Automated task update

• US 20070220505A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Eric, Tremblay, Edward, Bukovec, Mai-lan
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

The usefulness of task templates can be maintained in a number of ways. Task templates can be updated on a client server from a remote task update server by initiating communication with the remote task update server, selecting a task template from a list of available task templates presented by the remote task update server, and downloading the selected task template to the client server in a format defined by a schema. Task templates can be updated on a client server by receiving a request from the client server, presenting a task template based on the request, receiving a selection of the task template, and transmitting the task template to the client server in a format defined by a schema. Task templates can also be managed by downloading task templates, assigning group names, and storing the downloaded task templates in a database.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for updating task templates on a client server from a remote task update server, wherein the task templates are used to accomplish tasks for managing applications of a multi-server system, the method comprising:

initiating a communication with the remote task update server;

based on a list of available task templates presented by the remote task update server, selecting a task template from the list of available task templates; and

downloading the selected task template from the remote task update server to the client server, wherein the selected task template is downloaded in a format defined by a schema.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the communication with the remote task update server comprises transmitting a profile to the remote task update server, wherein the profile indicates a pattern of task usage by a user of the client server, and wherein the list of available task templates are recommended, by the remote task update server, based on the profile.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the communication with the remote task update server comprises initiating the communication at a time based on a subscription parameter, wherein the subscription parameter comprises a frequency for initiating communication with the remote task update server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the communication with the remote task update server comprises initiating the communication via a task update tool, wherein the list of available task templates comprises a task template identified as recommended by the remote task update server and a task template identified as optional by the remote task update server, and wherein the list of available task templates is displayed to a user of the client server by the task update tool.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the communication with the remote task update server comprises transmitting licensing information to the remote task update server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after downloading the selected task template, displaying, in a management application on the client server, a favorite tasks list comprising a user interface element for invoking the selected task template.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the schema of the downloaded selected task template comprises:

a unique identifier field for uniquely identifying the task template;

a group identifier field for identifying a group of the task template; and

a location identifier field for identifying a user interface in an application.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after downloading the selected task template, receiving, from a user of the client server, a group name; and

associating the selected task template with the group name.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after downloading the selected task template, storing the downloaded selected task template in a database, wherein the downloaded selected task template is stored in the format defined by the schema.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the communication with the remote task update server comprises initiating the communication, via an encrypted protocol, with a web service provided by the remote task update server.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to selecting the task template from the list of available task templates, downloading a computer executable file associated with the selected task template.

12. A computer implemented method for updating task templates on a client server, the method comprising:

receiving an update request from the client server;

based on the update request, presenting a task template;

receiving a selection of the presented task template; and

transmitting the selected task template to the client server, wherein the selected task template is in a format defined by a schema.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the update request from the client server comprises receiving a profile from the client server, wherein the profile indicates a pattern of task usage by a user of the client server, and wherein the presented task template is recommended based on the profile.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

prior to receiving the update request, receiving, from the client server, a plurality of tasks performed by a user of the client server, wherein the plurality of tasks indicates a pattern of task usage by the user of the client server;

wherein the presented task template is recommended based on the pattern of task usage.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

based on the update request, presenting a group of task templates, wherein the group of task templates comprises a plurality of task templates;

receiving a selection of the group of task templates; and

transmitting the selected group of task templates to the client computer, wherein the plurality of task templates comprising the selected group of task templates are in the format defined by the schema.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the presented task template is based on a last time an update request was received from the client computer.

17. A computer implemented method for managing task templates, the method comprising:

downloading a task template from a remote task update server, wherein the task template is downloaded in a format defined by a schema;

assigning a group name to the downloaded task template; and

after assigning the group name, storing the downloaded task template in a database, wherein the downloaded task template is stored in the format defined by the schema.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

after storing the downloaded task template, deleting the downloaded task template from the database, wherein the deleting is based on a task template cleanup rule.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

after storing the downloaded task template, displaying a user interface element for invoking the downloaded task template in a location of a user interface defined by a user of the user interface.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

after storing the downloaded task template, displaying a user interface element for invoking the downloaded task template in a user interface;

receiving a selection of the user interface element for invoking the downloaded task template by a user of the user interface; and

responsive to the selection of the user interface element for invoking the downloaded task template, displaying an application user interface identified by a location identifier field of the downloaded task template.