Method for a user-specific configuration of a computer from a group of prepared computers

• US 20070168473A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Technology Solutions GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Technology Solutions GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Grund, Berthold, Schmidt, Franz, Reinersmann, Dieter, Teslinski, Monika
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• 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

Installation and configuration of user-specific software and a computer system is performed such that individual computers in a group is prepared by transmitting the installation packages for a predetermined set of software products and a configuration program to the individual computers. In response to a computer being started for the first time, the configuration program loads a user-specific configuration file from a database system. According to the information contained in the configuration file, software products are subsequently installed and configured on the computer on a user-specific basis using the installation packages.

Claims

1. A method for a user-specific configuration of a computer from a group of prepared computers, each computer respectively comprising a mass memory and a network device, the method comprising:

preparing individual computers in the group by transmitting installation packages for a predetermined set of software products and a configuration program to the mass memory of the individual computers;

providing a database system containing user-specific configuration files, the configuration files specifying a subselection of software products from the predetermined set;

transmitting the user-specific configuration file to the configuration program and installing the subselected software products specified in the configuration file via the configuration program and the installation packages.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a list of parameters needed to configure the subselected software products; and

configuring the subselected software products using the specified list of parameters.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, via the configuration program, a connection to the database system using the network device;

requesting a user for a user identifier and forwarding the user identifier to the database system; and

transmitting the user-specific configuration file to the configuration program via the network device and the database system, in response to the database system receiving the user identifier.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user-specific configuration file is transmitted by the database system via a portable data storage medium, the method further comprising:

requesting, via the configuration program, a user to insert the portable data storage medium; and

retrieving, via the configuration program, the user-specific configuration file from the portable data storage medium.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration program automatically starts after the computer has been switched on.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the configuration program changes its settings, after executing for a first time, such that the configuration program no longer automatically starts.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration program removes all of the installation packages from the mass memory of the computer after the software products specified in the configuration file have been installed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration program removes the installation packages for the software products specified in the configuration file from the mass memory of the computer after the software products specified in the configuration file have been installed.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration program is erased from the mass memory of the computer after the software products specified in the configuration file have been installed.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

upon each further start of the computer, establishing a connection to the central database system via the network device and automatically transmitting to the database system the user identifier used during a first start of the computer;

transmitting any newer version of the user-specific configuration file from the database system to the configuration program;

installing the software products specified in the newer version of the configuration file that have not yet been installed and configuring the software products using specified parameters;

using the installation packages and newly specified parameters to reconfigure the software products that are specified in the newer version of the configuration file and that have already been installed; and

uninstalling the software products that are not specified in the newer version of the configuration file and that have already been installed.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein preparing the computers, the predetermined set of software products intended to be installed during each user-specific configuration are preinstalled and are not transmitted to the mass memory of each computer in the form of installation packages.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined set of software products are preinstalled via transmitting a replica of an installed system to the mass memory of the individual computers.