Apparatus, system, and method for wireless management of a distributed computer system

1. A computer implemented method of remotely managing a distributed computer network system, the method comprising: sending network management information from a wireless device on a first wireless network using a stateless protocol to a wireless server application running on a wireless server, wherein the wireless device includes a virtual machine which sends the network management information; receiving the network management information at the wireless server application from the wireless device via a packet-switched network using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP); wherein the wireless server application has a transformation engine and a system interface engine; parsing, by the wireless server, the network management information in the stateless protocol; sending, by the wireless server, the parsed information to the transformation engine; determining, at the transformation engine, the type of network management request based on parameters in the request, wherein the transformation engine uses an Application Programming Interface (API) exposed by the system interface engine to generate a request data object based on network management parameters extracted from the network management information; transforming, by the transformation engine, the parsed management information to a format for use by a management server at the distributed computer network system; wherein the management server facilitates the monitoring and management of the distributed computer network system via the wireless client; performing a search, by the system interface engine to complete a call to the management server; presenting to the management server, by the system interface engine, the call corresponding to the network management information; processing, by the management server, the system call for at least one device of the distributed computer network system and receiving a response to the processing; sending the result of the processing to the system interface engine; sending the result of the processing from the system interface engine to the transformation engine; generating, by the transformation engine, a response in a stateless protocol corresponding to the result of the processing; sending the response to the wireless device through the packet-switched network; and presenting, via the wireless device, the response to an administrator using a GUI on the wireless device, wherein the wireless server operates as a transparent interface between the wireless client and a network management application of the management server by communicating with the wireless client via the HTTP and with the network management application via Java data objects, and the wireless server further operates as a transparent interface between the network management application and the packet-switched network via the HTTP and the Java data objects, the method further comprising: performing, via the wireless server, transformation and interface functions to generate the Java data objects; and after receiving a HTTP network management request posted by the wireless client, the wireless server initiates a session via the wireless server, parses the HTTP network management request to extract appropriate request parameters, and forwards the request parameters to the transformation engine; wherein the network management information includes commands of set preferences and/or monitor performance, the commands configured to enable remote management functions of the distributed computer network system; and wherein the request data object comprises a control request that changes, reconfigures and controls devices, engines and objects in the system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless server application communicates with the management server over a SSL and wherein the network management information is generated from input to the GUI on the wireless device by the administrator.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wireless device is unable to communicate with the management server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the management server is able to construct, remove, and modify logical and virtual entities including virtual private networks, file systems, and logical storage volumes in response to network management information.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the distributed computer network system includes storage devices, server computers, switches, and routers.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the stateless protocol includes HTTP and the transformation engine creates responses in XML, that conform to HTTP and wherein the wireless server determines whether the network management information corresponds to a report request or the control request.

7. A system for managing a distributed computer network system, the system comprising: a wireless device comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a first wireless network, wherein the wireless device includes a virtual machine which sends network management information; a wireless server application running on a wireless server; wherein the wireless server application has a transformation engine and a system interface engine; a management server; the distributed computer network system; and computer-executable logic operating in memory, wherein the computer-executable program logic is configured for execution of: sending the network management information from the wireless device on the first wireless network using a stateless protocol to the wireless server application running on the wireless server; receiving the network management information at the wireless server application from the wireless device via a packet-switched network using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP); parsing, by the wireless server, the network management information in the stateless protocol; sending, by the wireless server, the parsed information to the transformation engine; determining, at the transformation engine, the type of network management request based on parameters in the request, wherein the transformation engine uses an Application Programming Interface (API) exposed by the system interface engine to generate a request data object based on network management parameters extracted from the network management information; transforming, by the transformation engine, the parsed management information to a format for use by the management server at the distributed computer network system; wherein the management server facilitates the monitoring and management of the distributed computer network system via the wireless client; performing a search, by the system interface engine to complete a call to the management server; presenting to the management server, by the system interface engine, the call corresponding to the network management information; processing, by the management server, the system call for at least one device of the distributed computer network system and receiving a response to the processing; sending the result of the processing to the system interface engine; sending the result of the processing from the system interface engine to the transformation engine; generating, by the transformation engine, a response in a stateless protocol corresponding to the result of the processing; sending the response to the wireless device through the packet-switched network; and presenting, via the wireless device, the response to an administrator using a GUI on the wireless device, wherein the wireless server operates as a transparent interface between the wireless client and a network management application of the management server by communicating with the wireless client via the HTTP and with the network management application via Java data objects, and the wireless server further operates as a transparent interface between the network management application and the packet-switched network via the HTTP and the Java data objects; the method further comprising: performing, via the wireless server, transformation and interface functions to generate the Java data objects; and after receiving a HTTP network management request posted by the wireless client, the wireless server initiates a session via the wireless server, parses the HTTP network management request to extract appropriate request parameters, and forwards the request parameters to the transformation engine; wherein the network management information includes commands of set preferences and/or monitor performance, the commands configured to enable remote management functions of the distributed computer network system; and wherein the request data object comprises a control request that changes, reconfigures and controls devices, engines and objects in the system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the wireless server application communicates with the management server over a SSL and wherein the network management information is generated from input to the GUI on the wireless device by the administrator.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the wireless device is unable to communicate with the management server.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the management server is able to construct, remove, and modify logical and virtual entities including virtual private networks, file systems, and logical storage volumes in response to network management information.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the distributed computer network system includes storage devices, server computers, switches, and routers.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the stateless protocol includes HTTP and the transformation engine creates responses in XML, that conform to HTTP and wherein the wireless server determines whether the network management information corresponds to a report request or the control request.

13. A computer program product for remotely managing a distributed computer network system, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable program code enabled for execution of: sending network management information from a wireless device on a first wireless network using a stateless protocol to a wireless server application running on a wireless server, wherein the wireless device includes a virtual machine which sends the network management information; receiving the network management information at the wireless server application from the wireless device via a packet-switched network using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP); wherein the wireless server application has a transformation engine and a system interface engine; parsing, by the wireless server, the network management information in the stateless protocol; sending, by the wireless server, the parsed information to the transformation engine; determining, at the transformation engine, the type of network management request based on parameters in the request, wherein the transformation engine uses an Application Programming Interface (API) exposed by the system interface engine to generate a request data object based on network management parameters extracted from the network management information; transforming, by the transformation engine, the parsed management information to a format for use by a management server at the distributed computer network system; wherein the management server facilitates the monitoring and management of the distributed computer network system via the wireless client; performing a search, by the system interface engine to complete a call to the management server; presenting to the management server, by the system interface engine, the call corresponding to the network management information; processing, by the management server, the system call for at least one device of the distributed computer network system and receiving a response to the processing; sending the result of the processing to the system interface engine; sending the result of the processing from the system interface engine to the transformation engine; generating, by the transformation engine, a response in a stateless protocol corresponding to the result of the processing; sending the response to the wireless device through the packet-switched network; and presenting, via the wireless device, the response to an administrator using a GUI on the wireless device, wherein the wireless server operates as a transparent interface between the wireless client and a network management application of the management server by communicating with the wireless client via the HTTP and with the network management application via Java data objects, and the wireless server further operates as a transparent interface between the network management application and the packet-switched network via the HTTP and the Java data objects; the method further comprising: performing, via the wireless server, transformation and interface functions to generate the Java data objects; and after receiving a HTTP network management request posted by the wireless client, the wireless server initiates a session via the wireless server, parses the HTTP network management request to extract appropriate request parameters, and forwards the request parameters to the transformation engine; wherein the network management information includes commands of set preferences and/or monitor performance, the commands configured to enable remote management functions of the distributed computer network system; and wherein the request data object comprises a control request that changes, reconfigures and controls devices, engines and objects in the system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the wireless server application communicates with the management server over a SSL and wherein the network management information is generated from input to the GUI on the wireless device by the administrator.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the wireless device is unable to communicate with the management server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the management server is able to construct, remove, and modify logical and virtual entities including virtual private networks, file systems, and logical storage volumes in response to network management information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the distributed computer network system includes storage devices, server computers, switches, and routers.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the stateless protocol includes HTTP and the transformation engine creates responses in XML, that conform to HTTP and wherein the wireless server determines whether the network management information corresponds to a report request or the control request.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the request data object comprises a query for network information.

20. The system of claim 7 wherein the request data object comprises a query for network information.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the commands configured to enable remote management functions of the distributed computer network system include a command instructing the management server to perform a poll of devices in the distributed computer network system, the command configured to enable a filter that limits the polled devices to a selected device type.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing, by the wireless device via the management server, remote network management tasks, the network management tasks comprising:

construction, removal, or modification of logical or virtual entities, the logical or virtual entities including virtual private networks, file systems, logical storage volumes, computing clusters, and communication paths;

modification of attributes or parameters including names, addresses, priorities, permitted modes of operation, access controls, capacities, and levels of service; and

assignment of resources to, and removal of resources from, applications, including assignment of storage resources to a database application, and the assignment of network load balancing resources to an application such as a web server.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing a search, by the system interface engine to complete a call to the management server includes utilizing the type of request and type of data object to locate a service object corresponding to the requested service.

24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising loading the wireless client onto a cellular telephone.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network management application is executable by the management server, the management server residing between the wireless server and the distributed computer network system.