Computing Device Update Control

• US 20130326493A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Poonamalli, Rajiv N., Shaji, Ulattil, Goel, Sharad
• Granted Patent: US 9,110,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Techniques for computing device update configuration are described. In implementations, an update service is employed to manage update groups for various types and/or classifications of computing devices. An update group can specify particular update statuses for functionalities of a computing device, such as device driver updates, software updates, firmware updates, and so forth. In at least some implementations, a computing device can be assigned to an update group based on attributes of the computing device, such as an identifier of a manufacturer for the computing device, a make identifier for the computing device, a model identifier, and so forth. Update information associated with the update group can be synchronized with the computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving update information from a computing device authority, the update information including an update configuration specified by a computing device manufacturer for a computing device; and

configuring an update group associated with the computing device based on the update information.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises at least one of device driver information or software update information for the computing device.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises one or more of an identifier of the computing device manufacturer, a make identifier for the computing device, or a model identifier for the computing device.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computing device authority comprises the manufacturer of the computing device.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update group comprises a pre-existing update group, and wherein said configuring comprises dynamically changing the update group based on the update information.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises an indication of at least one update that is not to be propagated to the computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises an indication that a previous version of a device driver is to be utilized by the computing device, instead of an updated version.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an update query from the computing device, the update query including profile information that identifies at least the computing device manufacturer; and

matching the computing device to the update group based on the profile information such that the computing device is configurable based on the update configuration.

9. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said matching comprises:

determining that the profile information matches multiple different update groups, including the update group; and

assigning the computing device to the update group based on ascertaining that, of the multiple update groups, the update group matches the profile information with the greatest amount of specificity.

10. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to implement at least one module configured to:

receive update targeting information from a computing device authority, and configure one or more update groups based on the update targeting information;

receive an update query that includes profile information for a different computing device, the profile information specifying at least a manufacturer of the different computing device; and

assign the different computing device to at least one of the update groups based on matching the profile information to the at least one update group such that the update targeting information is applied to the different computing device.

11. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the update targeting information comprises a device driver profile for one or more types of computing devices associated with the computing device authority.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the computing device authority comprises an original equipment manufacturer.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the profile information includes a make identifier and a model identifier for the different computing device.

14. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one module is configured to assign the different computing device to the at least one of the update groups by:

determining that the profile information matches multiple of the update groups; and

assigning the different computing device to the at least one of the update groups in response to ascertaining that the at least one of the update groups matches the profile information with greater specificity than other of the update groups.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one module is configured to dynamically reconfigure the one or more update groups based on additional update targeting information received from the computing device authority.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one module is configured to override at least one update setting for the different computing device such that one or more available updates are not propagated to the different computing device.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one module is configured to dynamically reassign the different computing device to a different update group based on a change in at least one of the update targeting information, or the different computing device.

18. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

gathering profile information for a computing device, the profile information indicating at least a manufacturer and a model of the computing device; and

querying an update service with the profile information to ascertain whether an update is available for the computing device.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 18, wherein the profile information further includes one or more identifiers for component devices of the computing device.

20. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 18, wherein the profile information is gathered from a system management basic input/output (SMBIOS) of the computing device.