Automated entitlement verification for delivery of licensed software

• US 20030005427A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herrero, Victor R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,143,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method, and computer readable medium for the central management, delivery and installation of media less software. The ordered software is packaged in such a way that only standard options are offered. The standard installation results in consistent software images across a corporation client PCs and eliminates the need of help desk involvement during installation. The software company is not involved with the burden of software distribution and tracking. Sales and the sales reports are generated and supplied in real time back to the software company.

Claims

1. A method on a client server network for the ordering, downloading, and installing software, the method at the client system comprising the steps of:

ordering at least one software file from a list of software on a software ordering server;

receiving a response to the order for at least one software file from the software ordering server, the response includes an entitlement ID;

requesting a copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server, the request includes the received entitlement ID;

receiving the copy of the at least one software file from a scheduling server as part of a payload containing at least one customized installation script; and

installing the received copy of the at least one software file under the direction of a scheduling server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a response to the request for a copy of at least one software file, further comprising the sub-steps:

receiving a request for acceptance of a software license agreement for the copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server; and

,

sending the an acceptance of the software license agreement to the software delivery server for the requested copy of the at least one software file.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file, further comprising the sub-steps of:

sending a system platform type for the client system;

sending an amount of available storage for the client system; and

,

sending at least one identifier of other software installed on the client system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ordering of at least one software file from the software ordering server is accomplished only when the need for the software file is needed for use.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of installing the received at least one software file requires no further intervention from the software ordering server.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of installing the received at least one software file requires no client user intervention by a user on the client system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of installing the at least one received software file does not allow any choices or options by a user on the client system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the completed step of installing the at least one received software file obviates the need for help to install, or questions about the installation of the at least one software file from a help desk.

9. A method on a client server network for the selection, download and installation of software, the method at the software delivery server comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the download a copy of at least one software file from a client system;

verifying the client system'"'"'s PC compatibility for the requested copy of at least one software file; and

scheduling the download of the requested software to the client system.

10. The method according to claim 9, the step of verifying, further comprising the sub-steps of:

requesting the client system'"'"'s PC platform type;

requesting the clients system'"'"'s PC platform'"'"'s available storage;

requesting the client system'"'"'s platform'"'"'s installed software; and

verifying that one or more responses to the requests above are within allowable limits.

11. A method on a client server network for the ordering, deployment and installation of software, the method at the software delivery server comprising the steps of:

receiving a entitlement ID for at least one software file;

storing the entitlement ID for at least one software file in a database;

receiving a request for the down load of at least one requested software file with a entitlement ID from a client;

looking up the received entitlement ID in the database,

finding the entitlement ID and the request for at least one software file in the data base; and

scheduling a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file at a scheduling server.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the programming instruction of receiving a response to the request for a copy of at least one software file, further comprising the programming instruction:

receiving a request for acceptance of a software license agreement for the copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server; and

,

sending the an acceptance of the software license agreement to the software delivery server for the requested copy of the at least one software file.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the programming instruction of receiving a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file, further comprising the sub-steps of:

sending a system platform type for the client system;

sending an amount of available storage for the client system; and

,

sending at least one identifier of other software installed on the client system.

12. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the ordering, downloading, and installing software over a client server network, the programming instructions executing at the client system comprising:

ordering at least one software file from a list of software on a software ordering server;

receiving a response to the order for at least one software file from the software ordering server, the response includes an entitlement ID;

requesting a copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server, the request includes the received entitlement ID;

receiving the copy of the at least one software file from a scheduling server as part of a payload containing at least one customized installation script; and

,

installing the received copy of the at least one software file under the direction of a scheduling server.

15. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the ordering, deployment and installation of software over a client server network, the programming instructions executing at the software staging server comprising:

receiving a request from a client system for a copy of at the at least one software file;

building a payload of software commands and the at least one software file;

down loading sending the payload of software commands and the at least one software file to the file system; and

installing the at least one software file on the client system using the software commands in the client.

16. A structure of a payload for the delivery of at least one software file, the payload comprising:

at least one software file;

at least one installation script for at least one software file;

at least one software key for the at least one software file for installing the one software file; and

an overall installation script which controls the downloading and installation and file maintenance for the at least one software file.

17. A software staging server coupled to a client server network, the staging server comprising:

a network interface for couple one or more client systems;

a request received over the network interface from at least one of the one or more client system for a copy of at the at least one software file; and

a payload of software commands and the at least one software file, the payload sent over the network interface so that the at least one software file is installed on the at least one of the one or more client systems without further user intervention on the client system.