System and method for upgrading networked devices

• US 20030208569A1
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoAhead Software, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GoAhead Software, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pickrell, Alan J, OʼBrien, Michael D, Gravestock, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,986,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system (FIG. 1) for upgrading deployed networked devices (4,6,8,10,12,14,16). The devices are enabled with an installed agent (FIG. 2 left) that can identify and communicate with a server (22) running the upgrade program. When the appropriate conditions are met the server downloads the upgrade to the agent that then installs the upgrade onto the deployed device. The device is made capable of polling the server to see if an upgrade is available, or, in the alternative, the server can locate the device, query the state of the device and, when the appropriate predetermined conditions are met, download the upgrade to the device.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a deployed device while in a networked computer environment, said method comprising:

a) adding capability to the deployed device to poll a networked server;

b) polling the networked server to determine if an upgrade is available for said deployed device; and

c) downloading said upgrade to the deployed device when said upgrade meets the appropriate criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 further including authenticating and verifying that the upgrade is from the appropriate server and that the upgrade itself has not been modified during transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the upgrade is applied to one or more specific components of the deployed device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the specific components of the deployed device are identified and defined by the component'"'"'s name, version, host name of the server providing the upgrade, port number for the requests to the server providing the upgrade, and the polling schedule, retry period and number of retry attempts to be made.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the networked server contains upgrade policies controlling said upgrade, the policies defining what deployed devices are eligible to receive the upgrade.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the polling of the networked server being scheduled on a predetermined basis.

7. A method for upgrading a deployed device while in a networked computer environment, said method comprising:

a) adding the capability to the deployed device of being contacted by a networked server and receiving upgrades from the networked server; and

b) the networked server determining if an appropriate upgrade is available for said deployed device; and

transmitting said upgrade to the deployed device.

8. A system for implementing upgrades to deployed devices while in a networked environment, said system comprising:

a) an agent added to the deployed device wherein said agent includes the capability of polling a networked server to determine if an upgrade is available for said deployed device; and

b) the networked server enabled to transmit said upgrades to the deployed device when a predetermined criteria for said upgrade is substantially matched.

9. The system of claim 8 further including the capability of the deployed device to authenticate and verify that the upgrade is from the appropriate said networked server and that the upgrade itself has not been modified during transmission to said deployed device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the upgrade may be applied to one or more specific components of the deployed device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the specific components of the deployed device are identified and defined by the component'"'"'s name, version, host name of the server providing the upgrade, port number for the requests to the server providing the upgrade, and the polling schedule, retry period and number of retry attempts to be made.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the networked server applies predetermined upgrade policies prior to transmission of said upgrade, said upgrade policies identifying and defining which specific deployed devices are eligible to receive the upgrade.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the polling occurs at predetermined intervals.

14. A system for implementing upgrades to a deployed device while in a networked environment, said system comprising:

a) means for adding to the deployed device the capability of polling a networked server to determine if an upgrade is available for said deployed device; and

b) means for enabling the networked server to transmit said upgrades to the deployed device when a predetermined criteria for said upgrade is substantially matched.

15. The system of claim 14 further including:

a) means for the deployed device to authenticate and verify that the upgrade is from the appropriate said networked server; and

b) means for ensuring that the upgrade itself has not been modified during transmission to said deployed device.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for upgrading the deployed device includes the capability to apply said upgrade to one or more specific components of the deployed device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein one or more of the specific components to be upgraded includes an agent that receives and installs the upgrade.

18. A system for implementing an upgrade to a deployed device while in a networked environment, said system comprising:

a) deployed device means for receiving upgrade notifications from a networked server;

b) networked server means for transmitting said upgrades to the deployed device when a predetermined criteria for said upgrade is substantially matched.

19. The system of claim 18 further including networked server means for determining that the deployed device is eligible to receive said upgrade.