AUTOMATING THE DEPLOYMENT OF APPLICATIONS

• US 20080250385A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sanchez, Elton R.
• Application Number:
  US11/697,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250385A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Techniques are provided for automatically building and deploying applications from a developers'"'"' workstation to an MFP. An integrated development environment (IDE) executes a script that causes (a) source code files to be compiled into executable code, (b) the executable code to be packaged into an application, and (c) the application to be deployed to an MFP. The application may be deployed over a network directly to an MFP or to a server. If the application is deployed first to a server, then the MFP requests the application from the server.

Claims

1. A method for deploying applications to multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), the method comprising, in response to executing a script in an integrated development environment (IDE):

compiling a plurality of source files into executable code;

packaging the executable code into an application that comprises one or more Java archive (JAR) files; and

deploying the application to an MFP from a development workstation that executes the IDE, wherein;

the MFP comprises a plurality of service applications that each provides at least one service;

one of the plurality of service applications includes a print process for processing print data and causing a printed version of an electronic document reflected in the print data to be generated; and

the MFP installs the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying the application includes one of:

deploying the application directly to the MFP over a network;

or

deploying the application from the development workstation to a server, wherein the MFP requests the application from the server and the server sends the application to the MFP.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying the application from the development workstation to the server using the Samba protocol.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying the application from the development workstation to the server using the Secure Copy (SCP) protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

deploying the application includes storing the application on a removable medium; and

the removable medium is inserted into the MFP.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

deploying the application includes signing the one or more JAR files with a key file and a manifest file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before deploying the application, running an emulator, on the application, that emulates how one or more MFPs might execute the application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a GUI that allows a user to enter metadata information for the application;

receiving the metadata information from the user; and

based on the metadata information, generating a second file with a particular format;

wherein deploying the application includes deploying the second file from the development workstation to the MFP.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying a boot script; and

when the MFP installs the application, the MFP executes the boot script, which causes the MFP to reboot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the application also comprises one or more code libraries that support the application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is an Ant script.

12. A machine-readable medium carrying instructions for deploying applications to multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform, in response to executing a script in an integrated development environment (IDE):

compiling a plurality of source files into executable code;

packaging the executable code into an application that comprises one or more Java archive (JAR) files; and

deploying the application to an MFP from a development workstation that executes the IDE, wherein;

the MFP comprises a plurality of service applications that each provides at least one service;

one of the plurality of service applications includes a print process for processing print data and causing a printed version of an electronic document reflected in the print data to be generated; and

the MFP installs the application.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein deploying the application includes one of:

deploying the application directly to the MFP over a network;

or

deploying the application from the development workstation to a server, wherein the MFP requests the application from the server and the server sends the application to the MFP.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying the application from the development workstation to the server using the Samba protocol.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying the application from the development workstation to the server using the Secure Copy (SCP) protocol.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

deploying the application includes storing the application on a removable medium; and

the removable medium is inserted into the MFP.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

deploying the application includes signing the one or more JAR files with a key file and a manifest file.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

before deploying the application, running an emulator, on the application, that emulates how one or more MFPs might execute the application.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

displaying a GUI that allows a user to enter metadata information for the application;

receiving the metadata information from the user; and

based on the metadata information, generating a second file with a particular format;

wherein deploying the application includes deploying the second file from the development workstation to the MFP.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

deploying the application includes deploying a boot script; and

when the MFP installs the application, the MFP executes the boot script, which causes the MFP to reboot.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the application also comprises one or more code libraries that support the application.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the script is an Ant script.