Device and service discovery across multiple network types

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10044566-B1
Application number	US-201715847464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A computer network discovery system may involve a computing system and a database disposed within a remote network management platform, and a proxy server application disposed within an enterprise network. The computing system may be configured to: transmit first instructions causing the proxy server application to obtain configuration and operational information for virtual machines; store the configuration and operational information for the virtual machines in a first set of tables of the database; transmit second instructions causing the server device to obtain configuration and operational information for services; and store the configuration and operational information for the services in a second set of tables of the database, where the first set and the second set of tables have tables in common that store at least part of the configuration and operational information for the virtual machines and the services.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer network discovery system comprising:
a database disposed within a remote network management platform; and
a computing system disposed within the remote network management platform, wherein the remote network management platform manages a managed network, and wherein the computing system is configured to:
transmit first instructions to a first server device, wherein transmitting the first instructions to the first server device comprises logging on to the first server device using account credentials related to the managed network, wherein reception of the first instructions cause the first server device to obtain first configuration and operational information for a first plurality of services leased to the managed network, wherein the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services are obtained by way of application programming interfaces, wherein the first server device is not in the managed network or the remote network management platform,
receive, from the first server device, the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services,
store the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services in a first set of tables of the database,
transmit second instructions to a second server device, wherein reception of the second instructions cause the second server device to obtain second configuration and operational information for a second plurality of services leased to the managed network, wherein the second server device is not in the managed network or the remote network management platform, and wherein the first plurality of services and the second plurality of services are offered by different entities and have different configurations,
receive, from the second server device, the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services, and
store the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services in a second set of tables of the database, wherein the first set of tables and the second set of tables have tables in common that store parts of both the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services and the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services.

2. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein the tables in common include entries for processor, memory, storage, or networking resources respectively available to the first plurality of services and the second plurality of services.

3. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein each of the tables in common is a parent table to a respective pair of tables, wherein each respective pair of tables includes a first table storing the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services, and wherein each respective pair of tables includes a second table storing configuration and operational information specific to the second plurality of services.

4. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of services includes one or more virtual machines, applications, web sites, or databases leased to the managed network.

5. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of services are operated by a first party that is neither an operator of the managed network nor an operator of the remote network management platform, and wherein the first plurality of services are available in multiple physical data centers in different geographic locations.

6. The computer network discovery system of claim 5 , wherein the second plurality of services are operated by a second party that is neither an operator of the managed network nor an operator of the remote network management platform, and wherein the second plurality of services are also available in multiple physical data centers in different geographic locations.

7. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first instructions to the first server device comprises transmitting a representation of the first instructions to a proxy server application disposed within the managed network, and wherein reception of the representation of the first instructions causes the proxy server application to transmit the first instructions to the first server device.

8. The computer network discovery system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
provide, to a client device, a graphical user interface representing data in the first set of tables and the second set of tables, wherein the graphical user interface allows the data to be modified.

9. The computer network discovery system of claim 8 , wherein modifying the data involves defining relationships and dependencies between the first the plurality of services and the second plurality of services.

10. A method comprising:
transmitting, by a computing device of a remote network management platform, first instructions to a first server device, wherein transmitting the first instructions to the first server device comprises logging on to the first server device using account credentials related to the managed network, wherein the remote network management platform manages a managed network, wherein reception of the first instructions cause the first server device to obtain first configuration and operational information for a first plurality of services leased to the managed network, wherein the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services are obtained by way of application programming interfaces, and wherein the first server device is not in the managed network or the remote network management platform;
receiving, by the computing device and from the first server device, the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services;
storing, by the computing device, the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services in a first set of tables of a database that is disposed within the remote network management platform;
transmitting, by the computing device, second instructions to a second server device, wherein reception of the second instructions cause the second server device to obtain second configuration and operational information for a second plurality of services leased to the managed network, wherein the second server device is not in the managed network or the remote network management platform, and wherein the first plurality of services and the second plurality of services are offered by different entities and have different configurations;
receiving, by the computing device and from the second server device, the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services; and
storing, by the computing device, the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services in a second set of tables of the database, wherein the first set of tables and the second set of tables have tables in common that store parts of both the first configuration and operational information for the first plurality of services and the second configuration and operational information for the second plurality of services.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tables in common include entries for processor, memory, storage, or networking resources respectively available to the first plurality of services and the second plurality of services.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the tables in common is a parent table to a respective pair of tables, wherein

Assignees

• Servicenow Inc

Inventors

• Grisco Gregory
• Francis Steve
• Bylahalli Shridhar

Classifications

• H04L41/5064

  Customer relationship management · CPC title

• G06F2009/45579

  I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06F16/27

  Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor · CPC title

• H04L41/0856

  by backing up or archiving configuration information · CPC title