Automatic software installation on heterogeneous networked client computer systems

• US 5,742,829 A
• Filed: 03/10/1995
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Copeland, Bruce W., Davis, Michael L., Ben-Natan, Or
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORCORAN, PETER JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/403,246
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/650
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The present invention provides for automatically installing software on heterogeneous client computer systems. In a distributed system having heterogeneous computer systems of different natural languages, different operating system types, and/or different processor types, the present invention automatically installs the appropriate edition of software onto client computers. The present invention installs an edition of software appropriate for execution on a particular processor type, with a particular operating system type and in a particular natural language by utilizing commands specific to an operating system type. The present invention automatically installs software in response to the availability of a new version of the software, a change in the operating system of the client computer, a change in the associated natural language of the client computer, or in response to input of the administrator of the distributed system.

Claims

1. A data processing system having network services and software for installation, comprising:

a client computer for utilizing the network services and for receiving the software; and

a server computer communicatively linked to the client computer via a communication mechanism for providing the network services to the client computer, itself comprising;

a sender services component for receiving the software for installation,

an inventory processor component for receiving inventory information from the client computer via the communications mechanism,

an inventory loader component for storing the inventory information received by the inventory processor component for retrieval by the server computer,

a determination component using a scheduler subcomponent to automatically determine when to install the software onto the client computer, and

an installation component using a despooler subcomponent to install the software onto the client computer from the server computer via the communication mechanism when it is determined to install the software onto the client computer and in response to the client computer logging onto the server computer,

wherein the server computer is heterogeneous with respect to the client computer.

2. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the software is a version of a program, and wherein the server computer includes a detection component for detecting when the version of the program is outdated and for installing a new version of the program onto the client computer.

3. The data processing system of claim 2 wherein the detection component has a deletion component for deleting the version of the program that is outdated before installing the new version of the program onto the client computer.

4. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the client computer has an associated first natural language and wherein the server computer has an associated second natural language.

5. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the client computer executes an operating system of a first type and wherein the server computer executes an operating system of a second type.

6. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the client computer has a processor of a first type and wherein the server computer has a processor of a second type.

7. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the server computer has a start component for starting the software on the client computer after the installation component installs the software.

8. The data processing system of claim 1 further comprising a centralized management system for managing the server computer and the client computer, wherein the software performs a function of the centralized management system.

9. The data processing system of claim 1 further comprising a second client computer for utilizing network services provided by the server computer and for having the software installed on the second client computer, wherein the second client computer is heterogeneous with respect to the first client computer.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first client computer and the second client computer have processors that differ.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first client computer and the second client computer execute operating systems that differ.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first client computer and the second client computer have associated natural languages that differ.

13. In a data processing system having a first computer with software for installation on a second computer that stores local software and that has associated configuration characteristics that comprise characteristics of the local software and characteristics of a configuration of the second computer, the second computer having a processor type, an operating system type, and a current natural language, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

performing a first logon to the first computer by the second computer, the second computer having first associated configuration characteristics;

performing a second logon to the first computer by the second computer, the second computer having second associated configuration characteristics;

determining if the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics are equivalent; and

when it is determined that the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics are not equivalent,

selecting the software to install based on the second associated configuration characteristics of the second computer utilizing a software directory structure, the software directory structure storing different versions of the software, natural language-independent portions of the stored versions of the software being differentiated in the software directory structure at a first level by the processor type of the second computer and at a second level by operating system type of second computer, natural language-dependent portions of the stored versions of the software being differentiated in the software directory structure at a first level by the processor type of the second computer, at a second level by the operating system type of second computer, and at a third level based on the current natural language of the computer system, the selecting step selecting a natural language-independent portion of the stored versions of the software based upon the processor type and operating system type of the second computer and selecting a natural language-dependent portion of the stored versions of the software based upon the processor type, operating system type, and current natural language of the second computer, and

installing the selected portions of software onto the second computer by the first computer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second computer executes an operating system and wherein the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics include an indication of the operating system that is executing on the second computer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the software has a plurality of editions, each of the editions being suitable for execution with a given type of operating system, and wherein the step of installing the software includes installing one of the editions of the software suitable for execution with the operating system executing on the second computer during the second logon.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the second computer has an associated natural language and wherein the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics include an indication of the associated natural language of the second computer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the software has a plurality of editions, each of the editions appropriate for use with a given natural language, and wherein the step of installing the software includes installing one of the editions of the software that is appropriate for use with the associated natural language of the second computer during the second logon.

18. In a data processing system having programs, a first computer having a first of the programs and a second computer having a second of the programs, wherein the first computer provides network services to the second computer after the second computer performs a logon to the first computer, a prescribed program list being available for access by the first computer system that lists programs to be stored on the second computer, a method comprising the steps of:

initiating a logon to the first computer by the second computer, wherein the second computer is heterogeneous with respect to the first computer;

during the logon, performing the following steps automatically by the first computer;

determining whether to copy the first program onto the second computer by accessing the prescribed program list and determining whether the first program is among the programs listed by the prescribed program list;

when it is determined to copy the first program onto the second computer based on a determination that the first program is among the programs listed by the prescribed program list,

copying the first program from the first computer onto the second computer;

determining whether to delete the second program from the second computer by accessing the prescribed program list and determining whether the second program is among the programs listed by the prescribed programs list; and

when it is determined to delete the second program from the second computer based upon a determination that the second program is not among the programs listed by the prescribed programs list,

deleting the second program from the second computer; and

completing the logon to the first computer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the second computer contains additional programs that have been copied from the first computer, the method further including the steps of identifying the additional programs that have been copied to the second computer and starting execution of the additional programs.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first computer has a processor of a first type and the second computer has a processor of a second type, wherein the programs have editions that are suitable for execution on a type of processor, wherein the step of copying the first program includes copying an edition of the first program that is suitable for execution on the second type of processor.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the first computer executes an operating system of a first type and the second computer executes an operating system of a second type, wherein the programs have editions that are suitable for execution with a given type of processor, wherein the step of copying the first program includes copying an edition of the first program that is suitable for execution with the second type of operating system by utilizing commands suitable for the second type of operating system.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the first computer has a first associated natural language and the second computer has a second associated natural language, wherein the first program has editions that are particular to a given natural language, wherein the step of copying the first program includes copying an edition of the first program that is particular to the second associated natural language.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the data processing system is managed by an administrator, wherein the step of determining whether to copy the first program includes examining input of the administrator that specifies whether to copy the first program onto the second computer and whether to delete the second program from the second computer and wherein the step of determining whether to delete the second program includes examining the input of the administrator.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the second computer executes an operating system, wherein the step of initiating a logon includes the second computer executing a first operating system, and the method further including the steps of:

initiating a second logon to the first computer by the second computer, the second computer executing a second operating system;

determining to copy the first program to the second computer based on the second computer not executing the first operating system; and

copying the first program to the second computer.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the second computer has an associated natural language, wherein the step of initiating a logon includes the second computer having an associated first natural language, and the method further including the steps of:

initiating a second logon to the first computer by the second computer, wherein the second computer has an associated second natural language;

determining to copy the first program to the second computer based on the second computer not having the first associated natural language; and

copying the first program to the second computer.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the programs have versions, wherein the second computer has a version of the first program, wherein the step of determining whether to copy the first program includes determining whether the version of the first program on the second computer is outdated and wherein the step of copying the first program includes copying the new version of the first program.

27. An automatic software installation system, comprising:

a network for communicatively connecting a first computer to a second computer;

the first computer having an associated natural language and a processor running an operating system; and

the second computer for providing network services to the first computer after the first computer logs onto the second computer, and further comprising;

a storage component for storing editions of software;

a determination component for determining the associated natural language of the first computer, the operating system running on the first computer and the processor of the first computer; and

a copy component for copying an edition of the software onto the first computer that is suitable for execution on the processor of the first computer, that is suitable for execution with the operating system running on the first computer and that is suitable for the associated natural language of the first computer, wherein the copy component automatically copies the edition of the software from the second computer to the first computer via the network by utilizing commands that are suitable for the operating system of the first computer in response to the first computer initiating a logon to the second computer, the copy component copying the edition of the software from a software directory structure, the software directory structure storing different editions of the software being differentiated in the software directory structure at a first level by the processor of the first computer, at a second level by the operating system running on the first computer, and at a third level by the associated natural language of the first computer.

28. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a data processing system to perform processing, the data processing system having a first computer with software for installation on a second computer that stores local software and that has associated configuration characteristics that comprise characteristics of the local software and characteristics of a configuration of the second computer, the second computer having a processor type, an operating system type, and a current natural language, by performing the steps of:

performing a first logon to the first computer by the second computer, the second computer having first associated configuration characteristics;

performing a second logon to the first computer by the second computer, the second computer having second associated configuration characteristics;

determining if the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics are equivalent; and

when it is determined that the first associated configuration characteristics and the second associated configuration characteristics are not equivalent,

selecting the software to install based on the second associated configuration characteristics of the second computer utilizing a software directory structure, the software directory structure storing different versions of the software, natural language-independent portions of the stored versions of the software being differentiated in the software directory structure at a first level by the processor type of the second computer and at a second level by operating system type of second computer, natural language-dependent portions of the stored versions of the software being differentiated in the software directory structure at a first level by the processor type of the second computer, at a second level by the operating system type of second computer, and at a third level based on the current natural language of the computer system, the selecting step selecting a natural language-independent portion of the stored versions of the software based upon the processor type and operating system type of the second computer and selecting a natural language-dependent portion of the stored versions of the software based upon the processor the operating system type, and current natural language of the second computer, and

installing the selected portions of software onto the second computer by the first computer.

29. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a data processing system to perform processing, the data processing system having programs, a first computer having a first of the programs and a second computer having a second of the programs, wherein the first computer provides network services to the second computer after the second computer performs a logon to the first computer, a prescribed program list being available for access by the first computer system that lists programs to be stored on the second computer, by performing the steps of:

initiating a logon to the first computer by the second computer, wherein the second computer is heterogeneous with respect to the first computer;

during the logon, performing the following steps automatically by the first computer;

determining whether to copy the first program onto the second computer by accessing the prescribed program list and determining whether the first program is among the programs listed by the prescribed program list;

when it is determined to copy the first program onto the second computer based on a determination that the first program is among the programs listed by the prescribed program list,

copying the first program onto the second computer;

determining whether to delete the second program from the second computer by accessing the prescribed program list and determining whether the second program is among the programs listed by the prescribed programs list; and

when it is determined to delete the second program from the second computer based upon a determination that the second program is not among the programs listed by the prescribed programs list,

deleting the second program from the second computer; and

completing the logon to the first computer.