EP1061431A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Configuring computer systems
Assignee: HP Inc
•
Filing: 2000-05-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2020-05-05
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus (22,44) is described for use in generating configuration information for a computer system (12) employing hierarchical entities. A policy template (24) is employed which contains a definition of an abstract high-level policy, for the configuration of the system, and permitted refinements to that policy, the definition referring to a plurality of the entities. An information and system model (16) contains information about the computer system and its environment including the entities referred to in the high-level policy definition, the hierarchy thereof and non-hierarchical relations between the entities. A policy authoring engine (26) refines the high-level policy definition with reference to the permitted refinements thereto and the stored information about the entities to which the high-level policy definition relates in order to produce a refined policy definition. In doing this, the engine presents refinement options to a user (10) via a user interface (28) and refines the high-level policy definition in dependence upon options selected by the user via the user interface. Some of the entities stored in the model (16) may be abstract entities, but with pointers to data in the computer system representing an instance of that abstract entity. The refined policy may be in terms of a policy context, referring to unbound entities, and a policy statement. A policy deployer (20) stores rules for interpreting the policy statement as instructions executable by the computer system and is operable, with reference to the information and system model (16), to bind the unbound entities in the policy context to instances of those entities, and, with reference to the stored rules, to interpret the policy statement into a series of instructions to the computer system referring to the bound instances or derivatives of them. The apparatus facilitates the refinement of abstract policies and implementation of the refined policies.
Inventors
- 👤 Chen Goh
- 👤 Casassa Mont Marco
- 👤 Adrian Baldwin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/60; G06F21/604; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
An apparatus (22,44) for use in generating configuration information for a computer
system (12) employing hierarchical entities, the apparatus comprising: means (42) for receiving a definition (24) of a high-level policy, for the configuration of
the system, and permitted refinements to that policy, the definition referring to a plurality of the
entities; means (16) for storing information about the computer system and its environment
including the entities, the hierarchy thereof and non-hierarchical relations between the entities;
and a processor (26) coupled to the receiving means and the storing means and operable to
refine the high-level policy definition with reference to the permitted refinements thereto and the
stored information about the entities to which the high-level policy definition relates in order to
produce a refined policy definition deployable on the computer system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and including a user interface (28) with which a
user (10) can interact with the apparatus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is operable, in accordance
with the high-level policy definition, to present refinement options to the user via the user
interface and to refine the high-level policy definition in dependence upon options selected by
the user via the user interface.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
112 words
An apparatus (22,44) for use in generating configuration information for a computer
system (12) employing hierarchical entities, the apparatus comprising: means (42) for receiving a definition (24) of a high-level policy, for the configuration of
the system, and permitted refinements to that policy, the definition referring to a plurality of the
entities; a user interface (28) with which a user (10) can interact with the apparatus; a processor (26) coupled to the receiving means and the user interface and operable, in
accordance with the high-level policy definition, to present refinement information to the user via the user interface so that a refined policy definition deployable on the computer system can
be produced.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor is operable to present the
refinement information to the user as refinement options and to refine the high-level policy
definition in dependence upon options selected by the user via the user interface to produce the
refined policy definition.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
68 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, and including a library (14) of policy
templates (24), each template including a respective such high-level policy definition and
respective such permitted policy refinements, the library being coupled to the receiving means,
and a desired one or more of the policy templates being selectable by the user via the user
interface for supply to the receiving means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the policy templates have a common
format.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7 when dependent on claim 3 or 5, wherein the
policy template format provides for each policy template to have a plurality of components
executable in turn by the processor, at least one of the components being a flow directive and
causing the processor to present such options to the user via the user interface and to jump to
one of a plurality of the other components in dependence upon the flow directive and the
selection made by the user via the user interface.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, or any of claims 6 to 8 when dependent
thereon, wherein at least some of the entities stored in the storing means are abstract entities,
the storing means also including, for each such abstract entity, a pointer to data in the computer
system representing an instance of that abstract entity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
104 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the refined policy is in terms of a policy context referring to unbound entities and a
policy statement; the apparatus includes means (20) for storing rules for interpreting the policy statement
as instructions executable by the computer system; and the processor (20) is operable, with reference to the entity storing means, to bind the
unbound entities in the policy context to instances of those entities, and, with reference to the
rule storing means, to interpret the policy statement into a series of instructions to the computer
system referring to the bound instances or derivatives of them.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus (22,44) for use in generating configuration information for a computer
system (12), the apparatus comprising: means (20) for receiving a policy (18), for the configuration of the computer system, in
terms of a policy context referring to unbound entities and a policy statement; means (16) for storing, for each of the unbound entities, a pointer to data in the
computer system representing at least one instance of that entity; means (20) for storing rules for interpreting the policy statement as instructions
executable by the computer system; and a processor (20) which is operable, with reference to the pointers, to bind the unbound
entities in the policy context to instances of those entities, and, with reference to the
interpretation rules, to interpret the policy statement into a series of instructions to the computer
system referring to the bound instances or derivatives of them.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the processor is operable to
determine a group of the bound instances, and at least one of the instructions refers to such a
determined group.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to determine,
with reference to the entity storing means, whether such a determined group is already defined
in the computer system and, if not, to generate such an instruction to create the determined
group in the computer system.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for use in generating configuration information for a computer system
employing hierarchical entities, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a definition of a high-level policy, for the configuration of the system, and
permitted refinements to that policy, the definition referring to a plurality of the entities; and refining the high-level policy definition with reference to the permitted refinements
thereto and stored information about the entities to which the high-level policy definition relates
in order to produce a refined policy definition deployable on the computer system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as claimed in claim 14, and including the steps of: presenting refinement options, in accordance with the high-level policy definition, to the
user via a user interface; and refining the high-level policy definition in dependence upon options selected by the user via the user interface.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for use in generating configuration information for a computer system
employing hierarchical entities, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a definition of a high-level policy, for the configuration of the system, and
permitted refinements to that policy, the definition referring to a plurality of the entities; presenting refinement information, in accordance with the high-level policy definition,
to a user via a user interface so that a refined policy definition deployable on the computer
system can be produced.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the refinement information is presented to
the user as refinement options, and further including the step of refining the high-level policy
definition in dependence upon options selected by the user via the user interface to produce the
refined policy definition.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
59 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 17, and including the steps of: providing a library of policy templates, each template including a respective such high-level
policy definition and respective such permitted policy refinements; and selecting one or more of the policy templates for refinement in accordance with input by
the user via a user interface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the policy templates have a common format.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method as claimed in claim 18 or 19 when dependent on claim 15 or 17, wherein the
policy template format provides for each policy template to have a plurality of components
executable in turn during refinement, at least one of the components being a flow directive and
causing such options to be presented to the user via the user interface and the refinement
process to jump to one of a plurality of the other components in dependence upon the flow
directive and the selection made by the user via the user interface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
141 words
A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, or any of claims 18 to 20 when dependent
thereon, wherein: the refined policy is in terms of a policy context referring to unbound entities and a
policy statement; the stored information about at least some of the entities relates to abstract entities, and
includes, for each such abstract entity, a pointer to data in the computer system representing an
instance of that abstract entity; and the method further includes the steps of: binding, with reference to the stored
information, the unbound entities in the policy context to instances of those entities; and
interpreting, with reference for stored rules for interpreting the policy statement as instructions
executable by the computer system, the policy statement into a series of instructions to the
computer system referring to the bound instances or derivatives of them.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for use in generating configuration information for a computer system, the
method comprising the steps of: receiving a policy, for the configuration of the computer system, in terms of a policy
context referring to unbound entities and a policy statement; storing, for each of the unbound entities, a pointer to data in the computer system
representing at least one instance of that entity; storing rules for interpreting the policy statement as instructions executable by the
computer system; and binding, with reference to the pointers, the unbound entities in the policy context to
instances of those entities; and interpreting, with reference to the interpretation rules, the policy statement into a series
of instructions to the computer system referring to the bound instances or derivatives of them.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22, further including the steps of determining a
group of the bound instances, and referring to such a determined group in at least one of the
instructions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
An method as claimed in claim 23, further including the steps of: determining, with
reference to stored information about the entities, whether such a determined group is already
defined in the computer system; and, if not, generate such an instruction to create the
determined group in the computer system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.