment object that is created for each user at login. Each virtualized element in the system includes management information that is associated with the virtual element via a virtual identifier. The management information indicates the level of the user access privileges necessary to view the associated virtual element. Requests by a user to access management information associated with a virtual element are analyzed to determine if the access privileges specified in the user profile enable the user to access the virtual element and if so to perform the type of operation requested.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . A physical device apparatus in a network, comprising:
 a plurality of virtual elements configured on said physical device, each said virtual element associated with a collection of management information for said virtual element, said collection of management information including an access scope indicating a required user access level needed to access said information, wherein said collection of management information is associated with a virtual element identifier;   at least one environment object associated with a user interfaced with said device, said environment object including a collection of user profile information; and   a management facility, said management facility controlling the access of a user to a collection of management information associated with at least one of said virtual elements.   
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein said management facility provides one of a system view and virtual element view to a user based on said user profile, said system view including a view of a plurality of said virtual elements. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , comprising further:
 a user interface, said user interface modified based on the scope and type of access privileges accorded to said user.   
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein access to said management information is seeped based upon the access privileges accorded a user. 
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein said collection of user profile information defines the type of access privileges of said user. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein said collection of user profile information defines the scope of access privileges of said user. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 43  wherein said scope of access privileges of the user is set to one of a specified virtual element, a subset of virtual elements and unlimited access to management information for all of said virtual elements on said physical device. 
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of claim  1  further comprising:
 a schema for management data and commands stored in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file.   
   
   
       46 . The apparatus of claim  10  wherein data in said XML file is used to create one of a MIB (Management Information Base) file and a SMF (Simple Management Framework) file. 
   
   
       47 . In a network, a method of controlling access to a plurality of virtual elements, said method comprising:
 providing a physical device with a plurality of virtual elements configured thereon, each said virtual element associated with a collection of management information for said virtual element, said collection of management information including an access scope indicating a required user access level needed to access said information, wherein said collection of management information is associated with a virtual element identifier;   instantiating an environment object associated with a user interfaced with said device, said environment object including a collection of user profile information associated with said user;   requesting access for a user to a collection of said management information for a virtual element; and   determining whether to grant said request based on said user profile, information and said collection of management information.   
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said request is contained in a CLI (Command Line Interface)-generated request, web-based request and programmatically generated request. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 providing a management facility facilitating one a of a system view and virtual element view to said user based on said user profile information with said user, said system view including a view of a plurality of said virtual elements.   
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said collection of user profile information defines the type of access privileges of said user. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said collection of user profile information defines the scope of access privileges of said user. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the scope of access privileges of the user is set to one of a specified virtual element, a subset of virtual elements and unlimited access to configuration data of any virtual element configured on said physical device. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 allowing a user to access said collection of management information associated with a virtual element based on a response to the request.   
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 denying a user access to said collection of management information associated with a virtual element based on a response to the request.   
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 tagging each collection of management information with a virtual element identifier to associate each collection of management information with a particular virtual element.   
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 providing a user interface, said user interface modified based on the scope and type of access privileges accorded said user.   
   
   
       56 . In a network including a physical device holding a medium, said medium holding executable stops for a method of controlling access to a plurality of virtual elements, said method comprising:
 providing a physical device with a plurality of virtual elements configured thereon, each said virtual element associated with a collection of management information for said virtual element, said collection of management information including an access scope indicating a required user access level needed to access said information, wherein said collection of management information is associated with a virtual element identifier;   instantiating an environment object associated with a user interfaced with said device, said environment object including a collection of user profile information associated with said user;   requesting access for a user to a collection of said management information for a virtual element; and   determining whether to grant said request based on said user profile information and said collection of management information.   
   
   
       57 . The medium of claim  25  wherein said request is contained in a CLI (Command Line Interface)-generated request, web-based request and programmatically generated request.