Deterministic system and method for implementing software distributed between a desktop and a remote device

• US 7,331,047 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, George, Ng, Timothy Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US10/721,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 707/202, 709/203, 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Software running on a desktop device determines whether or not binaries (executables) need to be pushed to a remote device. If binaries need to be pushed to the remote device, the desktop determines which particular binaries need to be pushed to the remote device, and pushes the needed binaries to the remote device. Once all needed binaries are loaded onto the remote device, functions on the remote device can be executed via remote procedure calls.

Claims

1. A deterministic method employed by a local computing device for bootstrapping software onto a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the local computing device, the method comprising:

determining, by the local device, that a connectivity component is missing from the remote computing device;

loading, by the local computing device, the connectivity component onto the remote computing device via an existing transport mechanism;

directing, by the local computing device, the loaded connectivity component on the remote computing device to bootstrap a remote procedure call component onto the remote computing device;

issuing by the local computing device to the bootstrapped remote procedure call component at least one argument via a remote procedure call to the remote procedure call component;

executing, by the remote procedure call component in response to the remote procedure call, a binary stored in a library on the remote computing device, the executed binary loading the software onto the remote computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the connectivity component to load by querying a data store of connectivity components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data store of connectivity components resides on a second computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connectivity component to be loaded onto the remote computing device is determined by a type of central processing unit of the remote computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connectivity component to be loaded is determined by a type of platform running on the remote computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote procedure call component receives a result of executing the binary stored in the library on the remote computing device to a second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is a personal digital assistant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is a router.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a process running the first version of the binary is terminated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is a modem.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is an OEM board.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is a smart telephone.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary to be executed in the library is a first version of the binary and a second version of the binary is loaded into the remote computing device library.

14. A deterministic method employed by a local computing device for bootstrapping software onto a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the local computing device, the method comprising:

determining, by the local device, that a connectivity component is present on the remote computing device;

directing, by the local computing device, the present connectivity component on the remote computing device to bootstrap a remote procedure call component onto the remote computing device;

issuing by the local computing device to the bootstrapped remote procedure call component at least one argument via a remote procedure call to the remote procedure call component;

executing, by the remote procedure call component in response to the remote procedure call, a binary stored in a library on the remote computing device, the executed binary loading the software onto the remote computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the connectivity component to load by querying a data store of connectivity components.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the remote computing device is a first computing device and the data store of connectivity components to be loaded resides on a second computing device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the connectivity component to be loaded onto the remote computing device is determined by a type of central processing unit of the remote computing device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the connectivity component to be loaded is determined by a type of platform running on the remote computing device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a result of executing the binary.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the remote computing device is a personal digital assistant, a router, a modem, an OEM board or a smart telephone.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the binary to be executed in the library is a first version of the binary and a second version of the binary is loaded into the remote computing device library.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a process running the first version of the binary is terminated.

23. A method employed by a local computing device for using a remote procedure call component on a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the local computing device to enable the local computing device to execute a function on the remote computing device, the method comprising:

determining, by the local computing device, an endpoint associated with the remote procedure call component on the remote computing device, the remote procedure call component also being associated with a library, the library comprising a plurality of callable binaries;

determining, by the local computing device, that the remote procedure call component is running on the remote computing device;

identifying, by the local computing device to the running remote procedure call component, the function to execute and the library the function is stored in via a remote procedure call to the remote computing device;

executing, by the remote procedure call component at the remote computing device, the function at the remote computing device; and

receiving, by the local computing device from the remote procedure call component, a result of executing the function.