Peer distribution point feature for system management server

• US 20070162541A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iqbal, Khuzaima, James, David, Healy, Michael, Ellis, John, Chandrasekaran, Nirupama, Dhawan, Gaurav, Narayanan, Rajagopalan, Bringemeier, Ingo
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1089 Hierarchical topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A client in a plurality of clients with a same network address or similar common identifier is designated a Peer Distribution Point (PDP) agent for distributing a software application divided into several packages to the plurality of clients. The plurality of clients are part of a client-server hierarchical system comprising a Central SMS site server and several Distributing servers. The Central SMS site server generates policies for the packages that are pushed to a Distribution server assigned to the plurality of clients from where the PDP agent pulls the policies. The Central SMS site server generates the packages that are pushed to the Distributing server after the PDP agent pulls the policies. The packages are pulled by the PDP agent from the Distributing server. The other clients pull the packages from the PDP agent as and when needed.

Claims

1. A client-server system to distribute software application packages to a plurality of network connected clients with a same network address, comprising:

a resource server for pushing policies associated with the software application packages to at least one distributing server;

a distributing server for receiving the policies associated with the software application packages from the resource server; and

a plurality of clients for pulling said policies associated with the software application packages from the distributing server, wherein one of the plurality of clients designated a PDP agent, wherein;

(a) the resource server pushes the software application packages associated with policies pushed to the distributing server in response to one of the plurality of clients pulling the policies associated with the software application packages;

(b) the PDP agent pulls the software application packages from the distributing server; and

(c) the plurality of clients pull the software application packages from the PDP agent.

2. The client-server system of claim 1 wherein the distributing server stores information regarding the PDP agent.

3. The client-server system of claim 1 wherein the distributing server maintains a plurality of mapping tables that map the software application packages to the PDP agent and the PDP agent to the resource server.

4. The client-server system of claim 1, wherein the distributing server creates:

(i) a software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) a software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) a software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

5. The client-server system of claim 4 wherein the distributing server maintains:

(i) the software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) the software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) the software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

6. The client-server system of claim 5 wherein the PDP agent manages:

(i) the software application package download policy on the PDP agent;

(ii) the software application package configuration policy on the PDP agent; and

(iii) the software application package file transfer configuration policy on the PDP agent.

7. The client-server system of claim 1 wherein the distributing server creates a provisioning request for the PDP agent.

8. The client-server system of claim 7 wherein the distributing server relays the provisioning request for the PDP agent to the distributing server.

9. A plurality of network connected clients with a same network address wherein one of the plurality of clients designated a PDP agent, the clients pulling policies associated with software application packages and the PDP agent pulling the software application packages for subsequent pulling by the other clients.

10. The plurality of network connected clients of claim 9 wherein the software application packages are distributed to be pulled by the PDP agent in response to the clients pulling the policies associated with the software application packages.

11. A method of distributing software application packages from a resource server to a plurality of network connected clients having a same network address, comprising:

pushing by the resource server policies associated with the software application packages to a distributing server;

pulling by clients included in the plurality of clients from the distributing server the policies associated with the software application packages, wherein one of the plurality of clients designated a PDP agent;

pushing by the resource server a software application package to the distributing server in response to a client included in the plurality of clients pulling the policies associated with the software application packages;

pulling by the PDP agent the software application packages from the distributing server; and

pulling by other clients included in the plurality of clients the software application packages from the PDP agent.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the distributing server stores information regarding the PDP agent.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the distributing server maintains a plurality of mapping tables that map the software application packages to the PDP agent and the PDP agent to the resource server.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the distributing server creates:

(i) a software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) a software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) a software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the software application package download policy, the software application package configuration policy, and the software application package file transfer configuration policy are maintained by the distributing server for the PDP agent.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package file transfer configuration policy on the PDP agent.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package configuration policy on the PDP agent.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package download policy on the PDP agent.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the distributing server creates a provisioning request for the PDP agent.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the distributing server relays the provisioning request for the PDP agent to the distributing server.