Methods, systems, and computer program products for instantiating a device driver for communication with a device by dynamically associating the device driver at run-time with a device-specific and/or service-specific software component
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for instantiating a device driver for communication with a device by dynamically associating the device driver at run-time with a device-specific software component. For example, in some embodiments, a device driver is instantiated by dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time. The first software component contains information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific type. In other embodiments, a device driver is instantiated by defining a plurality of device parameters and associating one or more of the plurality of device parameters with a service. The device parameters that are associated with the service are then dynamically communicated to the device driver at run-time.
1. A computer implemented method of instantiating a device driver, comprising:
defining a plurality of device parameters;
declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;
communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and
dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:
deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.
3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:
passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;
associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and
communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.
5. A method as recited in claim 4 ,
wherein defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:
providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
6. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:
dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
7. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:
passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.
10. A method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:
generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.
11. A computer implemented method of collecting data from a device, comprising:
defining a plurality of device parameters;
declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;
communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;
receiving a request to collect data from the device;
dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and
retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.
12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
13. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.
14. A system for instantiating a device driver, comprising:
means for defining a plurality of device parameters;
means for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
means for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
means for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
means for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object:
means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and
means for dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.
15. A system as recited in claim 14 ,
wherein the means for associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:
means for deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.
16. A system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:
means for passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.
17. A system as recited in claim 14 , further comprising:
means for defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;
means for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and
means for communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.
18. A system as recited in claim 17 ,
wherein the means for defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:
means for providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
19. A system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the means for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:
means for dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
20. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the means for communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:
means for passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
21. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
22. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the means for dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
means for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.
23. A system as recited in claim 22 , further comprising:
means for generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.
24. A system for collecting data from a device, comprising:
means for defining a plurality of device parameters;
means for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
means for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
means for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
means for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;
means for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;
means for receiving a request to collect data from the device;
means for dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and
means for retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.
25. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
26. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the means for dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
means for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.
27. A computer program product for instantiating a device driver, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code for defining a plurality of device parameters;
computer readable program code for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
computer readable program code for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
computer readable program code for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
computer readable program code for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;
computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver; and
computer readable program code for dynamically associating a first software component with the device driver at run-time, the first software component containing information that facilitates communication with devices of a specific device type.
28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27 ,
wherein the computer readable program code for associating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters with the service comprises:
computer readable program code for deriving the service-specific sub-class from the base class that defines the at least one of the plurality of device parameters that are associated with the service.
29. A computer program product as recited in claim 28 , wherein the computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to the device driver comprises:
computer readable program code for passing the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service from the service-specific sub-class object to the device driver.
30. A computer program product as recited in claim 27 , further comprising:
computer readable program code for defining a plurality of service-specific device parameters;
computer readable program code for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters; and
computer readable program code for communicating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters to the device driver.
31. A computer program product as recited in claim 30 ,
wherein the computer readable program code for defining the plurality of service-specific device parameters comprises:
computer readable program code for providing a second software component that comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
32. A computer program product as recited in claim 31 , wherein the computer readable program code for associating the device parameters with the service-specific device parameters comprises:
computer readable program code for dynamically loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
33. A computer program product as recited in claim 32 , wherein the computer readable program code for communicating the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters to the device driver comprises:
computer readable program code for passing the device parameters and the service-specific device parameters from the parameter base class object to the device driver after loading the parameter base class object with the second software component at run time.
34. A computer program product as recited in claim 27 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
35. A computer program product as recited in claim 27 , wherein the computer readable program code for dynamically associating the first software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
computer readable program code for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.
36. A computer program product as recited in claim 35 , further comprising:
computer readable program code for generating the plurality of software components based on a plurality of management information base (MIB) files, respective ones of the plurality of MIB files being associated with respective ones of the plurality of device types.
37. A computer program product for collecting data from a device, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code for defining a plurality of device parameters;
computer readable program code for declaring a parameter base class that defines the plurality of the device parameters;
computer readable program code for associating at least one of the plurality of device parameters with a service;
computer readable program code for instantiating a service-specific sub-class to create a service-specific sub-class object;
computer readable program code for instantiating the parameter base class to create a parameter base class object;
computer readable program code for communicating the at least one of the plurality of device parameters associated with the service to a device driver;
computer readable program code for receiving a request to collect data from the device;
computer readable program code for dynamically associating a software component with the device driver at run-time, the software component containing information that facilitates communication with the device; and
computer readable program code for retrieving data associated with the at least one device parameter from the device using the device driver.
38. A computer program product as recited in claim 37 , wherein the first software component comprises one of a script file and an extensible markup language (XML) file.
39. A computer program product as recited in claim 37 , wherein the computer readable program code for dynamically associating the software component with the device driver at run-time comprises:
computer readable program code for selecting the first software component from a plurality of software components, respective ones of the plurality of software components being associated with respective ones of a plurality of device types.