Secure content publishing and distribution

• US 20070234343A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mohammed, Mazhar, Reus, Edward, Hennessey, David, Shepard, Marc, Marl, Craig, Shih, Steve, Rangarajan, Krishnan, Gouge, Christopher, Kays, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Sending installation information. A method may be performed, for example, in a network computing environment including one or more servers connected to one or more clients. The method includes signing a package including installation information. A hash of the package is created. A metadata data set is created. The metadata data set includes a description of the package, an identification for the package, applicability rules describing intended recipients of the installation information, the hash of the package, and installation instructions for the package. The metadata data set is sent to a target group of systems in the network computing environment.

Claims

1. In a network computing environment including one or more servers connected to one or more clients, a method of sending installation information, the method comprising:

signing a package including installation information;

creating a hash of the package;

creating a metadata data set, wherein the metadata data set comprises a description of the package, an identification for the package, applicability rules describing intended recipients of the installation information, the hash of the package, and installation instructions for the package; and

sending the metadata data set to a target group of systems in the network computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata data set further includes an indication that the package includes at least a portion of one of an application or update.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the metadata data set further includes a priority indication for the package.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from a system from among the target group of systems for the package and sending the package.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the metadata data set to a target group of systems in the network computing environment comprises sending over a secure channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an antivirus scan of one or more application files included in the package.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the installation information includes an application for uninstalling software.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata data set includes expiration information for the installation information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata data set comprises information specifying an installer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the installer includes a command line installer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the metadata data set to a target group of systems in the network computing environment comprises publishing at a root server and passing down the metadata to other servers in a hierarchy for distribution to one or more systems in the target group.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein signing a package comprises signing using a self-signed certificate.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein signing a package comprises signing using a third party installed certificate.

14. In a network computing environment including one or more servers connected to one or more clients, a method of performing installation tasks, the method comprising:

receiving metadata as part of a targeted distribution, the metadata comprising a description of a package, an update id for the package, applicability rules describing intended recipients of the package, a hash of the package, and installation instructions for the package;

determining the applicability of the package from the metadata;

downloading the package if the package is applicable;

calculating a hash of the package;

verifying the calculated hash of the package against the hash of the package in the metadata;

verifying a signature of the package; and

if the hash and the signature are valid performing installation tasks.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the applicability of the package from the metadata comprises comparing at least one of hardware or software installed at a client to applicability rules specified in the metadata.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein verifying a signature of the package comprises at least one of accepting a certificate with a sever from which the package was downloaded as the root of the trust chain for the certificate, accepting a certificate created from a third party certificate issuer, or accepting a code signing certificate from an internal corporation certificate authority.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein performing installation tasks comprises selecting an appropriate installer based on the instruction in the metadata.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein performing installation tasks comprises copying files in the package to an applications directory and making the files available to downstream clients.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing a program key to an upstream server as part of a server-server protocol to obtain the package.

20. A computer readable medium having a plurality of data fields stored on the medium and representing a metadata data structure, the computer readable medium comprising:

a description of a software package including installation information;

an identification for the software package;

applicability rules describing intended recipients of the installation information in the software package;

a hash of the software package; and

installation instructions for the package.