Patent ID: 7171623
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A node exposing method, comprising: obtaining from a display map, references corresponding to a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is associated with a display element displayable in said display map, wherein each display element displays a plurality of selectively presentable attributes, wherein each attribute is alternately presented in one of a plurality of pre-selected visual formats, each visual format corresponding to a different discrete quantized value obtained by quantizing a range of continuous data based upon a user-supplied instruction, and wherein each node represents a component in a complex heterogeneous system; receiving at least one data metric from said component; converting said at least one data metric into an updated quantized value obtained by quantizing another range of continuous data based upon another user-supplied instruction; and providing said updated value to said display map, said display map updating at least one corresponding display element in the display map to reflect the updated value, wherein said obtaining, said receiving, said converting, and said providing steps are performed within a software agent, wherein said software agent is a platform-independent software object; wherein said display map simultaneously displays said display elements in a planar fashion connected by visual lines illustrating communication links existing between each of the nodes represented by the display elements.