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Technical support for software products

  • US 7,165,194 B2
  • Filed: 12/09/2002
  • Issued: 01/16/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of capturing a user environment for a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

  • a) executing a configuration capture program on a first computer system, wherein the executing of the configuration capture program includes generating a record for the first computer system, the first computer system record including i) identification of operating system software, system memory configuration, file systems, and model of the first computer system, ii) identification of application software on the first computer system, and iii) configuration values of parameters relating to the identified application software installed on said first computer system, wherein the generating includes;

    generating the record of the application software in a predetermined manner responsive to the identified operating system, wherein the parameters are predetermined parameters, the predetermined parameters having identities defined in a database of the configuration capture program and the generating of the record of the configuration values includes;

    looking up the identities of the predetermined parameters in the database; and

    parsing configuration files of the application sofware responsive to the predetermined parameter identities, and wherein the configuration capture program accesses a list of trusted host computer systems operatively connected to the first computer system by a network;

    b) initiating, by the first computer system, execution of the configuration capture program on the listed trusted host computer systems, wherein the executing of the configuration capture program on such a trusted host computer system includes generating a record for the trusted host computer system, the trusted host computer system record including i) identification of operating system software, system memory configuration, file systems, and model of the trusted host computer system, ii) identification of application software on the trusted host computer system, and iii) configuration values of parameters relating to the identified application software installed on said trusted host computer system, wherein the generating of the record for the trusted host computer system includes;

    generating the record of the trusted host application software in a predetermined manner responsive to the trusted host identified operating system, wherein the trusted host parameters are predetermined parameters, the trusted host predetermined parameters having identities defined in a database of the configuration capture program, and the generating of the record of the configuration values includes;

    looking up the identities of the trusted host predetermined parameters in the database; and

    parsing configuration files of the trusted host application sofware responsive to the predetermined parameter identities, wherein said records of said configuration values generated in step b) are transmitted from the respective trusted host computer systems to said first computer system; and

    c) transmitting, for receipt by a customer support person, said records generated in steps a) and b) from said first computer system, wherein the records provide the customer support person information about the user environment for the first computer system.

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