Method For Software Program Synchronization

• US 20080215758A1
• Filed: 08/14/2004
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Holtmanns, Silke, Schuba, Marko, Gerdes, Martin, Quinet, Raphael
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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

A method, devices, and a computer program for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device (D100) to a second device (D200) are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating (100) an application profile indicating one or more software programs on the first device (ID100) and indicating one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) from which said one or more software programs are obtainable, providing (200) the application profile to a synchronization manager (SM 100), identifying (300) by the synchronization manager (SM 100) the one or more software programs and the one or more software program providing nodes (SN100,SN200) according to the application profile, requesting (400) by the synchronization manager (SM 100) the one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) to transfer the one or more software programs, and transferring (500) the one or more software programs from the one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) to the second device (D200).

Claims

1. Method for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device to a second device, comprising the steps of:

creating an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

providing the application profile to a synchronization manager;

the synchronization manager identifying both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification, the synchronization manager requesting from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device, the software program requiring a license;

requesting the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

transferring the software program requiring a license to the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application profile comprises

at least one software program name for indicating and identifying one or more software programs,

at least one node address for indicating and identifying one or more software program nodes.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application profile further comprises a version indicator for identifying and indicating at least one version of the software program.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a corresponding software program is transferred instead of or in addition to the software program according to the application profile as a result of analysis of the corresponding software program.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses for indicating one or more license authorities to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

6. The method according to claim 2 further comprising at least one authentication step for verifying at least one identity of at least one of

the first device,

the second device,

a user of the first device,

a user of the second device,

at least one of the one or more software program nodes

before transferring the one or more software programs to the second device.

7. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of a selective charging for the transferred one or more software programs.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of creating the application profile is performed whenever a change of the one or more software programs on the first device occurs.

9. A synchronization manager for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device to a second device, wherein the synchronization manager comprises means for:

receiving an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

providing the application profile to a synchronization manager;

the synchronization manager identifying both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification, the synchronization manager requesting from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device, the software program requiring a license;

requesting the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

transferring the software program requiring a license to the second device.

10. The synchronization manager according to claim 10, wherein the synchronization manager is adapted to process the application profile, which comprises

at least one software program name indicating one of the one or more software programs and

at least one node address indicating one of the one or more software program nodes for identifying the one or more software programs and the one or more software program nodes.

11. The synchronization manager according to claim 10, wherein the synchronization manager is further adapted to process the application profile comprising at least one version indicator indicating at least one version of the one or more software programs for identifying the at least one version of the one or more software programs.

12. The synchronization manager according to claim 10, wherein for at least a part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile one or more corresponding software programs exist and the synchronization manager is adapted to process the one or more corresponding software programs that are transferred instead of or in addition to said part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile as a result of an analysis of said part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile and the one or more corresponding software programs.

13. The synchronization manager according to claim 10, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses for indicating one or more license authorities to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

14. The synchronization manager according to claim 10 being further adapted to perform an authentication wherein the synchronization manager is adapted to verify at least one identity of at least one of the first device, the second device, a user of the first device, a user of the second device, and at least one of the one or more software program providing nodes before initiating or accepting the transferring of the one or more software programs to the second device.

15. The synchronization manager according to claim 10 being further adapted to process and provide data for a selective charging of the transferred one or more software programs.

16. The synchronization manager according to claim 10, wherein the synchronization manager is operated on a server in a communications network.

17. A first device comprising a processing unit and an output unit, wherein the processing unit is adapted to create an application profile indicating one or more software programs on the first device and indicating one or more software program nodes from which said one or more software programs are obtainable, the application profile comprising at least one license indicator for indicating and identifying at least a part of the one or more software programs requiring a license, and to execute for synchronization of the one or more software programs to a second device a transfer of the application profile to at least one of

a synchronization manager,

the second device, and

an application profile storage node in a communications network.

18. The first device according to claim 17, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

19. The first device according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is adapted to create the application profile whenever a change of the one or more software programs on the first device occurs.

20. The first device according to claim 17, wherein for the transfer of the application profile

the processing unit is adapted to generate a message comprising the application profile and to send the message via the output unit for the transfer of the application profile, and

the processing unit is adapted to store the application profile on a movable storage medium being removable from the output unit for the transfer of the application profile.

21. The first device according to claim 18, wherein the first device is further adapted to operate the synchronization manager

wherein the synchronization manager includes means for:

receiving an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

providing the application profile to a synchronization manager;

the synchronization manager identifying both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification, the synchronization manager requesting from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device, the software program requiring a license;

requesting the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

transferring the software program requiring a license to the second device

22. A second device comprising an input unit, an output unit, and a processing unit, wherein the second device is adapted to operate a synchronization manager,

wherein the synchronization manager includes means for:

receiving an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

providing the application profile to a synchronization manager;

the synchronization manager identifying both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification, the synchronization manager requesting from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device, the software program requiring a license;

requesting the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

transferring the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

t

the input unit is adapted to receive the one or more software programs.

23. The second device according to claim 22, wherein the input unit is adapted to receive the application profile from at least one of an application profile storage node in a communication networks, the first device, and a movable storage medium.

24. (canceled)