Method, system, and program for determining system information from a computer system

• US 20030204532A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maslowski, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for managing a configuration file including device parameters that define attributes of the device accessed by a device driver executing in a computer. The device driver uses the device parameters to control one or more devices in communication with the computer. A determination is made of device parameters provided with the device driver for a device, wherein the device parameters are maintained external to the configuration file. User selection of at least one of the determined device parameters is received and a parameter code for each selected device parameter is written to the configuration file.

Claims

1. A method for determining system information from a computer system having at least one attached device, comprising:

processing resource information indicating at least one program and at least one device;

querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system;

searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system; and

generating system information indicating determined devices and programs in the computer system; and

rendering the system information, wherein the rendered system information on the determined devices and programs is capable of being presented in a human observable format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

editing the resource information to modify the at least one program or at least one device indicated in the resource information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a version of determined devices and programs; and

including the version information for the determined devices and programs in the system information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the system information, including information on determined devices, programs, and files and version information therefor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information further indicates files, further comprising:

searching the computer system to determine whether the computer system includes at least one file indicated in the resource information; and

including information in the system information indicating any determined files in the computer system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resource information indicates directories in a file system in the computer system in which to search for the at least one program and file indicated in the at least one object.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

searching for programs and files indicated in the system information at locations in the file system not indicated in the resource information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information is coded in a program that performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the devices and programs indicated in the resource information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information is maintained in a file separate from a program that performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the devices and programs indicated in the resource information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a program performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, further comprising:

transmitting the program from a server to the computer system over a network;

invoking the program to perform the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information; and

transmitting the system information from the computer system to the server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information indicating devices and programs is included in at least one list.

12. A method for determining system information, comprising:

editing resource information in a utility program indicating at least one program and at least one device;

deploying the utility program to determine system information for a computer system;

invoking the utility program to perform the operations of;

querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system;

searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system; and

generating system information indicating determined devices and programs in the computer system, wherein the system information is capable of being rendered in a human observable format to present information on the determine devices and programs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein deploying the utility program comprises transmitting the utility program to the computer system over a network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein invoking the utility program comprises executing the utility program on a remote computer system that communicates with the computer system over a network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein invoking the utility program comprises executing the utility program on the computer system.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the system information to a remote computer over a network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote computer is operated by a technical support agent providing technical support to a user of the computer system, and wherein the technical support agent uses the system information when providing technical support on the computer system to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the technical support agent is providing support for a supported component on the user computer system, and wherein the resource information indicates devices and programs that are known to cause operational difficulties for the supported component.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing multiple utility programs for different supported components, wherein the resource information in at least two of the utility programs indicates different programs and devices; and

determining the supported component installed on the user computer system for which the user wants technical support, wherein deploying the utility program comprises deploying the utility program provided for the supported component installed on the user computer.

20. A system for determining system information, comprising:

a computer system having at least one attached device;

means for processing resource information indicating at least one program and at least one device;

means for querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system;

means for searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system; and

means for generating system information indicating determined devices and programs in the computer system; and

means for rendering the system information, wherein the rendered system information on the determined devices and programs is capable of being presented in a human observable format.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for editing the resource information to modify the at least one program or at least one device indicated in the resource information.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for determining a version of determined devices and programs; and

means for including the version information for the determined devices and programs in the system information.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the resource information further indicates files, further comprising:

means for searching the computer system to determine whether the computer system includes at least one file indicated in the resource information; and

means for including information in the system information indicating any determined files in the computer system.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information comprises a processor executing a program, further comprising:

means for transmitting the program from a server to the computer system over a network;

means for invoking the program to perform the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information; and

means for transmitting the system information from the computer system to the server.

25. A system for determining system information, comprising:

means for editing resource information in a utility program indicating at least one program and at least one device;

means for deploying the utility program to determine system information for a computer system; and

means for invoking the utility program to perform the operations of;

querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system;

searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system; and

generating system information indicating determined devices and programs in the computer system, wherein the system information is capable of being rendered in a human observable format to present information on the determine devices and programs.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a remote computer; and

means for transmitting the system information to the remote computer over a network, wherein the remote computer is operated by a technical support agent providing technical support to a user of the computer system, and wherein the technical support agent uses the system information when providing technical support on the computer system to the user.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for providing multiple utility programs for different supported components, wherein the resource information in at least two of the utility programs indicates different programs and devices; and

means for determining the supported component installed on the user computer system for which the user wants technical support, wherein deploying the utility program comprises deploying the utility program provided for the supported component installed on the user computer.

28. An article of manufacture for determining system information from a computer system having at least one attached device, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

processing resource information indicating at least one program and at least one device;

querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system;

searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system; and

generating system information indicating determined devices and programs in the computer system; and

rendering the system information, wherein the rendered system information on the determined devices and programs is capable of being presented in a human observable format.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising:

editing the resource information to modify the at least one program or at least one device indicated in the resource information.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising:

determining a version of determined devices and programs; and

including the version information for the determined devices and programs in the system information.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, further comprising:

displaying the system information, including information on determined devices, programs, and files and version information therefor.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the resource information further indicates files, further comprising:

searching the computer system to determine whether the computer system includes at least one file indicated in the resource information; and

including information in the system information indicating any determined files in the computer system.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the resource information indicates directories in a file system in the computer system in which to search for the at least one program and file indicated in the at least one object.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising:

searching for programs and files indicated in the system information at locations in the file system not indicated in the resource information.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the article of manufacture is implemented as a computer program, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the devices and programs indicated in the resource information.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the resource information is maintained in a file separate from a program that performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the devices and programs indicated in the resource information.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a program, wherein the program is transmitted from a server to the computer system over a network and invoked on the computer system to perform the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, further comprising:

transmitting the system information from the computer system to the server.