Methods and Apparatus for Categorizing Computer System States for Use in Identifying Individual Computer Systems to Receive State-Dependent Maintenance
First Claim
1. A method for identifying at least one programmable electronic device by configuration state, the method comprising:
- formulating a specification of a state-dependent action to be performed on the at least one programmable electronic device, where the specification comprises a description of an initial state configuration to be possessed by the at least one programmable electronic device;
determining at least one element which describes the initial state configuration;
creating a software agent to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration in the at least one programmable electronic device;
applying the software agent to the at least one programmable electronic device to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; and
receiving a result that indicates the presence or absence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration.
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Abstract
The present invention concerns methods and apparatus that categorize states of computer systems selected to receive state-dependent maintenance activities as a prelude to the performance of those maintenance activities. In methods and apparatus of the present invention, it is determined, for example, that a certain version of an application program operating in computer systems having a specific operating system will be updated. A signature corresponding to the combination of the application program and operating system is incorporated in a software agent. The software agent is designed to poll computer systems in order to identify targets drawn from a population of computer systems that have states corresponding to the signature incorporated in the software agent. All computer systems maintenance activity performed on them.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for identifying at least one programmable electronic device by configuration state, the method comprising:
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formulating a specification of a state-dependent action to be performed on the at least one programmable electronic device, where the specification comprises a description of an initial state configuration to be possessed by the at least one programmable electronic device; determining at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; creating a software agent to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration in the at least one programmable electronic device; applying the software agent to the at least one programmable electronic device to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; and receiving a result that indicates the presence or absence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to identify at least one programmable device by configuration state, the operations comprising:
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formulating a specification of a state-dependent action to be performed on the at least one programmable electronic device, where the specification comprises a description of an initial state configuration to be possessed by the at least one programmable electronic device; determining at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; creating a software agent to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration in the at least one programmable electronic device; applying the software agent to the at least one programmable electronic device to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; and receiving a result that indicates the presence or absence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration.
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16. A computer system for identifying at least one programmable electronic device by configuration state, where the at least one programmable electronic device has an interface accessible by the computer system, the computer system comprising:
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at least one memory to store at least one program of machine-readable instructions, where the at least one program performs operations to identify at least one programmable electronic device by configuration state; a computer system interface for connecting to the interface of the programmable electronic device; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and the computer system interface, where the at least one processor performs at least the following operations when the at least one program is executed; formulating a specification of a state-dependent action to be performed on the at least one programmable electronic device, where the specification comprises a description of an initial state configuration to be possessed by the at least one programmable electronic device; determining at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; creating a software agent to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration in the at least one programmable electronic device; applying the software agent to the at least one programmable electronic device to test for the presence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration; and receiving a result that indicates the presence or absence of the at least one element which describes the initial state configuration. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification