Network-Enhanced Control Of Software Updates Received Via Removable Computer-Readable Medium

• US 20110113416A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: McCurdy, Daniel, McGraw, William Harrison IV, Ewington, Craig Leslie
• Application Number:
  US12/731,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for network enhanced controls of software updates received via a computer-readable medium are described. A first computer may load data representative of an image of a software stack from a removable computer-readable storage medium. A task sequence of instructions for installing the data representative of the image of the software stack at the first computer may be requested from the first computer to a second computer. The first computer may receive the task sequence, and may access the task sequence to retrieve the instructions for installing the data representative of the image at the first computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

loading, by a first computer, data representative of an image of a software stack from a removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting, from the first computer to a second computer, a task sequence of instructions for installing the data representative of the image of the software stack at the first computer;

receiving, at the first computer, the task sequence; and

accessing, at the first computer, the task sequence to retrieve the instructions for installing the data representative of the image at the first computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representative of the image is loaded to a logically protected region of the first computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, the task sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, at the first computer, connection of the removable computer-readable storage medium to the first computer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the first computer, a second task sequence maintained on the removable computer-readable storage medium; and

determining if the second task sequence is the task sequence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting the task sequence includes an identification of the first computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data representative of at least one other current task sequence for a different computer; and

recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, data representing the at least one other current task sequence.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying data representative of at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack on the removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting a current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack;

receiving data representative of the current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack; and

recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, data representing the current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representative of the image is an image.

10. A method comprising:

loading, by a first computer, data representative of an image of a software stack from a removable computer-readable storage medium;

identifying, by the first computer, a task sequence maintained on the removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting, from the first computer to a second computer, data representative of a current task sequence of instructions for installing the data representative of the image of the software stack at the first computer;

receiving, at the first computer, data representative of the current task sequence; and

determining if the identified task sequence is the current task sequence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data representative of the current task sequence is the current task sequence.

12. The method of claim 10, responsive to determining the identified task sequence is the current task sequence, accessing, at the first computer, the task sequence to retrieve the instructions for installing the data representative of the image at the first computer.

13. The method of claim 10, responsive to determining the identified task sequence is not the current task sequence, recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, the current task sequence.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the data representative of the image is loaded to a logically protected region of the first computer.

15. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method of:

loading, by a first computer, data representative of an image of a software stack from a removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting, from the first computer to a second computer, a task sequence of instructions for installing the data representative of the image of the software stack at the first computer;

receiving, at the first computer, the task sequence; and

accessing, at the first computer, the task sequence to retrieve the instructions for installing the data representative of the image at the first computer.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the requesting the task sequence includes an identification of the first computer.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, the method further comprising recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, the task sequence.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, the method further comprising:

identifying data representative of at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack on the removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting a current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack;

receiving data representative of the current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack; and

recording, by the first computer to the removable computer-readable storage medium, data representing the current task sequence for execution of the data representative of the at least one unauthorized version of the image of the software stack.

19. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method of:

loading, by a first computer, data representative of an image of a software stack from a removable computer-readable storage medium;

identifying, by the first computer, a task sequence maintained on the removable computer-readable storage medium;

requesting, from the first computer to a second computer, data representative of a current task sequence of instructions for installing the data representative of the image of the software stack at the first computer;

receiving, at the first computer, data representative of the current task sequence; and

determining if the identified task sequence is the current task sequence.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the data representative of the current task sequence is the current task sequence.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, responsive to determining the identified task sequence is the current task sequence, the method further comprising accessing, at the first computer, the task sequence to retrieve the instructions for installing the data representative of the image at the first computer.