Methods for managing the distribution of client bits to client computers

• US 6,718,549 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1999
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Narin, Attila, Kegley, Keith A., Clore, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/305,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/3, 717/170, 717/168-169, 717/171-178, 707/203, 707/223, 709/223, 709/232, 709/204, 709/106, 709/316, 709/209, 710/36
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Methods for managing the distribution of client bits to client computers are disclosed. The methods of the present invention are particularly suited for use in a network environment in which one or more clients are networked with at least one server via a communications network. The communications network can be a LAN, WAN, intranet, or the Internet. The client version of one or more selected applications software components (the “managed components”) is determined on the client computer. The client queries the server to determine the most current version of each of the managed components. If the client version is not the most current version, or if the client version is missing on the client computer, a determination is made whether to download the most current version onto the client. If the determination is made to install or upgrade one or more managed components, the most current version of each of the selected managed components is downloaded onto the client computer. The installation or upgrade package is authenticated as it is being downloaded by validating a signature that is appended to the package. After the installation or upgrade package has been authenticated and downloaded onto the client computer, the package is installed onto the client.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer executable components comprising:

a bootstrap component and a core component, wherein;

the bootstrap component determines whether the core component is present on a client computer and, if the core component is not present on the client computer, causes the core component to be downloaded onto the client computer from a server coupled to the client computer via a communications network; and

the core component determines a client version of at least one managed component on the client computer, determines a most current version of the managed component as indicated by the server, compares the client version of the managed component to the most current version of the managed component and, if the client version of the managed component differs from the most current version of the managed component, determines whether to download the most current version of the managed component onto the client computer.

2. The computer readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the bootstrap component is launched in response to initiating a network browser on the client computer, and the bootstrap component launches the core component.

3. The computer readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the bootstrap component determines a client version of the core component on the client computer, determines a most current version of the core component as indicated by the server, compares the client version of the core component with the most current version of the core component and, if the client version of the core component differs from the most current version of the core component, determines whether to download the most current version of the core component onto the client computer.

4. The computer readable medium recited in claim 3, wherein the bootstrap component requests that the server download the most current version of the core component onto the client computer.

5. The computer readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the core component requests that the server download the most current version of the managed component onto the client computer.

6. The computer readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the bootstrap component has an uncompressed size of less than about 20 kilobytes.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the core component downloads the most current version of the managed component from the server onto the client computer without requesting permission from a user at the client computer.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the core component downloads the most current version of the managed component from the server onto the client computer prior to presenting a user interface to a user at the client computer.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the managed component provides to the core component localizable information comprising a user interface and a language set.

10. A server computer comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon:

a most current version of a core component that;

determines a client version of a software component on a client computer;

determines a most current version of the software component;

determines whether the client version of the software component differs from the most current version of the software component; and

if the client version of the software component differs from the most current version of the software component, provides an indication to a user of the client computer that the client version of the software component differs from the most current version of the software component; and

computer-executable instructions for downloading the core component to the client computer in response to a request from a bootstrap component executing on the client computer.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer executable component comprising a bootstrap component that determines whether a core component is present on a client computer and, if the core component is not present on the client computer, causes the core component to be downloaded onto the client computer from a server coupled to the client computer via a communications network,

wherein the core component determines a client version of at least one managed component on the client computer, determines a most current version of the managed component as indicated by the server, and, if the client version of the managed component differs from the most current version of the managed component, determines whether to download the most current version of the managed component onto the client computer.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program for self-updating a versioning engine that updates managed components on a client computer, the computer program comprising:

a first component of a versioning engine, wherein the first component determines whether a most current version of a second component of the versioning engine is currently stored on a client computer and, if the most current version of the second component is not currently stored on a client computer, downloads the most current version of the second component from a server to the client computer,

wherein the second component determines whether a most current version of the first component is currently stored on the client computer and, if the most current version of the first component is not currently stored on a client computer, downloads the most current version of the first component from the server to the client computer.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second component determines whether a most current version of a third component of the versioning

engine is currently stored on the client computer and, if the most current version of the third component is not currently stored on a client computer, downloads the most current version of the third component from the server to the client computer.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the third component provides to the second component localizable information comprising a user interface and a language set.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first component is initiated, without direct user intervention, in response to initiating a network browser on the client computer.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second component comprises a core component that determines a client version of at least one managed software component on the client computer and, if the client version of the managed software component differs from a most current version of the managed software component, determines whether to download the most current version of the managed software component onto the client computer.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the versioning engine downloads the most current version of the managed software component from the first server to the client computer.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the versioning engine authenticates the most current version of the managed software component before downloading the most current version of the managed software component onto the client computer server to the client computer.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the versioning engine downloads the most current version of the managed software component onto the client computer from a second server.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the versioning engine presents to a user at the client computer a user interface that provides the user with an option to download the most current version of the managed software component onto the client computer;

and

if the user selects the option to download, downloads the most current version of the managed software component onto the client computer.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the versioning engine determines the most current version of the managed software component from a component information file (CIF) residing on the first server, wherein the CIF includes a list of managed software components, and, for each managed software component in the list, the CIF includes a respective indicator that represents the most current version of the managed software component and a location indicator that represents a location at which an installation or upgrade package for the managed software component can be found.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the installation or upgrade package includes a signature, and wherein the versioning engine determines whether the signature is a valid signature;

and

if the signature is a valid signature, downloads the installation or upgrade package onto the client computer.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first server is connected to the client computer via the Internet.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first server is connected to the client computer via an intranet.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first server is connected to the client computer via a local area network (LAN).

26. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first server is connected to the client computer via a wide area network (WAN).