Method and apparatus for configuring a server

1. A method comprising:

identifying an operating system level of a target server;

determining one or more security levels for the target server based on the identified operating system level of the target server;

selecting one of the one or more security levels for the target server; and

identifying at least one role for the target server based on the selected security level;

obtaining a current configuration from the target server, the current configuration including one or more roles that the target server is capable of performing;

assigning one of the one or more roles to the target server that the target server is capable of performing, wherein the assigned one of the one or more roles is also the at least one role identified based on the selected security level;

identifying one or more services associated with the one assigned role;

identifying one or more ports associated with the one assigned role

presenting the identified services and ports associated with the one assigned role to a user; and

requesting the user to select among the identified ports for activation in the target server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified services and ports are limited to those that are relevant based on information obtained from a knowledge base.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified services and ports are limited to those that are relevant based on information regarding a target server.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the selected services and ports.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the services associated with the one assigned role and the ports associated with the one assigned role are identified from a knowledge base.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deactivating unselected services and ports.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an output file containing services and ports selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying details regarding the one assigned role in response to a request by the user.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a list of options for handling a service associated with the target server that is not defined in a knowledge base.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising requesting the user to select an option for handling the service.

11. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method claimed in claim 1 .

12. A method comprising:

identifying an operating system level of a target server;

determining one or more security levels for the target server based on the identified operating system level of the target server;

selecting one of the one or more security levels for the target server; and

identifying at least one role for the target server based on the selected security level;

obtaining a current configuration from a target server, the current configuration including one or more roles that the target sewer is capable of performing;

assigning one of the one or more roles to the target server that the target server is capable of performing, wherein the assigned one of the one or more roles is also the at least one role identified based on the selected security level;

identifying one or more services associated with the one assigned role;

displaying the identified services associated with the one assigned role;

allowing a user to modify the displayed services;

identifying the modified services as active services and identifying unmodified services as inactive services;

generating an output file that includes identities of the active services; and

transforming the output file into at least one of one or more native scripts or one or more configuration files for application on the target server.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying services associated with the one assigned role includes retrieving data from a knowledge base.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating an output file containing services modified by the user.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user is responsible for configuring the target server.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating an output file includes generating an XML file.

17. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method claimed in claim 12 .

18. A method comprising:

identifying an operating system level of a target server;

determining one or more security levels for the target server based on the identified operating system level of the target server;

selecting one of the one or more security levels for the target server; and

identifying at least one role for the target server based on the selected security level;

obtaining a current configuration from a target server, the current configuration including one or more roles that the target server is capable of performing;

assigning one of the one or more roles to the target server that the target server is capable of performing, wherein the assigned one of the one or more roles is also the at least one role identified based on the selected security level;

identifying one or more ports associated with the one assigned role;

presenting the identified ports associated with the one assigned role to a user;

requesting the user to select among the identified ports associated with the one assigned role; and

identifying the selected ports as active ports and identifying unselected ports as inactive ports;

generating an output file that includes identities of the active services; and

transforming the output file into at least one of one or more native scripts or one or more configuration files for application on the target server.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the generating an output file includes generating an XML file.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more ports are identified using information contained in a knowledge base.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising identifying one or more services associated with the one assigned role.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

displaying one or more ports associated with the one assigned role; and

requesting the user to select among the one or more ports to activate in the target server.

23. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method claimed in claim 18 .

24. An apparatus comprising:

a pre-processor to receive information regarding server roles from a knowledge base and to receive characteristics of a target server, the characteristics including:

an operating system level of the target server;

one or more security levels associated with the operating system level of the target server,

one or more roles that the target server is capable of performing, wherein the pre-processor generates a file that includes one of the one or more roles that the target server is capable of performing, the one of the one or more roles being assigned to the target server and identified based on a security level selected from the one or more security levels, and wherein information in the file regarding services and ports associated with the server roles is presented to a user for selection; and

a configuration engine coupled to the pre-processor, wherein the configuration engine configures the target server based on the user's selection of services and ports.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a user interface application to generate an output file identifying services selected by the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a user interface application to generate an output file identifying ports selected by the user.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the configuration engine applies the output file when configuring the target server.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the configuration engine applies the output file when configuring the target server.

29. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

identifying an operating system level of a target server;

determining one or more security levels for the target server based on the identified operating system level of the target server;

selecting one of the one or more security levels for the target server; and

identifying at least one role for the target server based on the selected security level;

obtaining a current configuration from the target server, the current configuration including one or more roles that the target server is capable of performing;

selecting one of the one or more roles to the target server that the target server is capable of performing, wherein the selected one of the one or more roles is also the at least one role identified based on the selected security level;

identify one or more services associated with the selected role;

identify one or more ports associated with the selected role;

display the identified services and ports associated with the selected role; and

receive selected services and ports to be activated on the target server.

30. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 29 , wherein the one or more processors further activate the selected services and ports during configuration of the target server.

31. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 29 , wherein the one or more processors further deactivate unselected services and ports during configuration of the target server.

32. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 29 , wherein the one or more processors further identify the one or more services and the one or more ports associated with the selected role are identified from a knowledge base.

33. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 29 , wherein the one or more processors further display one or more options for handling a service associated with the target server that is not defined in a knowledge base.