Patent ID: 8996671
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of providing service-provider-specific link data to a client computer, the method comprising: at a storage management server, the storage management server being configured to provide management services for a data storage system, sending an identification number of the storage management server to a database application; at the storage management server, receiving, from the database application, a set of link descriptors, the set of link descriptors identifying a set of link addresses to a particular remote storage support server of a plurality of remote storage support servers, the particular remote storage support server being associated with the identification number; at the storage management server, integrating system-specific status information into the link addresses of the set of link addresses, thereby generating the service-provider-specific link data; and at the storage management server, sending the service-provider-specific link data to the client computer to allow the client computer to display links to a user which allow the user to receive service-provider-specific support services from the service-provider; wherein: the database application runs on a server remote from the storage management server, the database application being configured to access a first database and a second database stored on the remote server; sending the identification number of the storage management server to the database application includes sending the identification number to the database application running on the remote server over a network connection; receiving the set of link descriptors from the database application includes receiving the set of link descriptors over the network connection from the database application running on the remote server, further including receiving a first file in markup language format, the first file specifying the set of link descriptors, the set of link descriptors corresponding to web-based support services provided by the service-provider, the set of link descriptors also indicating what system-specific status information should be integrated into each link address; integrating the system-specific status information into the link addresses of the set of link addresses includes modifying the link addresses by including parameters indicative of an error state of the data storage system; sending the service-provider-specific link data to the client computer includes sending a second file in markup language format to the client computer, the second file specifying the set of link descriptors including the modified set of link addresses; the client computer is configured to: the method further includes: