Configuring computing devices using a template

Abstract

According to example implementations, computing devices are configured using a template. The template specifies at least one computing device property and backup control information relating to backing up data from the computing devices to a backup system. The computing devices are reconfigured in response to modification of the template.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 configuring a plurality of computing devices using a template that specifies at least one computing device property and backup control information relating to backing up data from the computing devices to a backup system; and   responsive to a change of the template, reconfiguring the plurality of computing devices according to the changed template.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein configuring the computing devices comprises computing agents in the computing devices that perform backup operations to the backup system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 setting provisioning information associated with a particular one of the computing devices, the provisioning information indicating that configuration of the particular computing device is based on the template.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the provisioning information includes an association indication to indicate that the particular computing device is to be configured using the template, and wherein the provisioning information is without the association indication to indicate that the particular computing device is not to be configured using the template. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving input to disassociate the particular computing device from the template.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reconfiguring comprises:
 determining whether the change of the template would affect an ongoing operation of a particular computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the reconfiguring comprises:
 in response to determining that the change of the template would not affect the ongoing operation, applying the changed template to the particular computing device without waiting for the ongoing operation to complete.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the reconfiguring comprises:
 in response to determining that the change of the template would affect the ongoing operation, waiting for the ongoing operation to complete and applying the changed template to the particular computing device after the ongoing operation completes.   
     
     
         9 . An article comprising at least one machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:
 receive input information that relates to content of a template useable to configure computing devices, the template specifying at least one computing device property and backup control information relating to backing up data from the computing devices to a backup system;   create the template based on the received input information;   configure the computing devices based on the template;   receive further input information relating to modification of the template;   modify the template based on the received further input information; and   trigger reconfiguration of the computing devices in response to the modified template.   
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein configuring the computing devices comprises setting the at least one computing device property and the backup control information of each of the computing devices in a configuration system. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to further update provisioning information for the computing devices to associate the computing devices with the template. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to further:
 receive additional information specifying disassociation of a particular one of the computing devices from the template; and   update provisioning information for the particular computing device to disassociate the particular computing device from the template.   
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the input information and receiving the further input information are from a management interface device. 
     
     
         14 . A configuration system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   configuration code executable on the at least one processor to:
 configure, using a template, computing devices, wherein the template specifies at least one computing device property and backup control information relating to backing up data from each of the computing devices to a backup system; and 
 reconfigure the computing devices in response to modification of the template. 
   
     
     
         15 . The configuration system of  claim 14 , wherein the backup control information includes a backup policy that specifies at least one selected from among: a schedule for performing backup, and a retention policy for backup data. 
     
     
         16 . The configuration system of  claim 14 , wherein the backup control information includes a backup rule identifying a type of data to backup. 
     
     
         17 . The configuration system of  claim 14 , further comprising a configuration database to store configuration data for the computing devices, wherein the configuration database includes configuration data instances for the respective computing devices, and wherein each of the configuration data instances includes at least one computing device property and backup control information,
 wherein the configuration code is configured to set the configuration data instances based on the template.   
     
     
         18 . The configuration system of  claim 17 , further comprising a database server module to access the configuration data instances in response to requests from the computing devices. 
     
     
         19 . The configuration system of  claim 14 , wherein the computing devices include data servers having backup agents to back up data from the data servers to a backup system.