CENTRALIZED UTILITY FOR AUTOMATED RETRIEVAL, DISTRIBUTION/INSTALLATION, AND LICENSING MANAGEMENT OF SOFTWARE UPDATES USING PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNICATION

• US 20100333082A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Wong, Lana, Boyanapalli, Rao, Keys, Gregory C., Kitada, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,739,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A system for peer-to peer distributed client updates. The system includes an update server to which a list of target network accessible devices as devices that are to receive an update file is uploaded. The update server also receives an update file from a licensing server remote from the server. The generates a list of the targeted network accessible devices, which includes a plurality of superior nodes and a plurality of subordinate nodes, which are each subordinate to a respective one of the superior nodes. The server then sends the update file to each of said superior nodes, which send the update message to each of the nodes subordinate to the respective superior nodes.

Claims

1. A method for peer-to peer distributed client updates comprising:

retrieving, at a network interface of an update server, an update file corresponding to a software update from a licensing server remote from said server;

uploading, to a memory of said update server, a list of target network accessible devices as devices that are to receive the update file;

generating, at processor of said update server, a list of the targeted network accessible devices, said list including a plurality of superior nodes and a plurality of subordinate nodes, which are each subordinate to a respective one of said superior nodes;

sending, from the network interface of the update server, the update file to each of said superior nodes; and

sending, from each of the superior nodes, the update file to each of the nodes subordinate to said respective superior nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, directly from each of said superior and subordinate nodes to said update server, a reporting result indicating a result of a software update at each of said superior and subordinate nodes.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

registering, at said update server, the report results received from each of said target network accessible devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the report results indicate at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing a software update based on the update file.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update; and

transmitting the update file directly from the update server to said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, at the update server, the list of target network accessible devices and parameters related to a distribution of the update file transmitted to the target network accessible devices as a distribution template.

7. An update server configured to initiate a peer-to-peer distribution process, the update server comprising:

a network interface configured to receive an update file corresponding to a software update from a licensing server remote from said server;

a user interface configured to receive an input selecting a list of target network accessible devices as devices that are to receive the update file;

a module configured to generate a list of the targeted network accessible devices, said list including a plurality of superior nodes and a plurality of subordinate nodes, which are each subordinate to a respective one of said superior nodes; and

the network interface configured to transmit the update file to each of said superior nodes, which send the update file to each of the nodes subordinate to said respective superior nodes.

8. The update server of claim 7, further comprising:

the network interface configured to receive, directly from each of said superior and subordinate nodes, a reporting result indicating a result of a software update at each of said superior and subordinate nodes.

9. The update server of claim 8, further comprising:

a module configured to register the report results received from each of said target network accessible devices.

10. The update server of claim 9, wherein the report results indicate at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing a software update based on the update file.

11. The update server of claim 10, further comprising:

a module configured to identify said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update; and

the network interface configured to transmit the update file directly to said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update.

12. The update server of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the list of target network accessible devices and parameters related to a distribution of the update file transmitted to the target network accessible devices as a distribution template.

15. The update server of claim 8, further comprising:

means for registering the report results received from each of said target network accessible devices.

16. The update server of claim 15, wherein the report results indicate at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing a software update based on the update file.

17. The update server of claim 10, further comprising:

means for identifying said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update; and

means for transmitting the update file directly to said at least one of said target network accessible devices that was unsuccessful in performing the software update.

13. An update server configured to initiate a peer-to-peer distribution process, the update server comprising:

means for receiving an update file corresponding to a software update from a licensing server remote from said server;

means for receiving an input selecting a list of target network accessible devices as devices that are to receive the update file;

means for generating a list of the targeted network accessible devices, said list including a plurality of superior nodes and a plurality of subordinate nodes, which are each subordinate to a respective one of said superior nodes; and

means for transmitting the update file to each of said superior nodes, which send the update file to each of the nodes subordinate to said respective superior nodes.

14. The update server of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving, directly from each of said superior and subordinate nodes, a reporting result indicating a result of a software update at each of said superior and subordinate nodes.

18. The update server of claim 13, further comprising:

means for storing the list of target network accessible devices and parameters related to a distribution of the update file transmitted to the target network accessible devices as a distribution template.