Patent ID: 8046457

Claim:
A system for managing network hardware, the system comprising: memory; a resource manager comprising a controller coupled to the memory; the controller of the resource manager being configured to transmit to a first management system and a second management a request for network hardware resource management information; the controller of the resource manager being configured to receive a reply from the first management system and the second management system identifying the network hardware that are respectively managed by the first management system and the second management system; the controller of the resource manager is configured to receive and store first rules from the first management system and second rules from the second management system for managing the network hardware; the controller of the resource manager is configured to determine that the first and second rules respectively from the first management system and the second management system are for managing a same network hardware in which management of the same network hardware is shared between the first management system and the second management system; the controller of the resource manager is configured to notify the first management system and the second management system that the first management system and the second management system both manage the same network hardware; and the controller of the resource manager is configured to notify the first management system and the second management system that changes to the same network hardware need to be consulted between the first management system and the second management system.