Remote Publishing and Server Administration

• US 20090300731A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Birck, Andrew Phillip, Mares, Carlos Aguilar
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to managing server content and configuration from within a single server management application. In one embodiment, a computer system receives a client connection requesting initiation of a server management application. The computer system initiates the server management application. The application provides means managing content and server configuration settings from within the server management application. The computer system receives user input indicating a configuration settings change to be applied to the server and alters configuration settings on the server. The management application provides configuration access to those settings for which the client has access rights. The computer system receives user input indicating that one or more portions of content are to be published to the server and publishes the content portions to the server. The server management application implements a protocol provider model that facilitates content publishing to the server over a variety of different protocols.

Claims

1. At a computer system in a computer networking environment, a method for managing server content and configuration from within a single server management application, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a client connection requesting initiation of a server management application;

an act of initiating the server management application, the application providing for user interaction such that the user can manage content and server configuration settings from within the server management application;

an act of receiving user input indicating a configuration settings change to be applied to the server;

an act of the server management application altering one or more configuration settings on the server, the management application providing configuration access to those settings for which the client has access rights;

an act of receiving user input indicating that one or more portions of content are to be published to the server; and

an act of the server management application publishing the content portions to the server, the management application implementing a protocol as provider model that facilitates content publishing to the server over a variety of different protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an act of determining that at least a portion of the server management application is not installed on the client'"'"'s computer system; and

an act of sending the installation software including the at least one portion of the server management application to the client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client connection request further includes client authentication credentials for authenticating the client prior to providing content and configuration settings access to the server management application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client'"'"'s ability to manage content and alter configuration settings is scoped according to the client'"'"'s authentication credentials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol provider model of the server management application provides a default protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information transmitted over the default protocol is encrypted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the default protocol is SSL over HTTP.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server management application is multithreaded, allowing for multiple concurrent file transfers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein files published to the server are transmitted on a chunk by chunk basis, the size of the data chunks being configurable by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of instantiating a communications link between the client and the server using the protocol provider model.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content publishing and configuration settings altering are both performed using the instantiated connection.

12. At a computer system in a computer networking environment, a method for managing web server content and configuration from within a single server management application, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a client connection requesting initiation of a web server management application, the client connection request including authentication credentials for creating a client application session;

based on the received client connection request and the authentication credentials, determining a web server management application scope of use to be applied during the client application session;

an act of initiating the web server management application, the application providing a graphical user interface to facilitate user interaction with the application, the user interaction including content publishing and server configuration settings management;

an act of receiving user input indicating a configuration settings change to be applied to the server;

an act of the web server management application changing one or more configuration settings on the server, the management application providing configuration access to those settings that are within the client'"'"'s scope of use for the session;

an act of receiving user input indicating that one or more portions of content are to be published to the server; and

an act of the web server management application publishing one or more portions of web page content to the web server, the application being configured to use a variety of different communication protocols to publish web content to the server and remove content from the server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

an act of determining that at least a portion of the server management application is not installed on the client'"'"'s computer system; and

an act of sending the installation software including the at least one portion of the server management application to the client.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface is provided as a web application in a web browser.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface provides drag and drop support for publishing data files to the web server.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the web server management application is a separately-installable module to an internet server framework.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the web server management application provides a default protocol, the default protocol being configured to as transmit encrypted information to and from the web server.

18. A computer program product for implementing a method for managing server content and configuration from within a single server management application, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a client connection requesting initiation of a server management application;

an act of initiating the server management application, the application providing for user interaction such that the user can manage content and server configuration settings from within the server management application;

an act of receiving user input indicating a configuration settings change to be applied to the server;

an act of the server management application altering one or more configuration settings on the server, the management application providing configuration access to those settings for which the client has access rights;

an act of receiving user input indicating that one or more portions of content are to be published to the server; and

an act of the server management application publishing the content portions to the server, the management application implementing a protocol provider model that facilitates content publishing to the server over a variety of different protocols.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising an act of instantiating a communications link between the client and the server using the protocol provider model.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the content publishing and configuration settings altering are both performed using the instantiated connection.