Aggregation and integration scheme for grid relevant customization information

1. A method comprising:

storing configuration settings, in a grid computer network, used to control and customize a plurality of applications operating in the grid computer network;

generating, in a computer system in the grid computer network, a proxy layer including a definition scheme that:

describes names of the configuration settings by defining configuration element entries that correspond to the configuration settings, one of the configuration element entries being an application-specific configuration element entry and corresponding to one of the configuration settings used to control and customize a specific application from the plurality of applications; and

links the application-specific configuration setting with an application-specific access handler, the access handler directly linked and providing access to the application-specific configuration setting;

accessing the application-specific configuration element entry in the definition scheme such that the application-specific configuration element entry directs the access, via the application-specific access handler, to the application-specific configuration setting; and

customizing the specific application by using the accessed application-specific configuration setting.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing aggregation entries in the definition scheme on the computer system, the aggregation entries defining aggregation methods for multiple configuration element entries.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the definition scheme includes aggregated properties.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the definition scheme includes at least one of a property name, a reference, and an aggregation expression.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the configuration element entries include at least one of an element type, a data type, a constraint, and a selection expression.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising reading the definition scheme.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the definition scheme and building an intermediate layer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the intermediate layer is the proxy the layer between the specific application and the application-specific configuration setting.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium comprising instructions which when executed on a data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to:

store configuration settings, in a grid computer network, used to control and customize a plurality of applications operating in the grid computer network;

generate, in a computer system in the grid computer network, a proxy layer including a definition scheme that:

describes names of the configuration settings by defining configuration element entries that correspond to the configuration settings, one of the configuration element entries being an application specific configuration element entry and corresponding to one of the configuration settings used to control and customize a specific application from the plurality of applications; and

links the application-specific configuration setting with an application-specific access handler, the access handler directly linked and providing access to the application-specific configuration setting;

access the application-specific configuration element entry in the definition scheme such that the application-specific configuration element entry directs the access, via the application-specific access handler, to the application-specific configuration setting; and

customize the specific application by using the accessed application-specific configuration setting.

10. The product of claim 9 , the product being operable to store aggregation entries in the definition scheme on the computer system, the aggregation entries defining aggregation methods for multiple configuration element entries.

11. The product of claim 9 wherein the definition scheme includes aggregated properties.

12. The product of claim 9 wherein the definition scheme includes at least one of a property name, a reference, and an aggregation expression.

13. The product of claim 9 wherein the configuration element entries include at least one of an element type, a data type, a constraint, an access handler, and a selection expression.

14. The product of claim 9 , the product being operable read the definition scheme.

15. The product of claim 9 , the product being operable process the definition scheme and building an intermediate layer.

16. The product of claim 15 wherein the intermediate layer is the proxy layer between the specific application and the application-specific configuration setting.

17. A system comprising:

means for storing configuration settings, in a grid computer network, used to control and customize a plurality of applications operating in the grid computer network;

means for generating, in a computer system in the grid computer network, a proxy layer including a definition scheme that:

describes names of the configuration settings by defining configuration element entries that correspond to the configuration settings, one of the configuration element entries being an application-specific configuration element entry and corresponding to one of the configuration settings used to control and customize a specific application from the plurality of applications; and

links the application-specific configuration setting with an application-specific access handler, the access handler directly linked and providing access to the application-specific configuration setting;

means for accessing the application-specific configuration element entry in the definition scheme such that the application-specific configuration element entry directs the access, via the application-specific access handler, to the application-specific configuration setting; and

means for customizing the specific application by using the accessed application-specific configuration setting.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a means for processing the definition scheme and building an intermediate layer.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the intermediate layer is the proxy layer between the specific application and the application-specific configuration setting.

20. A method comprising the steps of:

a step of storing configuration settings, in a grid computer network, used to control and customize a plurality of applications operating in the grid computer network;

a step of generating, in a computer system in the grid computer network, a proxy layer including a definition scheme that:

describes names of the configuration settings by defining configuration element entries that correspond to the configuration settings, one of the configuration element entries being an application-specific configuration element entry and corresponding to one of the configuration settings used to control and customize a specific application from the plurality of applications; and

links the application-specific configuration setting with an application-specific access handler, the access handler directly linked and providing access to the application-specific configuration setting;

a step of accessing the application-specific configuration element entry in the definition scheme such that the application-specific configuration element entry directs the access, via the application-specific access handler, to the application-specific configuration setting;

a step of customizing the specific application by using the accessed application-specific configuration setting; and

a step of processing the definition scheme and building an intermediate layer which is the proxy layer between the specific application and the application-specific configuration setting.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the one configuration setting is changed in the grid computer network, the application-specific configuration element entry is changed in the definition scheme.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein, when the one configuration setting is changed in the grid computer network, the application-specific configuration element entry is changed in the definition scheme.