Method and apparatus for discovery of databases in a client server network

Claim 2

A client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client; said network including: discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible from said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems; database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

Claim 3

The network of claim 1 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said addessing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

Claim 4

The network of claim 2 including: known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

Claim 5

The network of claim 3 wherein database connection manager means associated with said selected database server is adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

Claim 6

The network of claim 4 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client.

Claim 7

The network of claim 5 including a graphical display interface means (GUI) to display server system information to a user, said GUI being adapted to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

Claim 8

The network of claim 6 wherein said GUI is responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

Claim 9

The network of claim 7 wherein said GUI is further responsive to said pointer selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

Claim 10

The network of claim 8 wherein said database server system controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

Claim 11

A client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client: said network including: discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible from said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems: database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including: means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; and known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information wherein database connection manager means associated with said selected database server is adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system, including means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client; wherein said database server system further comprises: discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of: request receiver means to receive said discovery requests, request parser means to parse said requests for processing, request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to: (a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—specific addressing information, and (b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

Claim 12

A client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client: said network including: discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible from said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems: database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including: means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; and known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information wherein database connection manager means associated with said selected database server is adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system, including means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client; wherein said database server system further comprises: discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of: request receiver means to receive said discovery requests, request parser means to parse said requests for processing, request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to: (a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—specific addressing information, and (b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

Claim 13

A client server communication network as claimed in claim 10 , said network including a graphical display interface means (GUI) to display server system information to a user, said GUI being adapted to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request wherein said GUI is responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

Claim 17

The method of claim 13 including generating a database known discovery request for said client to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein said selected database server responds to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 wherein said client responds to receive said detailed database server system information and displays said information to a user of said client.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16 wherein a graphical display interface means (GUI) displays server system information to a user, and responds to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 wherein said GUI responds to selection by a user, to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to the selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 wherein said GUI further responds to selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 wherein said database server system controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 wherein a graphical display interface means (GUI) displays server system information to a user, and responds to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

Claim 27

A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client; said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including: software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems; software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

Claim 28

A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client; said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including: software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems; software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

Claim 29

The computer program product of claim 23 including software routine means to establish means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

Claim 30

The computer program product of claim 24 including: software routine means for establishing known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

Claim 31

The computer program product of claim 25 including software routine means for establishing database connection manager means associated with said selected database server adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

Claim 32

The computer program product of claim 26 including software routine means for establishing means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client.

Claim 33

The computer program product of claim 27 including software routine means for enabling a graphical display interface means (GUI) to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

Claim 34

The computer program product of claim 28 wherein said software routine means enables said GUI to be responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database serves system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

Claim 35

The computer program product of claim 29 wherein said software routine means enables said GUI to be further responsive to selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

Claim 36

The computer program product of claim 30 wherein said network established by said computer program product includes a database server system which controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

Claim 37

A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client; said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including; software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems; software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including: software routine means to establish means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; software routine means for establishing known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information; software routine means for establishing database connection manager means associated with said selected database server adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system and, software routine means for establishing means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client, further comprising software routine means for establishing said database server system with: discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of: request receiver means to receive said discovery requests, request parser means to parse said requests for processing, request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to: (a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—specific addressing information, and (b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

Claim 38

A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client; said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including; software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising: search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems; software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including: software routine means to establish means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; software routine means for establishing known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information; software routine means for establishing database connection manager means associated with said selected database server adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system and, software routine means for establishing means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client, further comprising software routine means for establishing said database server system with: discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of: request receiver means to receive said discovery requests, request parser means to parse said requests for processing, request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to: (a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—specific addressing information, and (b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

Claim 39

The method of claim 11 wherein said GUI responds to selection by a user, to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to the selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.