System and method for enhanced software updating and revision

• US 7,370,092 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Aderton, Harry, Patel, Prakash, Aderton, Richard, Reckeweg, John, Rietmann, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu Ha
• Application Number:
  US10/242,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/223, 709/227, 709/238, 709/203, 709/220, 709/224, 717/101, 717/120, 717/121, 717/168, 717170-174, 717176-178, 370/254
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An update system configured to provide software updates, software patches and/or other data packets to one or more computer systems via a network is disclosed. The update system may interact with a network management system, such as an enterprise management system, to distribute data packets and gather configuration information. The update system may generate and send commands to the network management system. The network management system may carry out the commands to distribute data packets and/or gather configuration information.

Claims

1. A method of providing data packets to a plurality of computer systems coupled to a network, comprising:

providing a network management system on a network, wherein the network management system comprises a network management system server and one or more agent programs on one or more computer systems, wherein an agent program is configured to receive commands from the network management system and to implement received commands on a computer system;

providing an update system on the network, wherein the update system is configured to issue commands to the network management system for execution on the network management system server or one or more computer systems;

sending one or more configuration commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received configuration commands the network management system sends one or more scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein one or more scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding one or more computer systems and to store the configuration information on a memory accessible via the network;

identifying one or more data packets with the update system;

associating one or more identified data packets with one or more computer systems based on the configuration information of the one or more computer systems;

generating one or more commands in the update system; and

sending one or more generated commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received commands the network management system installs one or more identified data packets on one or more computer systems associated with one or more identified data packets using the network management system server and one or more agent programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined configuration information comprises hardware configuration information regarding one or more computer systems coupled to the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined configuration information comprises software configuration information regarding one or more computer systems coupled to the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether one or more data packets were installed properly by the network management system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending one or more verification commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received verification commands the network management system determines whether one or more data packets were installed properly.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the configuration information to a master control list.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the master control list comprises a list of prohibited software.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the master control list comprises identification of a current version of one or more software applications.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the master control list comprises identification of one or more non-executable files.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning application does not persist on one or more computer systems after the configuration information has been stored.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a log file on one or more computer systems comprising a list of commands received by one or more computer systems from the update system via the network management system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein no additional software needs to be installed on a client system in order to execute the update system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one data packet comprises a software patch.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one data packet comprises a software application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one data packet comprises a non-executable file.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning one or more computer systems to one or more client groups.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more configuration rules, wherein a configuration rule comprises one or more conditions that must be met for the update system to send one or more commands to the network management system to install one or more data packets on one or more computer systems.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more conditions comprises whether one or more files having specified parameters exist on one or more computer systems.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more conditions comprises whether one or more software applications having specified parameters exist on one or more computer systems.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more conditions comprises whether a registry file of one or more computer systems meets specified parameters.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more conditions comprises whether an operating system of one or more computer systems meets specified parameters.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more conditions comprises whether a specified time has elapsed.

23. A system, comprising:

a network management system server, configured to implement a network management system on a network;

a plurality of computer systems coupled to the network;

at least one agent programs on at least one computer system couple to the network;

wherein at least one agent program is configured to receive commands from the network management system and to implement received commands on at least one computer system; and

an update system in communication with the network management system, wherein the update system is configured to issue commands to the network management system for execution on the network management system server or one or more computer systems via one or more agent programs;

wherein the update system is further configured to send one or more configuration commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received configuration commands the network management system sends one or more scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein one or more scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding one or more computer systems and to store the configuration information on a memory accessible via the network; and

wherein the update system is further configured to receive information identifying one or more data packets to be installed on at least one computer system coupled to the network, and to receive input assigning one or more identified data packets with one or more computer systems; and

wherein the update system is further configured to send one or more generated commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received commands the network management system installs one or more identified data packets on one or more computer systems associated with one or more identified data packets using the network management system server and one or more agent programs.

24. A computer storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable on a computer system to implement a method comprising:

providing a network management system on a network, wherein the network management system comprises a network management system server and one or more agent programs on one or more computer systems, wherein an agent program is configured to receive commands from the network management system and to implement received commands on a computer system;

providing an update system on the network, wherein the update system is configured to issue commands to the network management system for execution on the network management system server or one or more computer systems;

sending one or more configuration commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received configuration commands the network management system sends one or more scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein one or more scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding one or more computer systems and to store the configuration information on a memory accessible via the network;

identifying one or more data packets with the update system;

associating one or more identified data packets with one or more computer systems based on the configuration information of the one or more computer systems;

generating one or more commands in the update system; and

sending one or more generated commands from the update system to the network management system, wherein in response to one or more received commands the network management system installs one or more identified data packets on one or more computer systems associated with one or more identified data packets using the network management system server and one or more agent programs.