Configuring computer network operations based upon a sequence of interactive user entries into a network server computer with a one time entry of data commonly required by multiple clients

• US 6,209,031 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dean, Jeffrey Randell, Rodriguez, Ingrid Milagros, Howard, Jeffrey Langdon, Casey, Walter William
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/118,210
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/221, 709/220, 395/712, 717/11
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity

Abstract

A network of a server and a plurality of client computers for small businesses which is easy to install, configure and operate and still provides all of the users in the business with the same transparent access to all of their allocated software resources through a same graphical user interface irrespective of which one of the client computers in the network they may sign onto. The operating systems and the application programs to be used on the client computers are loaded on the server. The users have been prompted for the one time input of data required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of the plurality of client computers. Responsive to the log on of one of the plurality of users on any one of the client computers, there is distributed to the logged on client computer the operating system and application programs allocated for use by the user through substantially the same graphical user interface irrespective of which client computer the user signs onto. Since the client computers have little or no storage facilities, there are means in the server computer for storing and tracking the above prompted for data entries.

Claims

1. A computer network comprising at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers enabling a user to access substantially the same interface on any one of said client computers comprising:

means for storing on said server computer the operating systems and the application programs to be used on said client computers,

means in said server computer for interactively prompting through a display interface for the one time input of a sequence of data entries required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of said plurality of client computers based upon the respective computing needs of each of said users,

means in said server computer for tracking said data entries, and

means responsive to the logon of one of said plurality of users on any one of said client computers for distributing to said logged on client computer the operating system and application programs allocated for use a by said user.

2. The computer network of claim 1 wherein said means for tracking said data entries are in the registry of an allocated operating system stored on said server.

3. The computer network of claim 2 wherein said allocated operating system is a windows operating system.

4. In a computer network of at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a method enabling a user to access substantially the same interface on any one of said client computers comprising:

storing on said server computer the operating systems and the application programs to be used on said client computers,

interactively prompting through a display interface to said server computer for the one time input of a sequence of data entries required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of said plurality of client computers based upon the respective computing needs of each of said users,

tracking said data entries on said server computer, and

responsive to the logon of one of said plurality of users on any one of said client computers, distributing to said logged on client computer the operating system and application programs allocated for use by said user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said data entries are stored in the registry of an allocated operating system stored on said server.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said allocated operating system is a windows operating system.

7. A computer program having program code included on a computer readable medium for enabling a user to access substantially the same interface on any client computer in a computer network comprising at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers comprising:

means for storing on said server computer the operating systems and the application programs to be used on said client computers,

means in said server computer for interactively prompting through a display interface for the one time input of a sequence of data entries required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of said plurality of client computers based upon the respective computing needs of each of said users,

means in said server computer for tracking said data entries, and

means responsive to the logon of one of said plurality of users on any one of said client computers for distributing to said logged on client computer the operating system and application programs allocated for use by said user.

8. The computer program of claim 7 wherein said means for tracking said data entries are in the registry of an allocated operating system stored on said server.

9. The computer program of claim 8 wherein said allocated operating system is a windows operating system.