Client computer configuration based on server computer update

• US 7,103,650 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Balasubramanyan, Balaji, Vetrivelkumaran, Vellore T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H.
• Application Number:
  US09/669,819
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709220-224, 709/228, 709/230, 709/248, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 717/171
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

The invention includes method and apparatus for updating a configuration of a client computer coupled by means of a network to a server computer. The updating process begins with a change in the status of a server computer. This change can be necessitated by addition of hardware such as an additional hard drive or the addition of an additional service such as shared Internet access. A status message is transmitted by means of the network between the server computer and the client computer regarding the changed status of the server computer. This message can be either an alert message from the server to all connected client computer nodes or can be accomplished by client polling for an updated status of the server. A message is displayed at the client computer to apprise a user that a status of the server computer has changed. Additionally, a communications between the client computer and the server computer takes place over the network to inform the client computer regarding details of the change of status in the server computer. This updated status allows a computer setup wizard running on the client computer to upgrade the status of the client.

Claims

1. A method for enabling updating of client computers coupleable by a network to a server computer, the method comprising:

at the server computer, automatically identifying a configuration change of the server computer;

automatically identifying at least one client configuration change that is called for, by the configuration change of the server computer, for the client computers to interoperate with the server computer as reconfigured according to the configuration change of the server computer; and

transmitting a status message to a client computer, the status message including an indication that a client configuration change is called for, where the message is capable of being interacted with by a user of the client computer to control whether or not to apply the one client configuration change on the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the identified at least one client configuration change is required to be made at the client computers; and

transmitting the status message only if the identified at least one client configuration change is required to be made at the client computers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting a status message further comprises transmitting the status message to the client computer in response to periodic polling of the server'"'"'s configuration status by the client computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the status message further comprises broadcasting the status message to the client computers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the status message further comprises a list of updated server computer status.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a message to be displayed at the client computer, the message identifying each client configuration change to be made to the client computer based on the configuration change of the server computer.

7. A server apparatus for enabling updating of one or more client computers coupleable to the server via a computer network, the server computer including at least one processor for executing a stored program within a server computer memory, said stored program comprising:

a status update component to allow a user to change a configuration of the server computer and to, in response to the change of the configuration of the server computer, automatically identify one or more client configuration changes that, if applied on a client computer, will enable the client computer to interoperate with the server computer in accordance with the changed configuration of the server computer;

a communications component for transmitting a status message via the network to the one or more client computers regarding the change of the configuration of the server computer to apprise users of the client computers that the configuration of the server computer has changed; and

a status component for exposing a detailed listing of the changed configuration of said server to the one or more client configuration changes, where the listing is provided to the one or more clients responsive to a request from the one or more clients actuated using the status message, where the detailed listing is configured to be used by a wizard on the one or more clients to allow users to interactively control whether to apply updates on the one or more client computers that correspond to the listing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the communications component is a DCOM server component having an interface exposed to a DCOM client residing on the one or more client computers.

9. One or more computer-readable media containing executable instructions that, when executed, implement the following method comprising:

at a server, automatically identifying a configuration change of the server computer;

automatically identifying a client configuration change that is called for in one or more client computers connected to the server computer via a network, said client configuration change being necessitated by the change in configuration of the server computer so that the client computers can interoperate with the server computer as reconfigured according to the configuration change of the server computer; and

transmitting a status message to the one or more client computers regarding the client configuration change, where the message is capable of being interacted with by a user of the client computer to control whether or not to apply the client configuration change on the client computer.

10. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the transmitting a status message to the one or more client computers further comprises transmitting the status message to at least one of the one or more client computers in response to polling of the server status by the at least one client computer.

11. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, the method further comprising transmitting a user actuatable control to at least one of the one or more client computers that allows a client user to effect the client configuration change.

12. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, further comprising automatically effecting the client configuration change in at least one of the one or more client computers.

13. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, further comprising transmitting a message to the client computer indicating that the client configuration change has been made.

14. A method for updating a configuration of a client computer in response to a reconfiguration of a network server computer, the method comprising:

receiving a notification from the server computer that at least one of multiple server configuration settings has been updated, the server configuration settings comprising settings that affect how client computers interoperate with the server computer;

determining an updated status of the multiple server configuration settings;

displaying a list of interactively selectable client reconfiguration choices corresponding to the updated server status of the multiple server configuration settings, where the reconfiguration choices correspond to configuration changes on the client that affect interoperability with the sever according to its updated settings;

receiving user input to accept or modify the list of client reconfiguration choices; and

displaying a command button which, when actuated, causes a reconfiguring of the client computer based upon the list of client reconfiguration choices.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the displaying a list of client reconfiguration choices further comprises displaying a list of checkboxes which allow the user to select desired client reconfiguration choices from the list of client reconfiguration choices.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the checkboxes have an initial state of being either checked or unchecked based on a sensed configuration of the server computer.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one checkbox relates to a disk drive configuration on the client for sharing access to a disk drive on the network.

18. The method of claim 15 where at least one checkbox relates to adding shared Internet access through a server connection to the Internet by means of communications with the server over a network.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one checkbox relates to adding secure access to services of the server from the client computer by means of network password protection.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one checkbox relates to a printer reconfiguration on the client computer based on a presence of a printer coupled to a network.

21. One or more computer-readable media storage storing information for enabling a client device to perform a method, the method comprising:

at the client device, via a network, receiving a message from a server device, the message containing an indication of a server configuration change that affects the client'"'"'s interoperation with the server device;

at the client device, receiving user interaction with the message to invoke a wizard that uses the indication of the server configuration change to automatically identify a client configuration change that is called for by the server configuration change; and

at the client device, displaying a mechanism to allow a user to control whether to apply the client configuration change that is called for the server configuration change, and in response to user input, automatically making the client configuration change on the client.