Abstract: A method and apparatus enhancing software catalog manageability, providing abstract software configuration, and desired state management. A first mechanism enhances software catalog manageability. The first mechanism includes a software model that separates metadata of software from actual binaries of the software. A second mechanism abstracts software configuration for automation. The second mechanism includes a hierarchical software resource template structure that specifies parameters, dependencies between parameters, features, options, and parameters that cannot be predefined. A third mechanism provides for desired state management and patch compliance assessments. The third mechanism checks against a server template or software resource in a data center model against what is installed on actual machines to determine compliance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for testing compatibility of software versions, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of performing an inventory on an existing set of software modules resident in the data processing system responsive to an installation of a new software module in a data processing system; referring to a knowledge base of versions of respective software modules to determine whether the new software module is compatible with the existing set of software modules; and testing the new software module in a test data processing system in combination with the existing set of software modules in response to a negative determination.

Abstract: A family of Java interfaces defines methods to provide common information about a property, such as data type and editing capabilities. The interfaces identify the methods used to get generic metadata. Implementers may extend these classes, as needed, to provide the metadata for their specific properties. The common metadata description interface of the present invention allows multiple metadata sources to be used interchangeably within the same software product without the software code being specifically written for each metadata source.

Abstract: A method of monitoring data distribution progress in a computer network including a Distribution Manager and an end-user terminal communicating with the Distribution Manager through at least one node in the network. The Distribution Manager generates an identifier associated with the distribution along with a routing to the end-user terminal through the network. The Distribution Manager updates a Distribution State Table, maintaining information describing the progress of the distribution, and a Node State Table, maintaining information describing the status of the node in the network. The distribution data is then sent to the end-user terminal via the selected routing. Data are collected at the node from the end-user terminal describing the status of the end-user terminal and those data are transferred to the Distribution Manager. The Distribution Manager updates the distribution State and Node State Tables with the data received from the Node.

Abstract: A family of Java interfaces defines methods to provide common information about a property, such as data type and editing capabilities. The interfaces identify the methods used to get generic metadata. Implementers may extend these classes, as needed, to provide the metadata for their specific properties. The common metadata description interface of the present invention allows multiple metadata sources to be used interchangeably within the same software product without the software code being specifically written for each metadata source.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for presenting actions associated with an object displayed in a graphical user interface in a data processing system. Actions are dynamically associated with the object. In response to a selection of the object, the actions are presented in the graphical user interface.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product for selecting and displaying graphical user interfaces for editing properties are provided. With the apparatus, method and computer program product, metadata associated with a property is analyzed to determine a type of editor associated with the property. This determination may include identifying one or more PropertyEditor Interface methods invoked by the property editor. Based on the type of editor associated with the property, one of a number of predetermined graphical user interfaces is selected. The selected graphical user interface is provided to a user who may use the graphical user interface to thereby edit the property.

Abstract: In scripting connections between objects within a component software architecture, a generic event processing module is provided to listen to all possible events. Objects registered for scripting are introspected to determine all events which may be fired by the object. In the case of the Java beans specification, this includes both Java-defined and user-defined events. One or more event listener classes for user-defined events may then be created, instantiated and added to the registered objects at runtime. When an event is fired and detected by a system listener, the appropriate event listener notifies the client, which may be a scripting component. The client may then take appropriate action. With an event processing module as described, event sinks need not be wrapped to become event listeners and event sources need not be wrapped to generate events in a specific manner. Events may be passed between sources and sinks without either knowing of the existence of the other.

Abstract: A scripting environment component provides predefined interfaces for scripting registered objects. A scripting component implemented for a user-selected scripting language, which implements all methods and interfaces specific to the selected scripting language, connects a scripting engine for the selected language to the scripting environment and the objects registered with the scripting environment. Scripting components for specific scripting languages are subclassed from a generic scripting component. To create and edit scripts connecting objects registered with the scripting environment, the appropriate scripting component is selected to provide connections between the scripting engine for the selected scripting language and the interfaces defined by the scripting environment. Runtime-only information for generated scripts may be saved to a separate storage space. At runtime, the scripts may call other scripts, possibly written in a different language, and respond to events fired by a registered object.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for combining existing objects is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting a selection of existing objects to combine, retrieving the methods and attributes of the selected objects, applying a composition rule to the retrieved methods and attributes to define combined methods and attributes, and storing references to the combined methods and attributes to the composite object. The present invention also comprises an article of manufacture, tangibly embodying a series of instructions for performing the above steps. The apparatus comprises a processor for selecting existing objects and for applying a composition rule to the retrieved objects and methods and an I/O device for retrieving the methods an attributes for the selected objects and for storing references to the combined methods and attributes.

Abstract: For scripting objects in a component software architecture, a generic IDE interface to scripting IDEs is defined to allow connection to a language-specific scripting IDE preferred by a user. IDE class information--methods, properties, and events, including callback methods--for IDE editable objects are saved with an IDE instance of the IDE editable objects corresponding to objects registered for scripting. The IDE instance and its handle are connected to a scripting component through a corresponding Java object and handle. Language-specific scripting IDEs may thus be connected to a scripting component for a different language-specific scripting engine. Any scripting IDE may therefore be utilized for creation and execution of scripts written in a specific language for any scripting engine, allowing the user to employ a preferred scripting IDE regardless of the scripting language selected to connect registered objects.