Installing software based on a profile

• US 6,301,707 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aloft Media, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Hasbani, Jacques E., Karbowski, Kennett, Carroll, Terri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US08/942,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/1, 707/103, 345/348, 709/221
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

A software system is selectively installed from a source into a target system according to a profile. The software system comprises a plurality of components. Only selected components are needed by the target system. A profile of the target system is created when the target system is defined; the profile defines the components needed by the target system. To configure the target system, an installation process installs in the target system only components from the source that are defined in the profile for the target system. The source may be a storage medium or a separate installation system.

Claims

1. A method of installing a software system in a target system from a source that stores a plurality of software components of said software system, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a profile of said target system, wherein said profile defines a subset of said software components that are needed by said target system; and

(b) installing, from said source to said target system, only said subset of said software components defined in said profile.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said source is a computer readable medium.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said source is an installation system.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein said step of installing further comprises the step of communicating said subset from said installation system to said target system over a network.

5. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the step of storing a subset of the plurality of software components comprises the step of storing in said installation system a plurality of carrier files, wherein each of said carrier files defines shipment parameters for one of a plurality of carriers.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the step of storing a profile of said target system comprises the step of storing in said installation system a feed file comprising at least one product control number, wherein each one of said product control numbers identifies one of said carrier files.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein said step of installing further comprises the steps of:

(a) reading a selected product control number from said feed file;

identifying one of said carrier files identified by said selected product control number; and

(b) copying from said installation system to said target system said one of said carrier files that is identified by said selected product control number.

8. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of storing in said installation system a supported carrier list comprising a plurality of supported carrier identifiers.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the step of identifying one of said carrier files includes the step of testing whether said selected product control number matches one of said supported carrier identifiers.

10. The method recited in claim 5, wherein each of said carrier files comprises a rating DLL.

11. The method recited in claim 5, wherein said step of installing further comprises the step of writing information identifying one of said carriers in a system registry of said target system.

12. A method of installing a software product in a target computer from a source that stores a plurality of components of said software product, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a feed file comprising a product control number that uniquely identifies one of said components needed by said target system, and a supported carrier list comprising at least one supported carrier identifier that uniquely identifies a carrier;

(b) reading said product control number from said feed file and

(c) when said product control number matches said supported carrier identifier, installing from said source to said target computer, only the one of said plurality of components identified in said feed file and identified by said product control number.

13. Computer apparatus for installing a software system in a target computer, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a processor; and

(b) a storage medium coupled to said processor and having stored therein a plurality of software components of said software system, in which said processor is configured to store a profile of a target system, wherein said profile defines a subset of said software components that are needed by said target system; and

installing, from said storage medium to said target system, only said subset of said software components defined in said profile.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 13, wherein said storage medium is a disk.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 13, wherein said storage medium is an installation system.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein said processor further is configured to communicate said subset from said installation system to said target system over a network.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein said processor further is configured to store in said installation system a plurality of carrier files, wherein each of said carrier files defines shipment parameters for one of a plurality of carriers.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 17, wherein said processor further is configured to store in said installation system a feed file comprising at least one product control number, wherein each of said product control numbers identifies one of said carrier files.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 18, wherein said processor further is configured to:

(a) read a selected product control number from said feed file;

(b) identify one of said carrier files identified by said selected product control number; and

(c) copy from said installation system to said target system said one of said carrier files that is identified by said selected product control number.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 19, said processor further is configured to store in said installation system a supported carrier list comprising a plurality of supported carrier identifiers.

21. The apparatus recited in claim 20, said processor further is configured to test whether said selected product control number matches one of said supported carrier identifiers.

22. The apparatus recited in claim 17, wherein each of said carrier files comprises a rating DLL.

23. The apparatus recited in claim 17, wherein said processor further is configured to write information identifying one of said plurality of carriers in a system registry of said target system.

24. A computer software product that includes a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to install a software system from a source that stores a plurality of software components of said software system to a target system by causing said processor to execute the steps of:

(a) storing a profile of said target system, wherein said profile defines a subset of said software components that are needed by said target system; and

(b) installing, from said source to said target system, only said subset of said software components defined in said profile.

25. The software product recited in claim 24, wherein said source is an installation system.

26. The software product recited in claim 25, wherein said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the step of communicating said subset from said installation system to said target system over a network.

27. The software product recited in claim 25, wherein said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the step of storing in said installation system a plurality of carrier files, wherein each of said carrier files defines shipment parameters for one of a plurality of carriers.

28. The software product recited in claim 27, wherein each of said carrier files comprises a rating DLL.

29. The software product recited in claim 27, wherein said step of installing further comprises the step of writing information identifying one of said carriers in a system registry of said target system.

30. The software product recited in claim 25, wherein said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the step of storing in said installation system a feed file comprising at least one product control number, wherein each one of said product control numbers uniquely identifies one of said carrier files.

31. The software product recited in claim 30, wherein said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the steps of:

(a) reading a selected product control number from said feed file;

(b) identifying one of said carrier files identified by said selected product control number; and

(c) copying from said installation system to said target system said one of said carrier files that is identified by said selected product control number.

32. The software product recited in claim 31, said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the step of storing in said installation system a supported carrier list comprising a plurality of supported carrier identifiers.

33. The software product recited in claim 32, said sequence of instructions further causes said processor to carry out the step of testing whether said selected product control number matches one of said supported carrier identifiers.