System and method for configuring personal systems

• US 6,636,961 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Braun, Timothy L., Murray, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US09/350,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/100, 717/168, 717/170, 717/174, 717/121, 717/169, 717/175
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system previously cloned with an operating system and a collection of applications has personal configuration data customized for the user receiving the system by a configuration tool. When the configuration tool is used in an interactive mode, a dialog displays the existing configuration and allows the installer or user to modify and save it. When the configuration tool is used in a non-interactive mode, that is, for migration, the machine configuration information is obtained from or put to an operating system independent configuration data file without using the configuration dialog. In interactive mode, a user dialog is displayed with the list of all the supported applications that are found to be installed on the system. Selecting one of the listed applications brings up an application dialog including input fields for each of the configuration items for that application. Configuration data can be imported from or exported to the configuration data file 160. This allows an installer to export from an old system and import into the new one when hardware is being upgraded. Also, the import and export feature is used to automate configuration and information gathering.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a computer system, comprising the steps of:

migrating a user configuration through an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters from a first operating system to a second operating system; and

reconfiguring said computer system with said user configuration and said second operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a central database of user configurations.

3. A method for configuring a computer system, comprising the steps of:

building a customized migration file containing user configuration information in an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters;

loading said customized migration file and a configuration tool on said computer system; and

executing said configuration tool against said customized migration file to configure said computer system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

presenting to an installer a dialog prefilled with customization data from said customized file;

selectively receiving from said installer via said dialog new data modifying said customization data; and

saving as a new configuration for said computer system said customized file as modified by said new data.

5. A system for configuring a computer system, comprising:

a work station;

a configuration utility operable on said work station selectively to configure and migrate a workstation configuration through an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format, said configuration including at least one application program selected from the set of application programs including configurable applications, migratable applications, and applications which are both configurable and migratable.

6. A system for configuring a computer system with respect to one or more applications, comprising:

a memory;

an export file including an intermediate configuration data file for storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters; and

embodied in a computer readable medium for each application of said one or more applications,

an installed method for determining if said application is installed on said system;

a load_data method for loading configuration data for said application into said memory;

an import_data method for replacing configuration data in said memory with configuration data held in said export file; and

an export_data method for writing configuration data from said memory to said export file.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a backup system, and embodied in said computer readable medium for each said application of said one or more applications:

a migrate_to method for migrating special control files from said computer system to said backup system; and

a migrate_from method for migrating special control files from said backup system to said computer system.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising embodied in said computer readable medium for each said application of said one or more applications:

a check_data method for checking data that is stored in said memory; and

a save_data method for moving configuration data in memory back to said computer system for configuring said application according to said configuration data.

9. An interactive method for configuring a workstation with respect to at least one application of a plurality of supported applications, comprising the steps of:

a) building a list of active applications;

b) loading into memory application data for each said active application;

c) presenting configuration dialogs to a user for allowing said user to select to enter, import, or export configuration data;

d) responsive to said user selecting import configuration data, executing an import method for each said active application to generate first updated configuration data in an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters; and

e) responsive to said user selecting export configuration data, executing an export method for each said active application.

10. The interactive method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

said building step including;

executing an installed method with respect to a first supported application to determine if said first supported application is installed on said workstation; and

repeating said installed method for each said supported application; and

said loading step including;

executing a load_data method for each said active application.

11. The interactive method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

checking updated configuration data for errors and, responsive to identifying an error, redisplaying said dialog selectively to generate second updated configuration data; and

configuring said active applications in accordance with said first and second updated configuration data.

12. A method for configuring a computer system by migrating configuration data for at least one of one or more supported applications from a workstation to temporary backup on a network, comprising the steps of:

providing for each said supported application an installed method, a load_data method, an export method, and a migrate_to method;

executing said installed method for each said supported application to identify active applications on said workstation;

executing said load_data method for each said active application to load application data into memory for each said active application;

executing said export method for each said active application to export to an export file said application data for each said active application, said export file comprising an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters; and

executing said migrate_to method for each said active application to migrate to said temporary backup application files for each said active application.

13. A method for configuring a computer system by migrating configuration data from an existing machine to a workstation, comprising the steps of:

providing for each said supported application an installed method, a load_data method, an import method, and a migrate_from method;

executing said installed method for each said supported application to identify active applications on said workstation;

executing said load_data method for each said active application to load application data into memory for each said active application;

executing said import method for each said active application to import from an import/export file said application data for each said active application, said import/export file comprising an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters; and

executing said migrate_from method for each said active application to migrate from backup application files for each said active application.

14. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for interactive method for configuring a workstation with respect to at least one application of a plurality of supported applications, said method steps comprising:

a) building a list of active applications;

b) loading into memory application data for each said active application;

c) presenting configuration dialogs to a user for allowing said user to select to enter, import, or export configuration data through an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in a system neutral format comprising human readable characters;

d) responsive to said user selecting import configuration data, executing an import method for each said active application to generate first updated configuration data; and

e) responsive to said user selecting export configuration data, executing an export method for each said active application.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for interactive method for configuring a workstation with respect to at least one application of a plurality of supported applications, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising;

a) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect building a list of active applications;

b) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect loading into memory application data for each said active application;

c) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect presenting configuration dialogs to a user for allowing said user to select to enter, import, or export configuration data with respect to an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters;

d) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect responsive to said user selecting import configuration data, executing an import method for each said active application to generate first updated configuration data; and

e) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect responsive to said user selecting export configuration data, executing an export method for each said active application.

16. A computer program product or computer program element embodied in a computer readable medium configured to be operable for performing steps comprising:

a) building a list of active applications;

b) loading into memory application data for each said active application;

c) presenting configuration dialogs to a user for allowing said user to select to enter, import, or export configuration data with respect to an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in a system neutral format comprising human readable characters;

d) responsive to said user selecting import configuration data, executing an import method for each said active application to generate first updated configuration data; and

e) responsive to said user selecting export configuration data, executing an export method for each said active application.

17. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for configuring a workstation with respect to at least one application of a plurality of supported applications, said method steps comprising:

providing for each said supported application an installed method, a load_data method, an import method, and a migrate_from method;

executing said installed method for each said supported application to identify active applications on said workstation;

executing said load_data method for each said active application to load application data into memory for each said active application;

executing said import method for each said active application to import from an import/export file said application data for each said active application, said import/export file comprising an intermediate configuration data file storing user configuration data in system neutral format comprising human readable characters; and

executing said migrate_from method for each said active application to migrate from backup application files for each said active application.