Multi-Installer Product Advertising

• US 20080172736A1
• Filed: 01/15/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barr, Paul C., Nduaguba, Nnaemeka M.C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Methods, computer program products, and systems advertise multi-installer programs in a local system context with single installer deployment. A method involves initiating in a local system a custom action associated with a core installer of a multi-installer program, finding a satellite installer associated with the core installer, and gathering data associated with the local system on which the multi-installer program is to be advertised. The method also involves scheduling another custom action for later execution to advertise the satellite installer, spawning from within the custom action the other custom action by leveraging privileges associated with installing the core installer on the local system, impersonating a target user of the local system, accessing pre-generated scripts associated with the satellite installers, and advertising the satellite installers via the local system. Pre-generated scripts of the satellite installers are accessed and the scripts are applied to the target user to facilitate satellite installer advertisement/assignment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for multi-installer program advertising in a local system context with single installer deployment, the method comprising:

initiating in a local system a custom action associated with a core installer of a multi-installer program;

determining at least one satellite installer associated with the core installer;

gathering data associated with the local system on which the multi-installer program is to be advertised wherein the multi-installer program comprises the core installer and the at least one satellite installer;

scheduling at least one other custom action for later execution to advertise the at least one satellite installer;

spawning from within the custom action the at least one other custom action by leveraging privileges associated with installing the core installer on the local system;

accessing pre-generated scripts associated with the at least one satellite installer; and

advertising the at least one satellite installer via the local system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising impersonating a target user of the local system from within the at least one other custom action to ensure an accurate advertising target wherein gathering data associated with the local system comprises collecting at least one identifier associated with the target user of the local system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein impersonating the target user comprises:

collecting the at least one identifier wherein the at least one identifier comprises a session identifier of the target user;

retrieving an access token associated with the session identifier; and

impersonating the access token.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein impersonating the target user further comprises:

collecting the at least one identifier wherein the at least one identifier comprises a username of the target user and a user domain of the target user; and

comparing the username and the user domain to a username and a user domain of the impersonated access token for validation therein executing in a security context of the target user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein advertising the at least one satellite installer comprises applying the pre-generated scripts to a correct target user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein advertising the at least one satellite installer comprises applying the pre-generated scripts for publication of a plurality of satellite installers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one satellite installer comprises finding a plurality of satellite installers associated with the core installer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the core installer includes application binaries and the satellite installers include resource strings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising impersonating a machine account of the local system before advertising the at least one satellite installer wherein gathering data associated with the local system comprises collecting data associated with the machine account therein utilizing permissions in a security context of the local system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein advertising the at least one satellite installer comprises displaying a link to the at least one satellite installer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein advertising the at least one satellite installer comprises allowing the at least one satellite installer to become installable on the local system without any additional privileges.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising terminating spawning of the at least one other custom action and returning to the custom action.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to advertise satellite installers of a multi-installer program during installation of a core installer, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

initiate a custom action associated with a core installer of a multi-installer program;

find satellite installers associated with the core installer;

collect data associated with the computer on which the multi-installer program is to be advertised wherein the multi-installer program comprises the core installer and the satellite installers;

spawn from within the custom action other custom actions to advertise the satellite installers by leveraging privileges associated with installing the core installer on the computer;

pause the custom action;

access pre-generated scripts associated with the satellite installers; and

apply the pre-generated scripts to a target user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to impersonate the target user of the computer from within the other custom actions to ensure an accurate advertising target wherein collecting data associated with the computer comprises collecting at least one identifier associated with the target user of the computer.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to impersonate the target user comprises computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

collect the at least one identifier wherein the at least one identifier comprises a session identifier of the target user;

retrieve an access token associated with the session identifier; and

impersonate the access token.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to impersonate the target user further comprises computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

collect the at least one identifier wherein the at least one identifier comprises at least one of the following;

a username of the target user; and

a user domain of the target user; and

compare the username and the user domain to a username and a user domain of the impersonated access token for validation therein executing in a security context of the target user.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to apply the pre-generated scripts to a target user comprises computer-readable program code for causing the computer to display entry points to the satellite installers further comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to terminate spawning of the other custom actions and resume the custom action.

18. A computer-implemented system for advertising scripts associated with satellite installers of a multi-installer product, the system comprising:

an installer deployment module operative to publish a core installer to a local computer and initiate a custom action associated with the core installer of a multi-installer product;

code of the custom action operative to;

install the core installer;

find satellite installers associated with the core installer;

collect data associated with a target user currently logged on to the local computer on which the multi-installer program is to be advertised wherein the multi-installer program comprises the core installer and the satellite installers;

spawn from within the custom action other custom actions to advertise the satellite installers by leveraging privileges associated with installing the core installer;

code of the other custom actions operative to;

pause the custom action;

access pre-generated scripts associated with the satellite installers; and

apply the pre-generated scripts to a target user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the code of the other custom actions is further operative to impersonate the target user of the local computer from within the other custom actions to ensure an accurate advertising target;

wherein the code of the custom action operative to collect data associated with the target user is operative to collect a session identifier, a username, and a user domain associated with the target user of the local computer; and

wherein the code of the other custom actions operative to impersonate the target user is operative to;

retrieve an access token associated with the session identifier; and

impersonate the access token;

compare the username and the user domain to a username and a user domain of the impersonated access token for validation therein executing in a security context of the target user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the code of the other custom actions operative to apply the pre-generated scripts to a target user comprises code of the other custom actions operative to display entry points to the satellite installers further comprising code of the other custom actions operative to terminate spawning of the other custom actions and resume the custom action.