Peer distribution point feature for system management server

• US 7,761,503 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iqbal, Khuzaima, Healy, Michael, Bringemeier, Ingo R. A. G., Ellis, John L, Dhawan, Gaurav R, James, David C, Chandrasekaran, Nirupama, Narayanan, Rajagopalan Badri
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold; Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Kai J
• Application Number:
  US11/326,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 717173-178, 717/103, 717/172
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1089 Hierarchical topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A client in a plurality of clients with a same network address or similar common identifier is designated a Peer Distribution Point (PDP) agent for distributing a software application divided into several packages to the plurality of clients. The plurality of clients are part of a client-server hierarchical system comprising a Central SMS site server and several Distributing servers. The Central SMS site server generates policies for the packages that are pushed to a Distribution server assigned to the plurality of clients from where the PDP agent pulls the policies. The Central SMS site server generates the packages that are pushed to the Distributing server after the PDP agent pulls the policies. The packages are pulled by the PDP agent from the Distributing server. The other clients pull the packages from the PDP agent as and when needed.

Claims

1. A client-server system to distribute software application packages to a plurality of network connected clients with a same network address, comprising:

a resource server for pushing policies associated with the software application packages to at least one distributing server;

at least one distributing server for receiving the policies associated with the software application packages from the resource server; and

a plurality of clients for pulling said policies associated with the software application packages from the at least one distributing server, wherein one of the plurality of network connected clients is designated as a distribution point (PDP agent), wherein;

(a) the resource server pushes the software application packages associated with policies pushed to the at least one distributing server in response to one of the plurality of network connected clients pulling the policies associated with the software application packages such that the software application packages are not pushed to the at least one distributing server until one of the plurality of network connected clients pulls the policies, wherein the at least one distributing server maintains at least one mapping table that maps the software application packages to the PDP agent and the PDP agent to the resource server;

(b) the PDP agent pulls the software application packages from the distributing server; and

(c) the plurality of network connected clients pull the software application packages from the PDP agent.

2. The client-server system of claim 1 wherein the distributing server stores information regarding the PDP agent.

3. The client-server system of claim 1, wherein the distributing server creates:

(i) a software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) a software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) a software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

4. The client-server system of claim 3 wherein the distributing server maintains:

(i) the software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) the software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) the software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

5. The client-server system of claim 4 wherein the PDP agent manages:

(i) the software application package download policy on the PDP agent;

(ii) the software application package configuration policy on the PDP agent; and

(iii) the software application package file transfer configuration policy on the PDP agent.

6. The client-server system of claim 1 wherein the distributing server creates a provisioning request for the PDP agent.

7. The client-server system of claim 6 wherein the distributing server relays the provisioning request for the PDP agent to the distributing server.

8. A method of distributing software application packages from a resource server to a plurality of network connected clients having a same network address, comprising:

pushing by the resource server policies associated with the software application packages to a distributing server;

pulling by clients included in the plurality of network connected clients from the distributing server the policies associated with the software application packages, wherein one of the plurality of network connected clients is designated as a distribution point (PDP agent);

pushing by the resource server a software application package to the distributing server in response to a client included in the plurality of network connected clients pulling the policies associated with the software application packages such that the software application packages are not pushed to the distributing server until one of the plurality of network connected clients pulls the policies, wherein the distributing server maintains at least one mapping table that maps the software application packages to the PDP agent and the PDP agent to the resource server;

pulling by the PDP agent the software application packages from the distributing server; and

pulling by other clients included in the plurality of network connected clients the software application packages from the PDP agent.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the distributing server stores information regarding the PDP agent.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the distributing server creates:

(i) a software application package download policy for the PDP agent;

(ii) a software application package configuration policy for the PDP agent; and

(iii) a software application package file transfer configuration policy for the PDP agent.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the software application package download policy, the software application package configuration policy, and the software application package file transfer configuration policy are maintained by the distributing server for the PDP agent.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package file transfer configuration policy on the PDP agent.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package configuration policy on the PDP agent.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the PDP agent manages the software application package download policy on the PDP agent.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the distributing server creates a provisioning request for the PDP agent.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the distributing server relays the provisioning request for the PDP agent to the distributing server.