SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING NETWORK COMPUTER SYSTEMS

• US 20150301816A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Aderton, Harry, Reckeweg, John, Aderton, Richard, Patel, Prakash, Rietmann, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/752,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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

An update system configured to provide software updates, software patches and/or other data packets to one or more computer systems via a network is disclosed. The update system may interact with a network management system, such as an enterprise management system, to distribute data packets and gather configuration information. The update system may generate and send commands to the network management system. The network management system may carry out the commands to distribute data packets and/or gather configuration information.

Claims

1. An update system comprising:

a network interface configured to;

receive, from a server, client configuration information associated with a plurality of client computer systems, wherein the client configuration information is determined based on scanning, by one or more scanning agents, at least some of the plurality of client computer systems; and

communicate a message to the server;

a memory configured to store;

a list of data packet entries, each data packet entry comprising;

first information identifying a data packet;

second information indicating which client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems should have the data packet installed; and

one or more conditions for installation of the data packet;

the client configuration information; and

a processor configured to;

select the data packet to install on a client computer system of the plurality of client computer systems based on a comparison of the client configuration information to the second information, wherein the comparison provides an indication that the data packet is transmissible to the client computer system;

determine that the client computer system of the plurality of client computer systems meets the one or more conditions associated with the data packet based on the client configuration information;

generate the message in response to the determination that the client computer system meets the one or more conditions, the message comprising a command requesting the server to communicate the data packet to an agent application installed on the client computer system; and

verify that the data packet was successfully installed on the client computer system.

2. The update system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an installation status of the data packet on two or more client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems; and

generate a view for display to a user, the view providing a graphical representation of the installation status.

3. The update system of claim 1, wherein:

the data packet comprises a software patch associated with a client software program; and

the client configuration information comprises information indicating whether the software patch is installed on one or more client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems.

4. The update system of claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more of the following:

a condition that a client software program is installed on the client computer system;

a condition that the client software program is not installed on the client computer system;

a condition that a version of an operating system is installed on the client computer system; and

a condition associated with content of a system registry of the client computer system.

5. The update system of claim 1, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store group data associating one or more client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems with a group; and

the processor is further configured to;

assign the one or more client computer systems to the group based on one or more portions of the client configuration information; and

generate a view for display to a user, the view providing a graphical depiction of the one or more client computer systems assigned to the group.

6. The update system of claim 5, wherein:

the network interface is further configured to receive user input selecting a subset of the plurality of client computer systems; and

the processor is further configured to assign the one or more client computer systems to the group based on the user input.

7. The update system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a computer program executed by the processor of the update system.

8. The update system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a computer program executed by another processor of a computer system remote from the update system.

9. The update system of claim 1, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store the data packet; and

the message further comprises the data packet.

10. The update system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify one or more prohibited data packets present on the client computer system based on comparing the configuration information to the list; and

generate a view for display to a user, the view depicting the one or more prohibited data packets.

11. The update system of claim 1, wherein the client configuration information comprises:

hardware information identifying one or more hardware components of the client computer system;

data packet information indicating whether the data packet is installed on the client computer system; and

operating system information indicating a version of an operating system installed on the client computer system.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising logic that, when executed by a processor, is operable to:

access client configuration information comprising;

hardware information identifying one or more hardware components of a client computer system;

data packet information indicating whether the data packet is installed on the client computer system; and

operating system information indicating a version of an operating system installed on the client computer system;

access a control list comprising a plurality of data packet entries, each data packet entry comprising;

a data packet identifier; and

one or more conditions associated with a data packet;

determine that the client computer system meets the one or more conditions associated with the data packet based on the client configuration information, wherein the client configuration information is determined based on scanning, by one or more scanning agents, at least the client computer system;

install the data packet on the client computer system in response to an indication that the data packet is transmissible to the client computer system and in response to the determination that the client computer system meets the one or more conditions associated with the data packet; and

verify that the data packet was successfully installed on the client computer system.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the data packet comprises a software patch associated with a client software program installed on the client computer system.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein installation of the data packet on the client computer system is triggered by a command from a server remote from the client computer system.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more of the following:

a condition that a client software program is installed on the client computer system;

a condition that the client software program is not installed on the client computer system;

a condition that a version of an operating system is installed on the client computer system; and

a condition associated with content of a system registry of the client computer system.

16. The medium of claim 12, wherein the client computer system is assigned to a group based on the client configuration information.

17. The medium of claim 12, wherein the client computer system is assigned to a group based on input from a user.

18. The medium of claim 12, wherein the logic, when executed by the processor, is further operable to determine the client configuration information at a plurality of scheduled times.

19. The medium of claim 12, wherein the logic, when executed by the processor, is further operable to determine audit information associated with the client computer system, the audit information comprising information identifying one or more unknown data packets on the client computer system.

20. The medium of claim 12, wherein the logic, when executed by the processor, is further operable to determine audit information associated with the client computer system, the audit information comprising information identifying one or more prohibited data packets on the client computer system.

21. An update system comprising:

a network interface configured to;

receive, from a server, client configuration information associated with a plurality of client computer systems, wherein the client configuration information is determined based on scanning, by one or more scanning agents, at least some of the plurality of client computer systems;

receive input from a user; and

communicate a message to the server;

a memory configured to store;

the client configuration information; and

a list of software patch entries, each software patch entry associated with a software patch and comprising;

first information identifying the software patch; and

second information identifying which client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems should have the software patch installed; and

a processor configured to;

identify one or more software patches to be installed on one or more client computer systems of the plurality of client computer systems based on the client configuration information and the list of software patch entries and based on an indication that the one or more software patches are transmissible to the one or more client computer systems;

generate a first view for display to the user, the first view identifying the one or more software patches;

process the input from the user, the input requesting installation of the one or more software patches;

generate the message in response to the input, the message comprising a command requesting the server to communicate the one or more software patches to an agent application installed on each of the one or more client computer systems;

determine an installation status of the one or more software patches on the one or more client computer systems; and

generate a second view for display to the user, the second view providing a graphical representation of the installation status.