System independent attribute configuration

• US 20040039799A1
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Claiborne, Andrew E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,051,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings

Abstract

In an enterprise having multiple computers with differing systems, atribute information including contact information and host information is first installed on the computers in a system independent manner. Then this information is adjusted in accordance with the perticular system on each computer.

Claims

1. A method for setting the attributes of a computer in an enterprise having multiple types of computers comprising:

installing attribute information on each of several different types of computers, formatting and organizing this information in a way that is essentially the same on all of the different types of computers;

checking the type of each computer; and

reformatting, reorganizing, or relocating the attribute information on each computer in accordance with the requirements of each different type of computer.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising

installing an incident escalator on each computer;

when reformatting, reorganizing, or relocating the attribute information, doing so in a way that is also in accord with the requirements of the incident escalator installed on each computer.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

when reformatting, reorganizing, or relocating the attribute information, doing so in a way that is in accord with the type of operating system installed on each computer.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:

installing an incident escalator on each computer;

when reformatting, reorganizing, or relocating the information, doing so in a way that is also in accord with the requirements of the incident escalator installed on each computer.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

installing on at least some of the several different computers at least one program that requires access to the attribute information; and

causing the reformatting, reorganizing, or relocating step to be carried out after this installing step and in a way that is in accord with the particular requirements of the newly-installed program.

6. A method for setting the attributes of a computer in an environment where different computers have different systems comprising:

checking to see if the attributes have already been set before proceeding;

reading an attribute data set that is organized in a system independent manner; and

using the read data set as a source of information with which to set the attributes of the computer in a manner that varies form one type of system to the next.

7. An apparatus that installs and adjusts the attributes of computers having differing types of systems comprising:

an installer that installs a set of attributes on a computer, the attributes organized in a system independent manner; and

a configuration adjuster that adjusts the set of attributes in a system dependent manner in accordance with the particular system on the computer.

8. An apparatus in accord with claim 7 wherein the system is the operating system.

9. An apparatus in accord with claim 7 wherein the system is a remote maintenance and repair system.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein at least one attribute is contact information.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein at least one attribute is host information.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein at least one attribute is host information.

13. An apparatus that installs and then adjusts the attributes of computers having differing types of systems comprising:

installer means for installing a set of attributes on a computer, the attributes organized in a system independent manner; and

configuration adjustment means for adjusting the set of attributes in accordance with the particular system on the computer.