Hosts File Manager for Automated Server Group Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current operating systems lack automated approaches for managing hosts files, making frequent modifications cumbersome and error-prone.

Innovation Solution

A hosts file manager system and method that displays a user interface with selectable server groups, allowing users to modify the hosts file by correlating hostnames with IP addresses and storing the changes on a computer-readable medium, facilitating easy management and selection of specific server groups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual editing of hosts file is used, then flexibility in customization is achieved, but operation complexity and error probability increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehosts file customizationVSAvoidmanual editing process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a hosts file manager application as an intermediary between the user and the hosts file. This manager provides a graphical user interface that abstracts the complex manual editing process, allowing users to add, remove, and modify host entries through simple point-and-click operations rather than directly editing the raw hosts file

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The hosts file manager enables users to independently manage their own hosts file entries through an automated interface. The system allows users to perform operations such as adding new hosts, deleting existing entries, and modifying mappings without requiring knowledge of file editing or system administration skills

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If frequent hosts file modifications are made, then network configuration flexibility improves, but time consumption and error probability increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork configuration flexibilityVSAvoidmodification time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The hosts file manager allows users to prepare and stage host entry modifications before actually applying them to the hosts file. Users can add multiple entries, review changes, and apply them in batch operations, reducing the time and errors associated with frequent individual modifications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by moving object

If direct hosts file editing is performed, then system resource usage is minimized, but user-friendly automation is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem resource usageVSAvoidhosts file management automation

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The hosts file manager acts as a lightweight intermediary application that provides automation capabilities while maintaining minimal system resource consumption. The manager reads and writes directly to the hosts file when needed, avoiding excessive resource usage while still providing automated user-friendly interfaces for hosts file management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11789628B1Systems, methods, and computer readable media for managing a hosts file

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)

AI summary

A hosts file manager is provided that displays a user interface with a list of selectable server groups. The list may comprise, for example, identifications server groups. Each server group corresponds to an IP address, and the hosts file manager has access to such IP address data. A user selection of a first server group may be made and received via said user interface. A computer's hosts file may then be modified to correlate a hostname with an IP address of the selected server group.