Patent ID: 8146098

Claim:
A method of interfacing with a computer user to display computer systems management information, the method comprising: determining a first association between a first systems management variable and a first zone of a first multi-zone shape; determining a second association between a second systems management variable and a second zone of the first multi-zone shape; determining a first state associated with the first systems management variable; determining a second state associated with the second systems management variable; rendering the first multi-zone shape to be indicative of (i) the first state of the first systems management variable in the first zone of the first multi-zone shape and (ii) the second state of the second systems management variable in the second zone of the first multi-zone shape; rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes; generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with the first zone of the first multi-zone shape; and generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with the second zone of the first multi-zone shape, the second software event being different than the first software event.