US6591373B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Uniform configuration controller for replicated component systems
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
•
Filing: 1999-12-15
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Granted: 2003-07-08
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Expires: 2019-12-15
Abstract
Abstract In a replicated component system, changing the condition of a component can deleteriously effect the system as a whole unless the result of making such a change may have on other components is considered. In response to a request to change the condition of a subject component to a specified condition, where the request is from a fixed set of request operations, the request is first validated using a particular validation algorithm associated with the request type. If the request is successfully validated (i.e., a determination is made using the validation algorithm that making the requested change will not negatively affect the system or components with which the subject component has a relationship), then the request is realized using a particular realization algorithm associated with the request type. Each validation algorithm and realization algorithm are from fixed sets of such algorithms that are associated with each possible request operation. Prior to effecting a change to any component in the system, the configuration controller is provided with information that includes the type of component that each component in the system is and the relationships that exist between components. Such relationships are also from a fixed set of possible relationships. This information is provided through a graphical user interface in which the attributes of each component type and the relationships between components are specified using dialog windows and a canvas window which visually displays representations of each component in the system and the relationships that exist between these components.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Alan Ardis
- 👤 Robert Gregg Olsen
- 👤 Paul Mitchell Pontrelli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:40
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/22; G06F11/2289
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 55
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of changing the condition of a component in a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; and realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the realization comprising an indication whether the realization succeed, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of changing the condition of a component in a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; and realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the realization comprising an indication whether the realization succeed, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the request type is from the fixed set of request types comprising: remove, restore, switch, inhibit, allow, restart, refresh, resynchronize, and update.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the condition of a component comprises a primary condition, a secondary condition, a tertiary condition, and an inhibit state.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the primary condition is one of working, ready, unready, and unusable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the secondary condition is one of primary, secondary, forced, automatic, manual, growth, and null.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the tertiary condition is one of campon, degraded, diagfail, diagnostic, facfail, family of equipment, farfail, helper, init, interdiag, maintiprog, nearfail, pwralarm, pwroff, roudiag, trouble, update, warming, and null.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the inhibit state is inhibited or uninhibited.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of initially specifying for each component in the system a type of component, and relationships that exist between the components in the system from a fixed set of possible relationships.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the possible relationships that exist between components comprise child, spare, mate, helper, interrupt physical unit group, logical unit group, and switch physical unit group.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of realizing the request comprises the step of first validating the request before the request is realized.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of changing the condition of a component in a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether or not the request has been validated successfully; and if the request has been validated successfully, realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific realization algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of changing the condition of a component in a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether or not the request has been validated successfully; and if the request has been validated successfully, realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific realization algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of: determining whether the validation succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the validation comprising an indication whether the validation succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the result of the validation further comprises a reason why the validation succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of: determining whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the realization comprising an indication whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the result of the realization further comprises a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the request type is from the fixed set of request types comprising: remove, restore, switch, inhibit, allow, restart, refresh, resynchronize, and update.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the condition of a component comprises a primary condition, a secondary condition, a tertiary condition, and an inhibit state.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the primary condition is one of working, ready, unready, and unusable.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the secondary condition is one of primary, secondary, forced, automatic, manual, growth, and null.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the tertiary condition is one of campon, degraded, diagfail, diagnostic, facfail, family of equipment, farfail, helper, init, interdiag, maintiprog, nearfail, pwralarm, pwroff, roudiag, trouble, update, warming, and null.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the inhibit state is one inhibited or uninhibited.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of initially specifying for each component in the system a type of component, and relationships that exist between the components in the system from a fixed set of possible relationships.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the possible relationships that exist between components comprise child, spare, mate, helper, interrupt physical unit group, logical unit group, and switch physical unit group.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 11 wherein a validation level is associated with the request, and the step of validating the request is performed as a function of the validation level.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
149 words
A configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the controller comprising: a request manager for receiving a request to change the condition of a component in the system to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; and a realizer connected to the request manager and though at least one interface to the components in the system for realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems and wherein the realizer provides to the request manager an indication whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
149 words
A configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the controller comprising: a request manager for receiving a request to change the condition of a component in the system to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; and a realizer connected to the request manager and though at least one interface to the components in the system for realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems and wherein the realizer provides to the request manager an indication whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
The configuration controller of claim 25 wherein the request type is from the fixed set of request types comprising: remove, restore, switch, inhibit, allow, restart, refresh, resynchronize, and update.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The configuration controller of claim 26 wherein the condition of a component comprises a primary condition, a secondary condition, a tertiary condition, and an inhibit state.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The configuration controller of claim 27 wherein the primary condition is one of working, ready, unready, and unusable.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The configuration controller of claim 27 wherein the secondary condition is one of primary, secondary, forced, automatic, manual, growth, and null.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
The configuration controller of claim 27 wherein the tertiary condition is one of campon, degraded, diagfail, diagnostic, facfail, family of equipment, farfail, helper, init, interdiag, maintiprog, nearfail, pwralarm, pwroff, roudiag, trouble, update, warming, and null.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
14 words
The configuration controller of claim 27 wherein the inhibit state is inhibited or uninhibited.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
The configuration controller of claim 25 wherein each of the components in the system is defined as being a particular type of component, and the components are related to one another from a fixed set of possible relationships.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
31 words
The configuration controller of claim 32 wherein the possible relationships that exist between components comprise child, spare, mate, helper, interrupt physical unit group, logical unit group, and switch physical unit group.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
197 words
A configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the controller comprising: a request manager for receiving a request to change the condition of a component in the system to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; a validator connected to the request manager for validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; and a realizer connected to the request manager and though at least one interface to the components in the system for realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request if the request has been validated successfully by the validator, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed, set of request types, the set of specific realization algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
197 words
A configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, the controller comprising: a request manager for receiving a request to change the condition of a component in the system to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; a validator connected to the request manager for validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; and a realizer connected to the request manager and though at least one interface to the components in the system for realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request if the request has been validated successfully by the validator, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed, set of request types, the set of specific realization algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
23 words
The configuration controller of claim 34 wherein the validator provides to the request manager an indication whether the validation succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
24 words
The configuration controller of claim 35 wherein the validator further provides to the request manager a reason why the validation succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
23 words
The configuration controller of claim 34 wherein the realizer provides to the request manager an indication whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
The configuration controller of claim 37 wherein the realizer further provides to the request manager a reason why the validation succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
29 words
The configuration controller of claim 34 wherein the request type is from the fixed set of request types comprising: remove, restore, switch, inhibit, allow, restart, refresh, resynchronize, and update.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
26 words
The configuration controller of claim 39 wherein the condition of a component comprises a primary condition, a secondary condition, a tertiary condition, and an inhibit state.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
18 words
The configuration controller of claim 40 wherein the primary condition is one of working, ready, unready, and unusable.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
21 words
The configuration controller of claim 40 wherein the secondary condition is one of primary, secondary, forced, automatic, manual, growth, and null.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
35 words
The configuration controller of claim 40 wherein the tertiary condition is one of campon, degraded, diagfail, diagnostic, facfail, family of equipment, farfail, helper, init, interdiag, maintiprog, nearfail, pwralarm, pwroff, roudiag, trouble, update, warming, and null.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
14 words
The configuration controller of claim 40 wherein the inhibit state is inhibited or uninhibited.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
38 words
The configuration controller of claim 34 wherein each of the components in the system is defined as being a particular type of component, and the components are related to one another from a fixed set of possible relationships.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
31 words
The configuration controller of claim 45 wherein the possible relationships that exist between components comprise child, spare, mate, helper, interrupt physical unit group, logical unit group, and switch physical unit group.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
28 words
The configuration controller of claim 34 wherein a validation level is associated with the request, and the validator validates the request as a function of the validation level.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
157 words
A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which are executable on a computer system implementing a configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, said computer program instructions comprising instructions defining the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the realization comprising an indication whether the realization succeed, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
157 words
A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which are executable on a computer system implementing a configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, said computer program instructions comprising instructions defining the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; realizing the request with an algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether the realization succeeded, aborted or failed; and providing to an originator of the request the result of the realization comprising an indication whether the realization succeed, aborted or failed and a reason why the realization succeeded, aborted or failed.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
192 words
A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which are executable on a computer system implementing a configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, said computer program instructions comprising instructions defining the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request type, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether or not the request has been validated successfully; and if the request has been validated successfully, realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
192 words
A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which are executable on a computer system implementing a configuration controller for a replicated component system that comprises a plurality of different components, said computer program instructions comprising instructions defining the steps of: receiving a request to change the condition of the component to a specified condition, the request being of a type from a fixed set of request types; validating the request with a validation algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific validation algorithm from a fixed set being associated with at least one of the request types in the fixed set of request type, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems; determining whether or not the request has been validated successfully; and if the request has been validated successfully, realizing the request with a realization algorithm associated with the type of the request, a specific realization algorithm from a fixed set being associated with each request type in the fixed set of request types, the set of specific validation algorithms being common to a plurality of different replicated component systems.
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