Centralized Device Naming via Directory Service Mediator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current operating systems lack effective support for centralized device naming, which is crucial for network-attached devices, leading to inconsistent device names across systems and increased costs for maintenance and expertise.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming by registering and managing device names across multiple computer systems, leveraging services like LDAP, NIS, and Active Directory to ensure consistent naming and caching of registration records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized device naming is implemented using traditional operating system methods, then device name consistency across systems is improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a directory service as an intermediary between computer systems and devices. The directory service stores device names centrally and provides them to requesting systems, eliminating the need for complex centralized naming implementation in each operating system. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining name consistency (improving reliability) while keeping individual systems simple (reducing device complexity).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the centralized device naming functionality from the operating system kernel and places it in a separate directory service. This extraction allows the operating system to remain simple while still achieving centralized naming consistency through the external directory service, directly resolving the technical contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If centralized device naming is implemented with extensive overhead, then device name management is improved, but implementation cost and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements caching of device names at the local computer system level. Instead of requiring continuous network communication with the centralized directory service, systems store local copies of device name information. This copying approach improves ease of device name management while reducing network overhead and implementation costs, directly addressing the technical contradiction.
3Device complexity
If device names are managed locally without centralized coordination, then system simplicity is maintained, but device name consistency across network systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The directory service acts as a mediator that computer systems query to obtain consistent device names. Each system maintains simplicity by not implementing its own centralized naming logic, instead relying on the intermediary directory service to provide authoritative device name information. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining system simplicity while achieving name consistency through the mediating service.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by caching device names locally after retrieving them from the directory service. This preliminary caching ensures that device names are available consistently across systems without requiring continuous centralized coordination, maintaining both system simplicity and name consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming. The system operates by receiving a registration of a device at a computer system. Next, the system determines if the device has been registered with the directory service. If so, the system retrieves a name of the device from the directory service. If not, the system generates a device name for the device, and registers the device name with the directory service.