Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for providing user interface information associated with a computing system

1. A method for providing user interface (UI) information, the method comprising:

receiving, from a requesting entity, a request for information associated with a computing system element of a computing system, wherein the computing system element includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a hardware element or a virtual machine;

selecting, using data from the request, a user interface (UI) element for representing the computing system element from a repository comprising a set of UI elements for representing various elements of the computing system, wherein selecting the UI element includes modifying the UI element to include state information associated with the computing system element of the computing system; and

providing, to the requesting entity, UI information for displaying the UI element, wherein providing the UI information includes providing a uniform resource identifier (URI) for downloading the UI element in an extensible markup language (XML) payload, wherein the XML payload includes at least one tag indicating at least one URI for downloading at least one variant of the UI element.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

prior to receiving the request, populating the repository with the set of UI elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the UI element includes at least one action selected from a group consisting of obtaining the UI element, generating the UI element, resizing the UI element, modifying characteristics associated with the UI element, modifying a format of the UI element, modifying a resolution of the UI element, modifying the UI element to include an operation status associated with the computing system element of the computing system, and modifying the UI element to include statistical information associated with the computing system element of the computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the UI information includes providing the UI information via at least one member selected from a group consisting of an application programming interface (API) related message, a representational state transfer (REST) API related message, an extensible markup language (XML) related message, a file transfer protocol (FTP) message, a secure FTP (SFTP) message, an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message, and some other technique for delivering the UI element to the requesting entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the UI element includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of an image, an icon, a graphic, a visual element, a tactile element, an aural element, and a multimedia element.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing system includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, multiple computing platforms, multiple computing devices, a backend computing system, a network-connected computing system, and a computing system comprising elements from various manufacturers.

7. A system for providing user interface (UI) information, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

a user interface information provider (UIIP) module utilizing the at least one processor and the memory, wherein the UIIP module is configured to receive, from a requesting entity, a request for information associated with a computing system element of a computing system, wherein the computing system element includes a hardware element or a virtual machine, to select, using information from the request, a user interface (UI) element for representing the computing system element from a repository comprising a set of UI elements for representing various elements of the computing system, wherein selecting the UI element includes modifying the UI element to include state information associated with the computing system element of the computing system, and to provide, to the requesting entity, UI information for displaying the UI element, wherein providing the UI information includes providing a uniform resource identifier (URI) for downloading the UI element in an extensible markup language (XML) payload, wherein the XML payload includes at least one tag indicating at least one URI for downloading at least one variant of the UI element.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the UIIP module is configured to populate the repository with the set of UI elements prior to receiving the request.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the UIIP module is configured to perform at least one action selected from a group consisting of obtaining the UI element, generating the UI element, resizing the UI element, modifying characteristics associated with the UI element, modifying a format of the UI element, modifying a resolution of the UI element, modifying the UI element to include an operation status associated with the computing system element of the computing system, and modifying the UI element to include statistical information associated with the computing system element of the computing system.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the UIIP module is configured to provide the UI information via at least one member selected from a group consisting of an application programming interface (API) related message, a representational state transfer (REST) API related message, an extensible markup language (XML) related message, a file transfer protocol (FTP) message, a secure FTP (SFTP) message, an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message, and an alternate technique for delivering the UI element to the requesting entity.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the UI element includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of an image, an icon, a graphic, a visual element, a tactile element, an aural element, and a multimedia element.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the computing system includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, multiple computing platforms, multiple computing devices, a backend computing system, a network-connected computing system, and a computing system comprising elements from various manufacturers.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving, from a requesting entity, a request for information associated with a computing system element of a computing system, wherein the computing system element includes a hardware element or a virtual machine;

selecting, using data from the request, a user interface (UI) element for representing the computing system element from a repository comprising a set of UI elements for representing various elements of the computing system, wherein selecting the UI element includes modifying the UI element to include state information associated with the computing system element of the computing system; and

providing, to the requesting entity, UI information for displaying the UI element, wherein providing the UI information includes providing a uniform resource identifier (URI) for downloading the UI element in an extensible markup language (XML) payload, wherein the XML payload includes at least one tag indicating at least one URI for downloading at least one variant of the UI element.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 comprising:

prior to receiving the request, populating the repository with the set of UI elements.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein selecting the UI element includes at least one action selected from a group consisting of obtaining the UI element, generating the UI element, resizing the UI element, modifying characteristics associated with the UI element, modifying a format of the UI element, modifying a resolution of the UI element, modifying the UI element to include an operation status associated with the computing system element of the computing system, and modifying the UI element to include statistical information associated with the computing system element of the computing system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the UI element includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of an image, an icon, a graphic, a visual element, a tactile element, an aural element, and a multimedia element.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computing system includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, multiple computing platforms, multiple computing devices, a backend computing system, a network-connected computing system, and a computing system comprising elements from various manufacturers.