Patent ID: 7895520
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for viewing scheduled activities in which at least one computer system accesses instructions from computer storage and executes the instructions to perform steps comprising: in a Storage Area Network (SAN) management application window, concurrently displaying a tree of SAN objects, an overview layout and a filter region, the tree of SAN objects being an expandable, nested hierarchy of SAN objects managed via the SAN management application; receiving a user selection in the tree of SAN objects, the user selection indicative of a set of SAN objects managed via the SAN management application; in the filter region, receiving a first selection filter indicative of qualitative attributes of SAN object activities, the SAN object activities scheduled for performing a predetermined set of instructions concerning the set of SAN objects during a predetermined reporting range, wherein receiving the first filter selection includes: selecting a type of SAN object activity and a status of the SAN object activity; refreshing the overview layout to present multiple summary depictions of SAN object activities that corresponding to the first selection filter, each of the summary depictions providing a representation of least one SAN object activity scheduled to occur during a respective scheduling interval within the predetermined reporting range; receiving a selection of a scheduling interval currently displayed in the refreshed overview layout; replacing display of the refreshed overview layout with display of a detail layout while maintaining display of the tree of SAN objects and the filter region in the SAN management application window; associating the filter region with the detail layout to allow a user to apply a second selection filter from the filter region to at least one entry in a set of entries presented by the detail layout, each entry representing a SAN object activity from a summary depiction occurring within the selected scheduling interval, each of the entries operable for receiving a detail command requesting an activity detail of a corresponding SAN object, wherein each entry is a line item corresponding to an SAN object activity having a SAN object activity type, the SAN object activity types including at least one of a task, retention period, or collection policy, further comprising grouping the entities according to at least one of activity type and status; and wherein refreshing the overview layout further comprises: for each summary depiction, displaying a synopsis icon indicating whether all of the SAN object activities in the respective summary depiction are successful; wherein associating the filter region with the detail layout to allow the user to apply the second selection filter from the filter region to at least one entry in the set of entries presented by the detail layout includes: identifying a currently displayed portion of the filter region, the filter region further (i) displaying at least one filter region control and (ii) providing a display of a selectable tab for accessing a topological view of the Storage Area Network; and upon presenting the detail layout, inserting at least one selectable menu into the currently displayed portion of the filter region while the filter region maintains display of the filter region control and the selectable tab, the selectable menu providing at least one selectable search criteria for defining the second selection filter.