Unified Management Interface for Heterogeneous Platform Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Managing heterogeneous computing environments with multiple platforms is challenging due to differences in command-line syntax across operating systems, requiring administrators to know multiple syntaxes and complicating centralized configuration and control, especially with the increasing number of hardware and software components.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a management task registration interface to store command-line tasks in a database, allowing for a graphical user interface to register, invoke, and validate tasks across multiple platforms without requiring specialized agents or additional software, using a database-driven approach to generate command-line strings and communicate securely via SSH.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a management interface is provided for integrated control of multiple platforms, then centralized configuration and control is achieved, but the complexity of handling different command-line syntaxes across operating systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management interface that acts as an intermediary between the system administrator and multiple heterogeneous platforms. This interface translates unified management commands into platform-specific command-line syntax, eliminating the need for administrators to learn multiple syntaxes while maintaining centralized control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The management interface segments the complex task of multi-platform control into two distinct layers: a unified command layer for administrators and platform-specific execution layers. This segmentation allows the administrative interface to remain simple while handling platform differences internally through translation mechanisms
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of hardware devices and software systems to be configured and controlled increases, then system functionality is enhanced, but the difficulty of centralized configuration and control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management interface is designed with universal functionality to handle diverse hardware devices and software systems through a single unified interface. It provides multi-platform support by translating various platform-specific commands through a common translation layer, allowing the system to accommodate increasing numbers of devices without proportionally increasing configuration difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The translation layer serves as a mediator that adapts to new platforms by learning their command-line syntaxes. This intermediary approach allows the system to expand functionality to new hardware and software systems while maintaining consistent ease of use through the unified management interface
3Measurement precision
If platform-specific command-line interfaces are used for each operating system, then platform-specific control precision is maintained, but the learning burden for system administrators increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management interface introduces a translation layer that acts as an intermediary, converting unified administrative commands into precise platform-specific command-line syntax. This preserves exact control precision for each platform while eliminating the need for administrators to learn multiple command syntaxes, as the translation handles platform-specific nuances automatically
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for controlling multiple computer platforms. The method can include the operation of storing command line tasks in a database. Other command line task information can include a command name, related parameters, and a platform type for which the command line tasks are executable. A command line task can be selected from the database of command line tasks by a user for application to computing systems. A further operation is identifying at least one computing system that can be addressed from a host system and which has the same platform type as the selected command line task. The user can then select at least one computing system from a list of the identified computing systems to which the selected command line is applicable. Another operation is applying the selected command line tasks to the selected computing systems which are of a correct platform type.