Automated entitlement verification for delivery of licensed software

• US 7,143,409 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herrero, Victor R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roche, Trenton J.
• Application Number:
  US09/896,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 717171-173, 717176-178, 709/220, 710/5, 705/51, 705/57, 705/59, 726/2.21
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method, and computer readable medium for the central management, delivery and installation of media less software. The ordered software is packaged in such a way that only standard options are offered. The standard installation results in consistent software images across a corporation client PCs and eliminates the need of help desk involvement during installation. The software company is not involved with the burden of software distribution and tracking. Sales and the sales reports are generated and supplied in real time back to the software company.

Claims

1. A method on a client server network for the ordering, downloading, and installation of software, the method at the client system comprising:

presenting to a user a list of software for installation on a client system;

receiving a user selection for an order of at least one software file from the list of software on a software ordering server;

receiving a response to the order for at least one software file from the software ordering server, the response includes an entitlement ID for authorizing the installation of the software file, wherein the entitlement ID is sent from the software ordering server to the client system and the software delivery server;

requesting a download copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server, the request includes the entitlement ID previously received from the software ordering server;

receiving, in response to the entitlement ID received from the software ordering server matching the entitlement ID received with a request for the download copy, the copy of the at least one software file from a staging server as part of a payload containing at least one customized installation script; and

installing the received copy of the at least one software file.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a response to the request for a copy of at least one software file, further comprising:

receiving a request for acceptance of a software license agreement for the copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server; and

sending the acceptance of the software license agreement to the software delivery server for the copy of the at least one software file which has been requested.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file, further comprising:

sending a system platform type for the client system;

sending an amount of available storage for the client system; and

sending at least one identifier of other software installed on the client system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order of at least one software file from the software ordering server is accomplished only when the software file is needed for use.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the installing the received copy of the at least one software file requires no further intervention from the software ordering server.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the installing the received copy of the at least one software file requires no client user intervention by a user on the client system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the installing the at least one received copy of the software file does not allow any choices or options by a user on the client system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein completing the installation of the at least one received software file obviates a need for help to install, or questions about the installation of the at least one software file from a help desk.

9. A method on a client server network for the selection, download and installation of software, the method at the software delivery server comprising:

receiving from a software ordering server, an entitlement ID for authorizing the installation of at least one software file which has been previously ordered on a client system, wherein the software ordering server originates the entitlement ID;

receiving a request from the client system for the download of a copy of the at least one software file to the client system, wherein the request includes a downloaded entitlement ID generated by the software ordering server and sent to the client system in response to the client system ordering the copy of the at least one software file from the software ordering server, the downloaded entitlement ID used to order the software file;

verifying both the client system'"'"'s PC compatibility for the copy of at least one software file which has been requested and that the entitlement ID received from the ordering server matches the entitlement ID used to order the at least one software file; and

scheduling the download of the requested software from a staging server to the client system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the verifying, further comprising:

requesting a PC platform type of the client system;

requesting a PC platform'"'"'s available storage of the client system;

requesting a platform'"'"'s installed software of the client system; and

verifying that one or more responses to the requests above are within allowable limits.

11. A method on a client server network for the ordering, deployment and installation of software, the method at the software delivery server comprising:

receiving an order entitlement ID for at least one software file, which has been previously ordered from a client system on a software ordering server, wherein the software ordering system originates the entitlement ID;

storing the entitlement ID for at least one software file in a database;

receiving from a client system a request for a download of at least one requested software file with a download entitlement ID generated by the software ordering server and sent to the client system in response to the client system ordering a copy of the at least one software file from the software ordering server;

determining if the download entitlement ID matches the order entitlement ID previously stored in the database, and in response to the order entitlement ID matching the download entitlement ID, scheduling a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file at a scheduling server.

12. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the ordering, downloading, and installation of software over a client server network, the programming instructions executing at the client system comprising:

presenting to a user a list of software for installation on a client system;

receiving a user selection for an order of at least one software file from the list of software on a software ordering server;

receiving a response to the order for at least one software file from the software ordering server, the response includes an entitlement ID for authorizing the installation of the software file, wherein the entitlement ID is sent from the software ordering server to the client system and the software delivery server;

requesting a download copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server, the request includes the entitlement ID previously received from the software ordering server;

receiving, in response to the entitlement ID received from the software ordering server matching the entitlement ID received with a request for the download copy, the copy of the at least one software file from a staging server as part of a payload containing at least one customized installation script; and

installing the copy of the at least one software file which has been received.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the programming instruction of receiving a response to the request for a copy of at least one software file, further comprising the programming instructions of:

receiving a request for acceptance of a software license agreement for the copy of the at least one software file from the software delivery server; and

sending the acceptance of the software license agreement to the software delivery server for the copy of the at least one software file which has been requested.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the programming instruction of receiving a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file, further comprises:

sending a system platform type for the client system;

sending an amount of available storage for the client system; and

sending at least one identifier of other software installed on the client system.

15. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the ordering, deployment and installation of software over a client server network, the programming instructions executing at the software delivery server comprising:

receiving an entitlement ID for at least one software file, which has been previously ordered from a client system on a software ordering server, wherein, the software ordering server originates the entitlement ID;

storing the entitlement ID for at least one software file in a database;

receiving from a client system a request for a download of at least one requested software file with a download entitlement ID generated by the software ordering server and sent to the client system in response to the client system ordering a copy of the at least one software file from the software ordering server; and

determining if the download entitlement ID matches the order entitlement ID previously stored in the database, and in response to the order entitlement ID matching the download entitlement ID, scheduling a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file at a scheduling server.

16. A software delivery server coupled to a client server network, the delivery server comprising:

a network interface for coupling at least one client system;

an order entitlement ID received over the network interface for at least one software file, which has been previously ordered by the at least one client system on a software ordering server, wherein the software ordering server originates the entitlement ID;

a database used to store the entitlement ID for at least one software file;

a download request received over the network interface from at least one of the one or more client systems for a copy of the at least one software file, wherein the request includes an order entitlement ID generated by the software ordering server and sent to the one or more client system in response to the one or more client system ordering the copy of the at least one software file from the software ordering server for at least one software file; and

means for determining if the entitlement ID received from the client system matches the order entitlement ID previously stored in the database, and in response to the order entitlement ID received from the client system matching the entitlement ID which has been previously stored, scheduling a response to the request for a copy of the at least one software file at a scheduling server.