Common user interface development toolkit for a system administration program

Abstract

A toolkit for developing user-interfaces for a system administration program. The toolkit has a server-side application-programming interface (API). The server-side has task-registry files that each describe a task group. The toolkit also has a client-side API. A developer can customize product-specific properties files for a specific product and write code that calls the server-side and client-side APIs to create a graphical user interface for the specific product.

1 . A method of generating a system administration user interface, the method comprising: 
 accessing a Task-registry including one or more Task groups;    accessing a product specific properties file; and    generating a user interface as a function of the accessed Task registry and the product specific properties file.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Task-registry is accessible on a server.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product specific properties file is accessible on a client.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product specific properties file specifies Task data to be loaded in a system performing at least a portion of the method before a Task is executed.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 accessing a resource file that includes computer-executable instructions to generate a cross-platform common user interface.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the computer-executable instructions of the resource file includes instructions to generate an ItemView, CategoryView, TreeView, Task, and ResultView.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a generated user interface prompts a user for parameters to make system changes.  
     
     
         8 . A method comprising: 
 generating a cross-platform, common user interface, wherein the user interface for individual platforms is generated as a function of components, wherein the components include a resource file, a product specific properties file, and a task registry.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the components further include one or more plugins, user interface components, and task data.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein one or more of the components are stored on a server and are accessible by one or more clients.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more components stored on the server are platform independent components.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more components stored on the server provide the server service capabilities to communicate with one or more clients, the services including a category service, an association service, a task registry service, and a privilege broker service.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the resource file can be customized.  
     
     
         14 . A system administration program comprising: 
 a server-side application-programming interface comprising a Task-registry including one or more task groups, wherein the server-side application-programming interface, when executed on a suitably configured system, is accessible over a network as a component in providing a common, platform independent system administration user interface.    
     
     
         15 . The system administration program of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 two or more task registries, wherein each task registry includes one or more task groups.    
     
     
         16 . The system administration program of  claim 14 , wherein the system administration program includes a privilege broker service, wherein the privilege broker service enables privileged commands, received over the network, to be executed.  
     
     
         17 . A system administration program comprising: 
 a Task manager that includes a product-specific properties file, wherein the product specific properties file is customizable and the client-side application programming interface is callable to create a graphical user interface or a specific product.    
     
     
         18 . The system administration program of  claim 17 , wherein the graphical user interface of the system administration program is common across products.  
     
     
         19 . The system administration program of  claim 17 , wherein the Task manager, when executing on a suitably configured system, calls routines of a server-side application programming interface.  
     
     
         20 . The system administration program of  claim 17 , wherein the Task-manager further includes a resource file.