Patent ID: 7761794
Filing Date: 2010-07-20
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for integrated audit and configuration comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a request from a user to analyze first configuration information with a second set of configuration information; receiving the first configuration information; analyzing one or more parameters of the first configuration information with the second set of configuration information to result in creating and storing comparison information; displaying the comparison information including displaying parameters of the first configuration that do not conform with the parameters of the second configuration; choosing one or more action mechanisms to display to the user for each of the one or more parameters based on the comparison information including the non-conforming parameters; enabling the user to select a displayed action mechanism to perform one or more actions associated with the one or more action mechanisms; based on the user's selection, generating instructions and applying changes to the first configuration information; wherein the one or more action mechanisms comprise at least one from a group consisting of toggle actions, wizard actions, and lockdown actions; wherein each of the one or more action mechanisms has separate properties and characteristics and performs separate changes to the first configuration file; receiving a second request from the user to perform one action of the one or more actions; performing the one action; wherein the second request is one of one or more requests to perform one or more corresponding actions; performing the one or more corresponding actions based on the one or more requests to perform actions by constructing a new configuration information based on the first configuration information and each of the one or more corresponding actions; checking the new configuration against an object model of acceptable configurations, wherein the object model comprises constraints for each parameter in the configuration, interrelations among those parameters, and how those parameters relate as a whole to the device being configured; if the changes are not acceptable, displaying a summary of problems.