Method and software tool for intelligent operating system installation

• US 7,185,334 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bourke-Dunphy, Erin M., Fitzgerald, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar; Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US09/726,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 717/174, 717/175, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A software tool and method are provided for performing a setup operation in a computer system. The software tool comprises a setup component adapted to sense an attribute associated with the computer system and to selectively provide one of standard prompting and special prompting to a user according to the attribute, and a user interface component adapted to render a plurality of setup prompts to a user and to obtain at least one setup parameter. The invention advantageously provides for customized user prompting according to the system attribute whereby one or more prompt screens may be suppressed and default setup parameters used where the attribute indicates that the prompt screens are unnecessary. Moreover, one or more additional prompt screens may be rendered to the user according to the attribute.

Claims

1. A software on a computer system tool for installing a software component on a server computer system, comprising:

a user interface component that renders a plurality of setup prompts to a user, suppresses at least one of the plurality of setup prompts and obtains a user command;

a setup component that senses an attribute of a registry of the server computer system, which attribute is associated with a low functionality suite package and a higher functionality suite package, the setup component selectively provides at least one of a standard setup prompt, an additional setup prompt and a substitute setup prompt, and selectively suppresses at least one setup prompt according to the attribute, and selectively installs the software component on the server computer system according to the user command; and

a prompt counter that tracks a number of setup prompts provided to the user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded, once the maximum prompt value has been reached, a setup operation is performed according to the user command obtained from the setup plurality of prompts.

2. The software tool of claim 1, the setup component selectively suppresses at least one setup prompt from the user interface component if the attribute indicates the at least one setup prompt is unnecessary.

3. The software tool of claim 2, the at least one setup prompt comprises a selection between at least two setup parameters, and the setup component selects one of the at least two setup parameters according to the attribute.

4. The software tool of claim 3, the setup component selectively installs the software component on the computer system using the selected one of the at least two setup parameters.

5. The software tool of claim 4, the attribute comprises data stored in the computer system.

6. The software tool of claim 5, the data comprises a registry key.

7. The software tool of claim 6, the software component comprises one of an operating system and an application.

8. The software tool of claim 7, the software component comprises a plurality of program components, and the setup component-selectively installs at least one of the plurality of program components according to the attribute.

9. The software tool of claim 1, the at least one setup prompt comprises a selection between at least two setup parameters, and the setup component selects one of the at least two setup parameters according to the attribute.

10. The software tool of claim 9, the setup component selectively installs the software component on the computer system using the selected one of the at least two setup parameters.

11. The software tool of claim 10, the attribute comprises a registry key.

12. The software tool of claim 11, the software component comprises one of an operating system and an application.

13. The software tool of claim 12, the software component comprises a plurality of program components, and the setup component selectively installs at least one of the plurality of program components according to the attribute.

14. A software setup on a computer system tool for performing a setup operation in a server computer system, comprising:

a setup component that senses an attribute of a registry of the server computer system, which attribute is associated with a low functionality suite package and a higher functionality suite package, the setup component selectively provides at least one of a standard setup prompt, an additional setup prompt and a substitute setup prompt, and selectively suppresses at least one setup prompt according to the attribute;

a user interface component that renders a plurality of setup prompts to a user, suppresses at least one of the plurality of setup prompts and obtains at least one setup parameter; and

a prompt counter that tracks a number of setup prompts provided to the user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded, once the maximum prompt value has been reached, the setup operation is performed according to the at least one setup parameter obtained from the plurality of setup prompts.

15. The software setup tool of claim 14, the setup component further selectively performs at least one setup operation according to the at least one setup parameter and the attribute.

16. The software setup tool of claim 15, the attribute comprises a registry key.

17. The software setup tool of claim 16, the setup component further selectively suppresses at least one setup prompt from the user interface component if the attribute indicates the at least one setup prompt is unnecessary.

18. The software setup tool of claim 17, the at least one setup prompt comprises a selection between at least two setup parameters, and the setup component selects one of the at least two setup parameters according to the attribute.

19. The software setup tool of claim 18, the setup component selectively installs a software component on the computer system using the selected one of the at least two setup parameters.

20. A method of performing a setup operation in a server computer system, comprising:

sensing an attribute of a registry of the server computer system, which attribute is associated with a low functionality suite package and a higher functionality suite package;

selectively providing at least one of a standard setup prompt, an additional setup prompt and a substitute setup prompt according to the attribute;

selectively suppressing at least one setup prompt according to the attribute;

rendering a plurality of setup prompts to a user;

obtaining at least one setup parameter;

tracking a number of setup prompts provided to the user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded; and

performing at least one setup operation according to the at least one setup parameter obtained from the plurality of setup prompts once the maximum prompt value has been reached.

21. The method of claim 20, the attribute comprises a registry key.

22. The method of claim 20, the at least one setup prompt comprises a selection between at least two setup parameters and the act of suppressing at least one setup prompt from the user interface component comprises selecting one of the at least two setup parameters according to the attribute.

23. The method of claim 22, selectively performing at least one setup operation comprises selectively installing a software component on the computer system using the selected one of the at least two setup parameters.

24. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a setup operation of a server computer system, the computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

sensing an attribute of a registry of the server computer system, which attribute is associated with a low functionality suite package and a higher functionality suite package;

selectively providing at least one of a standard setup prompt, an additional setup prompt and a substitute setup prompt according to the attribute;

selectively suppressing at least one setup prompt according to the attribute;

rendering a plurality of setup prompts to a user;

obtaining at least one setup parameter;

tracking a number of setup prompts provided to the user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded; and

performing at least one setup operation according to the at least one setup parameter obtained from the plurality of setup prompts once the maximum prompt value has been reached.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising computer-executable instructions for selectively performing at least one setup operation according to the at least one setup parameter.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, the computer executable instructions for sensing an attribute associated with the computer system comprise computer executable instructions for sensing a registry key.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, the at least one setup prompt comprises a selection between at least two setup parameters, and the computer executable instructions for suppressing at least one setup prompt from the user interface component comprises computer executable instructions for selecting one of the at least two setup parameters according to the attribute.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, the computer executable instructions for selectively performing at least one setup operation comprise computer executable instructions for selectively installing a software component on the computer system using the selected one of the at least two setup parameters.

29. A software tool on a computer system for performing a setup operation in a server computer system, comprising:

means for sensing an attribute of a registry of the server computer system, which attribute is associated with a low functionality suite package and a higher functionality suite package;

means for selectively providing at least one of a standard setup prompt, an additional setup prompt and a substitute setup prompt according to the attribute;

means for selectively suppressing at least one setup prompt according to the attribute;

means for rendering a plurality of setup prompts to a user;

means for obtaining at least one setup parameter;

means for tracking a number of setup prompts provided to the user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded; and

means for performing the setup operation according to the at least one setup parameter obtained from the plurality of setup prompts, once the maximum prompt value has been reached.

30. The software tool of claim 29, the attribute comprises a registry key.

31. A computer system that facilitates an installation of a server operating system, comprising:

a setup component that senses an attribute of a registry associated with the server operating system, and in accordance with the attribute, selectively provides at least one of standard prompts for loading a standard functionality installation of server components and special prompts for loading a special lower functionality installation of server components, and selectively suppresses at least one setup prompt in accordance with the attribute;

a user interface component that renders at least one of the standard prompts and the special prompts, suppresses at least one of the standard prompts, and receives at least one setup parameter; and

a prompt counter that tracks a number of setup prompts provided to a user until a maximum prompt value has been exceeded, once the maximum prompt value has been reached, a setup operation is performed according to the at least one setup parameter obtained from the at least one of the standard prompts and the special prompts.

32. The computer system of claim 31, the standard functionality installation includes the rendering of a standard prompt that is a licensing page, which licensing page is not rendered during the special lower functionality installation.

33. The computer system of claim 31, the server operating system is installed in a per server mode when the attribute indicates the special lower functionality installation of server components.

34. The computer system of claim 33, the per server mode invokes a fixed number of client user licenses.

35. The computer system of claim 31, the standard functionality installation includes the rendering of a standard prompt that is a licensing page.

36. The system of claim 31, only the special lower functionality installation requires the rendering of a workgroup/domain page.

37. The computer system of claim 31, the special lower functionality installation includes installing the server operating system in accordance with a default workgroup.

38. The computer system of claim 31, the special prompts are included in the standard prompts.

39. The computer system of claim 31, the special prompts are included in the standard prompts, such that some of the standard prompts are by-passed during the special lower functionality installation in accordance with the attribute.