Patent ID: 7000235

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing a data service from a management terminal in a distributed computer system having a host computer system with a lookup service and at least one storage device connected to the host computer system by driver software that does not provide the data service, the method operating without reconfiguring the driver software and comprising: (a) running, in the host, management facade software that intercepts data flowing between the driver software and the storage device and redirects that data to a kernel module, which is resident on the host computer system and provides the data service by replicating data on the storage device and at least one other storage volume, and that retrieves attributes of the data service from the kernel module; (b) running, in the host, a federated bean that exports an interface containing methods that generate commands to the management facade; (c) using the lookup service to obtain a proxy to the federated bean; and (d) in response to commands received from the management terminal, using the proxy to make method calls on the federated bean interface to cause the management facade to control the data passing between the driver software and the storage device and to retrieve data service attributes in order to manage the data service.