Server based extraction, transfer, storage and processing of remote settings, files and data

• US 20020104080A1
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clouding Corporation (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Virtual Access Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Lynch, Gerard D., Woodard, Andrew Shay, Berenson, Dana Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,032,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A network based solution is described associated with the extraction, transfer, storage, and processing of application settings, files and other data from a subscriber'"'"'s source computer-based device to a server system, and the subsequent transfer of the application settings, files, and other data from the server system onto a target computer-based device. A server downloads a software module onto the user'"'"'s computer-based device. A series of pre-stored instructions commensurate with selected settings, files and data are sent from a remote server to the software module to uncover, extract, collect, and return to allocated storage space of the server the sought information. Once the application settings, files and other data are stored within the remote server system, they can be retrieved by the subscriber for purposes of restoring a crashed system, transference to a repaired or new system, converted for use on a new differing device or updated to reflect changes in software. Furthermore, the present invention allows for future compatibility of formats, programs, platforms or device configurations based on periodic updating of the instruction scripts without any modifications to the downloaded software module.

Claims

1. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, said method comprising:

a) establishing a communications link between at least one computer-based device and a remote server system;

b) downloading a software module from said remote server system to said computer-based device;

c) transferring a first directive file from said remote server system to said software module, said first directive file working in conjunction with said remote server system, said software module identifying installed computer related information on said computer-based device;

d) said remote server system receiving a second directive file from said software module regarding said identified installed computer related information;

e) receiving from said software module a selected list of installed computer related information to be uploaded to said remote server system;

f) transferring a third directive file from said remote server system to said software module, said third directive file working in conjunction with said remote server system and said software module extracting said selected list of installed computer-related information;

g) said remote server system receiving said extracted information from said software module in a fourth directive file, and

h) said remote server system parsing said fourth directive file and storing said extracted information.

2. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein one or more of said directive files are created from an XML snippet database.

3. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 2, wherein said XML snippet database is periodically updated to include new and updated operating systems.

4. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 3, wherein said step of transferring a first directive file from said remote server system to said software module further comprises:

identifying an operating system associated with said computer-based device;

said remote server system accessing said XML snippet database to identify XML snippets associated with said identified operating system, and

adding said identified XML snippets to said first directive file.

5. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 3, wherein said step of transferring a third directive file from said remote server system further comprises:

said remote server system accessing said XML snippet database to identify XML snippets associated with said selected list of information, corresponding to identified installed applications, files, and other data, to be uploaded to said remote server system, and

adding said identified snippets to said third directive file.

6. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said information comprises any of the following:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, desktop settings, e-mail settings, and address book settings.

7. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said information comprises any from the following list:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, files, desktop settings, files, data, e-mail settings, address book settings, bookmarks, and cookies.

8. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said computer-based devices include any of the following:

personal computer systems, laptops, portable computers, net devices, palm computers or telephones.

9. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said parsing of directive files is performed by an XML parser.

10. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said directive files and said stored information are in a markup based format.

12. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 1, wherein said remote server system is located within an enterprise server system.

11. A method for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 11, wherein said markup format is any of the following formats:

HTML, SGML, XML or WML.

14. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said information comprises any from the following list:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, desktop settings, e-mail settings, and address book settings.

15. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said information comprises any from the following list:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, files, desktop settings, files, data, e-mail settings, address book settings, bookmarks, and cookies.

16. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said computer-based devices include any of the following:

personal computer systems, laptops, portable computers, net devices, palm computers or telephones.

17. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said stored information and directive files are in a markup based format.

18. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 18, wherein said markup based format includes any of the following languages:

HTML, SGML, WML or XML.

19. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 19, wherein said system further includes an XML parser for parsing directive files in XML format.

20. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said network comprises any of the following:

local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Internet, HTTP-based network, wireless network or enterprise network.

21. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 14, wherein said snippet database is an XML snippet database.

13. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across an network, said system comprising:

at least one computer-based device connected to a remote server system through said network;

a software module downloaded from said remote server system to said computer-based device;

a markup based snippet database comprising application and operating system related information, said snippet database accessible by said remote server system;

a first directive file from said remote server system identifying installed applications in said computer-based device, said first directive file created by said remote server system by selective retrieval of snippets from said markup based snippet database;

a second directive file, received by said remote server system from said software module, comprising information regarding a list of selected information corresponding to identified installed applications;

a third directive file from said remote server system providing instructions for extracting said selected information, said third directive file created by said remote server system by selective retrieval of snippets from said markup based snippet database, and

said remote server system receiving and storing said extracted information.

22. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 22, wherein said XML snippet database is periodically updated to include new and updated applications.

24. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said information comprises any from the following list:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, desktop settings, e-mail settings, and address book settings.

25. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said information comprises any from the following list:

hardware settings, system settings, attached device settings, application settings, document settings, files, desktop settings, files, data, e-mail settings, address book settings, bookmarks, and cookies.

26. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said computer-based devices include any of the following:

personal computer systems, laptops, portable computers, net devices, palm computers or telephones.

27. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said directive files and stored information are in an XML format.

28. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 29, wherein said system further includes an XML parser for parsing directive files in XML format.

29. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said network comprises any of the following:

local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Internet, HTTP-based network, wireless network or enterprise network.

30. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, as per claim 25, wherein said XML snippet database is periodically updated to include new and updated applications.

23. A system for remotely extracting and storing computer related information across a network, said system comprising:

at least one computer-based device connected to a remote server system through said network;

a software module downloaded from said remote server system to said computer-based device;

an XML snippet database comprising application and operating system related information, said XML snippet database accessible by said remote server system;

one or more directive files created by said remote server system by selective retrieval from said XML snippet database, said one or more directive files transferred to said software module and identifying information to be transferred from said computer-based device, and

one or more directive out files received and stored by said remote server system from said software module, said directive out files comprising said identified information.