Methods, systems and computer program products for management of preferences in a heterogeneous computing environment

• US 6,651,095 B2
• Filed: 12/14/1998
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lindquist, David Bruce, Ims, Steven Dale, Barlock, Denise Lynnette
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/212, 709/226, 709/228, 709/217, 709/219, 709/200, 709/223, 709/227, 709/242, 709/238, 707/10, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• 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]

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for managing user preferences in heterogenous networks. A native application is selected and a software routine and user preferences obtained from a server which allows installation of the user preferences of the native application on the computer obtaining the preferences. Thus, the software routine obtained may be tailored to the particular computer executing the native application. This routine may be downloaded without requiring intervention at the computer and may be downloaded only if needed by selection of an application. Furthermore, the user preferences may be selected based on a user or user group such that the preferences may be used on different computer by the same user or user group.

Claims

1. A method of establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer based on preferences resident on a second computer remote from the first computer, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user of the first computer, wherein the received request is associated with a request for an instance of the application;

obtaining from a computer other than the first computer, a software routine corresponding to the first computer;

executing the software routine on the first computer, wherein the software routine carries out the steps of;

retrieving the user preferences associated with the application from the second computer; and

replacing native user preferences resident on the first computer and associated with the application with the retrieved user preferences;

launching an instance of the application on the first computer utilizing the retrieved user preferences.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said retrieving step comprises the steps of:

selecting user preferences associated with the application resident on the first computer from a plurality of user preferences resident on the second computer; and

retrieving the selected user preferences.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the user preferences are selected based upon the user requesting the instance of the application.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the user preferences are selected based on characteristics of an operating environment of the first computer.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the characteristics of the operating environment comprise the type of operating system of the first computer.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining a software routine comprises the steps of:

selecting a software routine from a plurality of software routines stored on at least one computer other than the first computer, wherein the software routine is selected based on characteristics of the first computer; and

retrieving the selected software routine.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the characteristics of the first computer comprises a type of operating system of the first computer.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the native user preferences;

determining if the launched instance of the application has terminated; and

replacing, responsive to the determining step, the retrieved user preferences with the native user preferences.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said said retrieving and said replacing steps are carried out for each request by a user.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining updated user preferences associated with an application resident on the first computer; and

storing the updated user preferences on the second computer.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the software routine is a machine independent software routine.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the software routine is a JAVA applet.

13. A method of establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer, the method comprising:

determining an operating system of the first computer;

providing a software routine corresponding to the determined operating system to the first computer;

selecting user preferences based on the determined operating system; and

installing the selected user preferences on the first computer using the obtained software routine.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the user preferences are further selected based upon a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

associating users with a group; and

wherein the selected user preferences are further selected based on the group associated with a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein said installing step is preceded by the step of copying native user preferences stored on the first computer.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said installing step is followed by the steps of:

launching an instance of the application on the first computer;

determining if the launched application has terminated; and

re-installing, responsive to the determining step, the copied native user preferences on the first computer.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said re-installing step is preceded by the step of storing the user preferences on a second computer remote from the first computer.

19. A system for establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer based on preferences resident on a second computer remote from the first computer, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user of the first computer, wherein the received request is associated with a request for an instance of the application;

means for obtaining from a computer other than the first computer, a software routine corresponding to the first computer;

means for executing the software routine on the first computer;

means for retrieving the user preferences associated with the application from the second computer;

means for replacing native user preferences resident on the first computer and associated with the application with the retrieved user preferences; and

means for launching an instance of the application on the first computer utilizing the retrieved user preferences.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said means for retrieving comprises:

means for selecting user preferences associated with the application resident on the first computer from a plurality of user preferences resident on the second computer; and

means for retrieving the selected user preferences.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the user preferences are selected based upon the user requesting the instance of the application.

22. A system according to claim 20, wherein the user preferences are selected based on characteristics of an operating environment of the first computer.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the characteristics of the operating environment comprise the type of operating system of the first computer.

24. A system according to claim 19, wherein said means for obtaining a software routine comprises:

means for selecting a software routine from a plurality of software routines stored on at least one computer other than the first computer, wherein the software routine is selected based on characteristics of the first computer; and

means for retrieving the selected software routine.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the characteristics of the first computer comprises a type of operating system of the first computer.

26. A system according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for storing the native user preferences;

means for determining if the launched instance of the application has terminated; and

means, responsive to the means for determining, for replacing the retrieved user preferences with the native user preferences.

27. A system according to claim 19, further comprising means, responsive to said means for receiving, for controlling said means for retrieving and said means for replacing in response to each request by a user for an instance of the application.

28. A system according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for obtaining updated user preferences associated with an application resident on the first computer; and

means for storing the updated user preferences on the second computer.

29. A system according to claim 19, wherein the software routine is a machine independent software routine.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the software routine is a JAVA applet.

31. A system for establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer, comprising:

means for determining an operating system of the first computer;

means for providing a software routine corresponding to the determined operating system to the first computer;

means for selecting user preferences based on the determined operating system; and

means for installing the selected user preferences on the first computer using the obtained software routine.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the user preferences are further selected based upon a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

33. A system according to claim 31, further comprising:

means for associating users with a group; and

wherein the selected user preferences are further selected based on the group associated with a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

34. A system according to claim 31, further comprising means for copying native user preferences stored on the first computer.

35. A system according to claim 34, further comprising:

means for launching an instance of the application on the first computer;

means for determining if the launched application has terminated; and

means, responsive to the means for determining, for re-installing the copied user preferences on the first computer.

36. A system according to claim 35, further comprising means for storing the user preferences on a second computer remote from the first computer.

37. A computer program product for establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer based on preferences resident on a second computer remote from the first computer, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for receiving a request from a user of the first computer, wherein the received request is associated with a request for an instance of the application;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining from a computer other than the first computer, a software routine corresponding to the first computer;

computer-readable program code means for executing the software routine on the first computer;

computer-readable program code means for retrieving the user preferences associated with the application from the second computer;

computer-readable program code means for replacing native user preferences resident on the first computer and associated with the application with the retrieved user preferences; and

computer-readable program code means for launching an instance of the application on the first computer utilizing the retrieved user preferences.

38. A computer program product according to claim 37, wherein said computer-readable program code means for retrieving comprises:

computer-readable program code means for selecting user preferences associated with the application resident on the first computer from a plurality of user preferences resident on the second computer; and

computer-readable program code means for retrieving the selected user preferences.

39. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein the user preferences are selected based upon the user requesting an instance of the application.

40. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein the user preferences are selected based on characteristics of an operating environment of the first computer.

41. A computer program product according to claim 40, wherein the characteristics of the operating environment comprise the type of operating system of the first computer.

42. A computer program product according to claim 37, wherein said computer-readable program code means for obtaining a software routine comprises:

computer-readable program code means for selecting a software routine from a plurality of software routines stored on at least one computer other than the first computer, wherein the software routine is selected based on characteristics of the first computer; and

computer-readable program code means for retrieving the selected software routine.

43. A computer program product according to claim 42, wherein the characteristics of the first computer comprises a type of operating system of the first computer.

44. A computer program product according to claim 37, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for storing the native user preferences;

computer-readable program code means for determining if the launched instance of the application has terminated; and

computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for determining, for replacing the retrieved user preferences with the native user preferences.

45. A computer program product according to claim 37, further comprising computer-readable program code means, responsive to said computer-readable code means for receiving, for controlling said computer-readable program code means for retrieving and computer-readable program code said means for replacing in response to each request by a user for an instance of the application.

46. A computer program product according to claim 37, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for obtaining updated user preferences associated with an application resident on the first computer; and

computer-readable program code means for storing the updated user preferences on the second computer.

47. A computer program product according to claim 37, wherein the software routine is a machine independent software routine.

48. A computer program product according to claim 47, wherein the software routine is a JAVA applet.

49. A computer program product for establishing user preferences associated with an application resident on a first computer, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for determining an operating system of the first computer;

computer-readable program code means for providing a software routine corresponding to the determined operating system to the first computer;

computer-readable program code means for selecting user preferences based on the determined operating system; and

computer-readable program code means for installing the selected user preferences on the first computer using the obtained software routine.

50. A computer program product according to claim 49, wherein the user preferences are further selected based upon a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

51. A computer program product according to claim 49, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for associating users with a group; and

wherein the selected user preferences are further selected based on the group associated with a user requesting an instance of the application on the first computer.

52. A computer program product according to claim 49, further comprising computer-readable program code means for native copying user preferences stored on the first computer.

53. A computer program product according to claim 52, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for launching an instance of the application on the first computer;

computer-readable program code means for determining if the launched application has terminated; and

computer-readable program code means, responsive to the computer-readable program code means for determining, for re-installing the copied native user preferences on the first computer.

54. A computer program product according to claim 53, further comprising computer-readable program code means for storing the user preferences on a second computer remote from the first computer.