Method and apparatus for operating enterprise software from a detachable storage device

• US 20080126791A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Reich, Yoav, Sapir, Igal, Melamed, Eyal, Weiner, Aharon, Ziv, Udi
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44584 Portable applications, i.e. making applications self-contained, e.g. U3 standard

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling an application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, the method comprising eliminating the usage of the registry of the computer, and using relative file paths. These modifications enable organization applications, and particularly database applications to be installed and run from a smart drive.

Claims

1. A method for enabling an enterprise application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the method comprising the step of substituting the addressing the registry of the host computer, by addressing a hierarchical structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchical structure is a registry substitute.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchical structure is an XML file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reading of the hierarchical structure and relaying the information therein to enterprise software launched from the detachable device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the detachable device from the host computer and subsequently removing the hierarchical structure and any data related to the enterprise application from the host computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the enterprise application makes calls to the hierarchical structure, instead of to the host computer'"'"'s registry.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchical structure comprises a reference to a file comprising relevant data.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of dynamically assigning a drive indication to the detachable device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein an at least one reference to a variable is substituted with a reference to the dynamically assigned drive indication.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein an at least one reference to a variable is substituted with a reference to the dynamically assigned drive indication combined with a relative part.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the relative part is a relative file path.

12. The methods of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the variable is a file location or a part of a file location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the enterprise application is a client-server application associated with one or more databases.

14. A method for enabling an enterprise application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the method comprising:

substituting an at least one call made by the application, from a call to a first configuration holding component associated with the host computer, to a call to a second configuration holding component;

receiving an at least one value for an at least one first variable; and

substituting an at least one reference to an at least one second variable with an at least one reference to a third variable, the third variable comprising the at least one value for the at least one first variable and a relative part.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the application is an enterprise application.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the configuration holding component associated with the computer is a registry.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the second configuration holding component is an XML reader.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first variable is a predetermined path of a file or a folder, the second variable is a path of a folder, and the relative part is a relative path of a file or a folder.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the host computer is one of the following:

a personal computer, a hand held computing device, a server.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising a step of uploading an at least one of the following to an internet site:

a generally available version of a software application, a trial version of a software application, a promotional version of a software application, an evaluation version of a software application, an update of a software application, a patch to a software application.

21. An apparatus for enabling an at least one application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the apparatus comprising a set of instructions for substituting an at least one call made by the application, from a call to a first configuration holding component associated with the host computer, to a call to a second configuration holding component.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the application is an enterprise application.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the configuration holding component associated with the computer is a registry.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second configuration holding component is an XML reader.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the host computer is any one of the following:

a personal computer, a hand held computing device, a server.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the at least one application is at least two applications, the at least two applications comprising an at least one client side of a client-server application, and an at least one server side of a client-server application.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the detachable device comprises an at least one second application.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the detachable device comprises a configuration tool for configuring at least one of the following:

a desktop appearance associated with the host computer;

an at least one icon available on the desktop;

an at least one favorite internet site associated with a user of the device;

or an at least one history internet sites associated with a user of the device.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the at least one application can be operated in a semi-connected mode and occasionally update or receive updates from an at least one second application.

30. An apparatus for enabling an at least one application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the apparatus comprising a set of instructions for receiving an at least one value for an at least one first variable;

and substituting an at least one reference to a second variable with a reference to a third variable, the third variable comprising the first variable and a relative part.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the application is an enterprise application.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the first variable is a predetermined path of a file or a folder, the second variable is a path of a folder, and the relative part is a relative path of a file or a folder.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the host computer is any one of the following:

a personal computer, a hand held computing device, a server.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the at least one application is at least two applications, the at least two applications comprising an at least one client side of a client-server application, and an at least one server side of a client-server application.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the detachable device comprises an at least one second application.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the detachable device comprises a configuration tool for configuring at least one of the following:

a desktop appearance associated with the host computer;

an at least one icon available on the desktop;

an at least one favorite Internet site associated with a user of the device;

or an at least one history Internet sites associated with a user of the device.

37. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the at least one application can be operated in a semi-connected mode and occasionally update or receive updates from an at least one second application.

38. A computer readable medium including computing instructions for enabling an at least one application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the instructions for substituting an at least one call made by the application, from a call to a first configuration holding component associated with the host computer, to a call to a second configuration holding component.

39. A computer readable medium including computing instructions for enabling an at least one application to run from a detachable device attached to a host computer, said detachable device can be detached from the host computer and used as a storage device, the instructions comprising for receiving an at least one value for an at least one first variable;

and substituting an at least one reference to a second variable with a reference to a third variable, the third variable comprising the first variable and a relative part.