SYSTEM, METHOD AND MEDIUM STORING A PROGRAM CONTROLLING A COMPUTER, TO INSTALL A PROGRAM REMOTELY AND AUTOMATICALLY INTO A CLIENT BY PRE-DOWNLOADED AGENT USING MANAGING RECORD RECORDING AN INSTALL EXECUTION STATE OF THE CLIENT AND EXECUTION CONTROL INFORMATION

• US 6,816,964 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Seki, Akikazu, Suzuki, Masanori, Yamada, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Dennis M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/523,680
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 713/1, 709/232
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

An agent is downloaded from a server to a client before installation. Then, the agent executes installation of an install file into the client by referring to a managing record file and according to an execution script. The agent updates the managing record file according to an install execution state of the client. When downloaded again from the server to the client after reboot, the agent continues the installation of the install file by referring to the managing record file and according to the execution script, and further updates the managing record file according to an install execution state of the client.

Claims

1. A remote loading execution method, wherein an agent executes installation into a client by referring to a managing record recording an install execution state of the client and according to execution control information, said agent downloaded into the client from a server before starting the installation and downloaded again into the client from the server after an occurrence of a reboot of said client, and wherein said managing record is updated according to an execution progressing state of the installation upon occurrence of a request for the reboot of said client, so that the agent downloaded again into the client from the server can continue the installation by referring to the updated managing record even after the reboot is performed.

2. The remote loading execution method according to claim 1, wherein the client is set to boot by itself upon the reboot.

3. A remote loading execution method, wherein, upon installing a program requiring a reboot from a server into a client, an agent downloaded into the client executes installation of the program by referring to a managing record recording an install execution state of the client and according to execution control information and updates said managing record according to an execution progressing state of the installation, and wherein the agent downloaded again into the client after the reboot continues the installation by referring to said managing record and according to said execution control information and updates said managing record according to an execution progressing state of the installation after the reboot.

4. The remote loading execution method according to claim 3, wherein said execution control information is provided in the server.

5. The remote loading execution method according to claim 3, wherein said execution control information is downloaded into the client before starting the installation or after the reboot.

6. The remote loading execution method according to claim 3, wherein said managing record is provided in the server.

7. The remote loading execution method according to claim 3, wherein said managing record is downloaded from the server into the client and updated according to an execution progressing state of the installation into the client, and wherein said managing record is returned to the server before the reboot, downloaded again into the client after the reboot and updated according to an execution progressing state of the installation into the client after the reboot.

8. The remote loading execution method according to claim 3, wherein the client is set to boot by itself upon the reboot.

9. A remote loading execution system comprising:

a server having a managing record file for recording an install execution progressing state of a client, a control file for storing execution control information prescribing an execution process of installation into the client, an agent which executes installation into the client according to the execution control information stored in said control file, and an install file to be installed into the client by said agent; and

the client into which said agent is downloaded,

wherein said agent is downloaded from the server into the client before installation, executes installation of the install file into the client by referring to said managing record file and according to said execution control information, updates said managing record file according to an execution progressing state of the installation into the client and, when downloaded again into the client after a reboot, continues the installation of the install file by referring to said managing record file and according to said execution control information, and updates said managing record file according to an execution progressing state of the installation after the reboot.

10. The remote loading execution system according to claim 9, wherein said control file is provided in the server.

11. The remote loading execution system according to claim 9, wherein said control file is downloaded into the client before starting the installation or after the reboot.

12. The remote loading execution system according to claim 9, wherein said managing record file is downloaded from the server into the client and updated according to an execution progressing state of the installation into the client, and wherein said managing record file is returned to the server before the reboot, downloaded again into the client after the reboot, and updated according to an execution progressing state of the installation into the client after the reboot.

13. The remote loading execution system according to claim 9, wherein the client is set to boot by itself upon the reboot.

14. A data processing apparatus which accesses another apparatus managing a program thereby to install said program thereinto, said data processing apparatus and said another apparatus managing a program being related as client and server, respectively, and said data processing apparatus comprising:

an access processing section accessing execution control information prescribing an install execution procedure;

a record control section causing a record of an execution progressing state of installation into the data processing apparatus to be updated upon occurrence of a request for a reboot of said data processing apparatus; and

an install executing section executing installation into said data processing apparatus according to the updated record of the execution progressing state of the installation and the execution control information, so that said install executing section can continue the installation by referring to the updated record of the execution progressing state of the installation even after the reboot is performed.

15. A managing apparatus which manages a program and supplies said program in response to a request from another apparatus, said managing apparatus and said another apparatus being related as server and client, respectively, and said managing apparatus comprising:

a transmit section transmitting to said another apparatus an agent which executes installation into said another apparatus;

a control information managing section allowing said agent to refer to execution control information prescribing an install execution process in response to an access from said agent;

a record managing section allowing said agent to refer to an execution progressing state of installation into said another apparatus in response to an access from said agent, said record managing section updating a record of the execution progressing state of the installation in response to a request sent from said agent upon occurrence of a request for a reboot of said another apparatus, so that said agent can continue the installation by referring to the updated record of the execution progressing state of the installation even after the reboot of said another apparatus is performed; and

a supply section for supplying to said another apparatus the program in response to a request from said agent.

16. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer, functioning as a client in relation to a server, to execute:

a step of referring to execution control information from the server prescribing an install execution process;

a step of causing a record of an execution progressing state of installation into said computer to be updated from the server upon occurrence of a request for a reboot of said computer; and

a step of requesting from the server a supply of a program to be installed in the client and executing installation thereof according to said execution control information and said updated record of the execution progressing state.

17. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer, functioning as a server in relation to a client, to execute:

a step of sending to another apparatus, functioning as the client, an agent which executes installation into said another apparatus;

a step of allowing said agent to refer to execution control information in response to an access from said agent;

a step of allowing said agent to refer to an execution progressing state of installation into said another apparatus in response to an access from said agent and updating a record of the execution progressing state of the installation in response to a request sent from said agent upon occurrence of a request for a reboot of said another apparatus, so that said agent can continue the installation by referring to the updated record of the execution progressing state of the installation even after the reboot of said another apparatus is performed; and

a step of supplying to said another apparatus a program requested by said agent.

18. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer, functioning as a server in relation to a client, to execute a remote loading execution function without operator assist, by:

sending to another apparatus, functioning as the client, an agent which executes installation into said another apparatus;

allowing said agent to refer to execution control information in response to an access from said agent;

allowing said agent to refer to an execution progressing state of installation into said another apparatus in response to an access from said agent and updating a record of the execution progressing state of the installation in response to a request sent from said agent upon occurrence of a request for a reboot of said another apparatus, so that said agent can continue the installation by referring to the updated record of the execution progressing state of the installation even after the reboot of said another apparatus is performed; and

supplying to said another apparatus a program requested by said agent.