Abstract: A network system management system comprises a set of management services for managing a set of devices through a network, and a set of service containers in which each service container is associated with management services and enforces regulations that are common among the associated management services. Each service container creates service providers that each creates a respective management service, in response to a service request, for use in managing the devices. Each service container comprises a service factory that registers services with an internal registry in association with a service provider, registers the services with an external registry in association with the service factory, and controls access by a user session to the services that are registered with the external registry, based on the pertinent service container-based regulations. The system provides for simple plug-in deployment of services into the system, and management of such services within the system.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for enabling new task types to be added to a management server without changing the source code of the management server. To add a new task type, a descriptor file is provided. This descriptor file specifies all of the particulars of the new task type. Any mechanisms referred to in the descriptor file are also provided. At startup time, the management server processes the descriptor file and forms associations between the various aspects of the task type with the mechanisms that are responsible for implementing those various aspects. At runtime, these associations are used to manage the definition and execution of tasks of that task type. By doing so, the management server enables new task types to be added, and enables task instances of the new task types to be defined and executed, without changing the source code of the management server.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for enabling new task types to be added to a management server without changing the source code of the management server. To add a new task type, a descriptor file is provided. This descriptor file specifies all of the particulars of the new task type. Any mechanisms referred to in the descriptor file are also provided. At startup time, the management server processes the descriptor file and forms associations between the various aspects of the task type with the mechanisms that are responsible for implementing those various aspects. At runtime, these associations are used to manage the definition and execution of tasks of that task type. By doing so, the management server enables new task types to be added, and enables task instances of the new task types to be defined and executed, without changing the source code of the management server.

Abstract: A mechanism for managing network devices using a server with multiple network interfaces includes management agents executing on managed devices, wherein all the agents that share a single instance of a management server, or that are logically partitioned, are said to be in a single “server context”. Each server context can manage devices from any of multiple network interfaces of a server machine, that are associated with a given server context. Managed devices that are registered to be managed as part of a given server context are managed based on policies associated with the server context. Managed devices that are registered to be managed through one network interface of a server context of the management server may be communicatively isolated from managed devices that are registered to be managed through another network interface of the same server context of the management server.