Operating system and application deployment based on stored user state and organizational policy

• US 7,567,984 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Todd, Xan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/515,149
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 717174-178, 713/1, 713/100, 709/220, 709/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A target, such as one or more computer systems, is automatically provisioned with the latest available versions of programs, such as an operating system program and/or application programs, in accordance with a selected policy and based on a stored user state package. In some embodiments, user state settings present in the stored user state package are restored to the target. In some embodiments, user confirmation or denial of the selection of a program for installation to the target is requested where the program was not identified in the user state package.

Claims

1. A computer-program product comprising a computer readable storage medium containing computer program code comprising:

a deployment application for receiving a selection of a user state package, said user state package including at least one or more user state settings;

said deployment application further for receiving a selection of a policy, said policy identifying one or more policy compliant programs;

said deployment application further for receiving a selection of a target;

said deployment application further for automatically determining one or more user state package programs based on said at least one or more user state settings;

said deployment application further for automatically determining said one or more policy compliant programs, said policy compliant programs comprising required policy compliant programs that are required to be installed on said target;

said deployment application further for selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs comprising;

for each user state package program of said one or more user state package programs, determining whether said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, wherein upon a determination that said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, selecting said user state package program as one of said target programs; and

said deployment application further for selecting said one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more required policy compliant programs comprising;

for each required policy compliant program of said required policy compliant programs, determining whether said required policy compliant program was selected as one of said target programs during said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs, wherein upon a determination that said required policy compliant program was not selected, selecting said required policy compliant program as one of said target programs.

2. The computer-program product of claim 1 further comprising:

said deployment application further for automatically deploying said one or more target programs to said target.

3. The computer-program product of claim 2 further comprising:

said deployment application further for automatically installing said one or more target programs on said target.

4. The computer-program product of claim 1 further comprising:

said deployment application further for automatically restoring said user state settings to said target.

5. A computer implemented method performed upon execution of a deployment application by a processor comprising:

receiving a selection of a user state package, said user state package including at least one or more user state settings;

receiving a selection of a policy, said policy identifying one or more policy compliant programs;

receiving a selection of a target, said target identifying at least one or more computer systems;

automatically determining one or more user state package programs based on said at least one or more user state settings;

automatically determining each of said one or more policy compliant programs, said policy compliant programs comprising required policy compliant programs that are required to be installed on said target;

selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs comprising;

for each user state package program of said one or more user state package programs, determining whether said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, wherein upon a determination that said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, selecting said user state package program as one of said target programs; and

selecting said one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more required policy compliant programs comprising;

for each required policy compliant program of said required policy compliant programs, determining whether said required policy compliant program was selected as one of said target programs during said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs, wherein upon a determination that said required policy compliant program was not selected, selecting said required policy compliant program as one of said target programs.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

automatically deploying said one or more target programs to said target.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

automatically installing said one or more target programs on said target.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs and said selecting said one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more required policy compliant programs are performed automatically.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target is performed automatically upon receiving a user input confirming selection of said one or more target programs.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

automatically restoring said user state settings to said target.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs further comprises:

upon a determination that said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, determining whether a user state package program version of said user state package program is a policy compliant program version of said policy compliant program.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 wherein upon a determination that said user state package program version of said user state package program is said policy compliant program version of said policy compliant program, said user state package program is selected as one of said target programs.

13. A computer system comprising:

a memory having stored therein a deployment application; and

a processor coupled to said memory, wherein execution of said deployment application generates a method comprising;

receiving a selection of a user state package, said user state package including at least one or more user state settings;

receiving a selection of a target, said target identifying at least one or more computer systems;

receiving a selection of a policy, said policy identifying one or more policy compliant programs;

automatically determining one or more user state package programs based on said at least one or more user state settings;

automatically determining each of said one or more policy compliant programs, said policy compliant programs comprising required policy compliant programs that are required to be installed on said target;

selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs comprising;

for each user state package program of said one or more user state package programs, determining whether said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, wherein upon a determination that said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, selecting said user state package program as one of said target programs; and

selecting said one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more required policy compliant programs comprising;

for each required policy compliant program of said required policy compliant programs, determining whether said required policy compliant program was selected as one of said target programs during said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs, wherein upon a determination that said required policy compliant program was not selected, selecting said required policy compliant program as one of said target programs.

14. The computer system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

automatically deploying said one or more target programs to said target.

15. The computer system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

automatically installing said one or more target programs on said target.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs and said selecting said one or more target programs for installation on said target from said one or more required policy compliant programs are performed automatically.

17. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said selecting one or more target programs for installation on said target is performed automatically upon receiving a user input confirming selection of said one or more target programs.

18. A computer implemented method performed upon execution of a deployment application by a processor comprising:

receiving a selection of a user state package, said user state package including user state settings;

receiving a selection of a policy, said policy identifying policy compliant programs;

receiving a selection of a target, said target identifying a computer system;

determining user state package programs based on said user state settings;

determining said policy compliant programs, said policy compliant programs comprising required policy compliant programs that are required to be installed on said target;

selecting target programs for installation on said target from said one or more user state package programs comprising;

for each user state package program of said user state package programs, determining whether said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs,

wherein upon a determination that said user state package program is one of said policy compliant programs, determining whether a user state package program version of said user state package program is a policy compliant program version of said policy compliant program,

wherein upon a determination that said user state package program version of said user state package program is said policy compliant program version of said policy compliant program, selecting said user state package program as one of said target programs, and

wherein upon a determination that said user state package program version of said user state package program is not said policy compliant program version of said policy compliant program, selecting said policy compliant program as one of said target programs.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising:

selecting said target programs for installation on said target from said required policy compliant programs comprising;

for each required policy compliant program of said required policy compliant programs, determining whether said required policy compliant program was selected as one of said target programs during said selecting target programs for installation on said target from said user state package programs, wherein upon a determination that said required policy compliant program was not selected, selecting said required policy compliant program as one of said target programs.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19 wherein said selecting said user state package program as one of said target programs comprises logging said user state package program as a target program to a target program list, and

wherein said selecting said required policy compliant program as one of said target programs comprises logging said required policy compliant program as a target program to said target program list.