Abstract: An apparatus, method, system and computer program product for allowing a command to be entered once and be translated into different command structures and be executed by computer systems running under different operating systems and having different command structures are provided. The command is entered into a common interface. The common interface translates the command into the different command structures and dispatches the command to the computer systems for execution. The common interface also requests that command execution progress status be provided by the computer systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for ascertaining that all computer systems in a network are accessible before dispatching a remote command to the systems are provided. Upon entering a command to be executed by the network computer systems in a common interface, the common interface pings each of the systems to determine their accessibility. To minimize command execution errors, the command is only sent to the systems that are determined to be accessible. Further a computer system that fails to successfully execute the command is automatically investigated and a reason for the failure corrected. The command is then automatically re-dispatched to the computer system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for displaying system management command execution status in real-time are provided. The apparatus and method display a window that is divided into a plurality of sub-windows. One sub-window is used to display all the computers on which the system command has not yet started to execute. Another sub-window is used to display all computer systems on which the execution of the command has started. One sub-window is used to display all computer systems that have not successfully completed the command and another sub-window is used to display all computer systems that have successfully executed the command. When a computer system, displayed in the window displaying all computer systems that have started execution of the command, is highlighted or selected, the real-time progress of the execution of the command is displayed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for interfacing an existing system management software user interface with a new system management software utility are provided. The method and apparatus comprises a cross-referencing table that is used to translate communication between the user interface and the new system management software utility using a set of specifications from both the user interface and the new utility.

Abstract: A data processing system and method of operating a graphical user interface of a data processing system are described. According to the method, a dropdown widget is displayed within the display device of a data processing system. In response to selection of the drop-down widget, a drop-down list is displayed, which contains a plurality of choices. The user is then permitted to select multiple choices from the drop-down list in response the single selection of the drop-down widget. In one embodiment, the drop-down list includes a plurality of preferences that are each displayed in association with a respective control element, such as a radio button.