Management Controller Resource Tree Interoperability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for collecting system resource information from network devices face interoperability challenges due to tight coupling with APIs, data structures, and schemas, which become incompatible with updates from resource providers, affecting both application programs and external clients.

Innovation Solution

A management controller provides a registration service using a data model with a resource tree structure, allowing resource providers to register objects and maintain interoperability through link properties, enabling clients to traverse the tree and discover resources while allowing hidden objects to be accessed directly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If application programs directly query resources using APIs and schemas from multiple resource providers, then resource information can be collected, but the application becomes tightly coupled to specific APIs and data structures, causing incompatibility when providers update their schemas

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveinteroperabilityVSAvoidcomplex logic for handling variations

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a management controller as an intermediary layer between resource providers and application programs. The management controller collects resource information from multiple providers using different APIs and schemas, normalizes this data into a unified data model, and presents it to applications through a consistent interface. This mediator approach allows applications to access resources without being coupled to specific provider implementations, resolving the contradiction between interoperability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the system into distinct layers: resource providers, management controller, and application programs. Each layer operates independently with well-defined interfaces. The management controller handles the complexity of interfacing with multiple resource providers, while applications interact only with the simplified unified interface. This segmentation isolates complexity to the management controller layer, improving overall system adaptability without burdening applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If resource providers modify their APIs, data structures, or schemas over time, then they can improve their resources, but existing application programs become incompatible and require updates to handle the changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with updatesVSAvoidincompatibility with updated APIs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The management controller acts as a buffer that absorbs changes from resource providers. When a provider updates their API or schema, the management controller adapts its collection and normalization logic to work with the new interface, while the unified data model presented to applications remains stable. This intermediary approach allows resource providers to evolve independently without breaking application compatibility, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The management controller pre-establishes a unified data model and collection mechanisms that anticipate future resource provider updates. By designing the system to accommodate schema variations from the outset and implementing automatic adaptation logic, the system is prepared for future changes before they occur. This preliminary structuring ensures that when providers update their interfaces, the management controller can handle the changes without affecting application compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a unified data model is implemented to improve interoperability, then resource information can be standardized, but the system requires a management controller to maintain and update the data model

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveinteroperabilityVSAvoidmanagement controller architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The management controller is designed as a universal component that can interface with multiple types of resource providers using different APIs and schemas while presenting a single unified interface to applications. This multi-functionality consolidates the complexity of handling diverse resource interfaces into a single versatile component, making the added architectural complexity worthwhile by enabling broad interoperability across different resource types and providers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11303583B2Resource trees by management controller

Publication Date: 2022.04.12 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

Techniques for management controllers are provided. In one aspect, a processor of a resource registration service of a management controller may receive, from a resource provider, a resource registration request to allocate a resource object in a data model. The resource registration request may include an indication that the resource object is to be joined to a public resource tree. The processor may then allocate the resource object within the data model. In allocating the resource object, the processor may update the public resource tree to link to the resource object based on the indication.