Object-oriented system using objects representing hardware devices, physical connectors and connections between the physical connectors for configuring a computer

摘要

An object-oriented hardware configuration system for enabling centralized user configuration of hardware in a computer system includes a plurality of object-oriented hardware interface objects each representing a hardware device physical connector, and a plurality of object-oriented hardware module objects. Each of the hardware module objects represents a hardware device that is user-configurable. Each of the hardware module objects includes one or more hardware interface objects associated with the hardware device such that connectors of the hardware device are defined. An object-oriented hardware configuration object is provided, wherein the hardware configuration object includes a plurality of hardware module objects that represent hardware devices connected to a particular computer system. The hardware configuration object defines a hardware configuration of the particular computer system. A user may access the hardware configuration object to configure the hardware devices connected to the particular computer system.