Method and system for accessing and launching a java based applet as a locally installed application

• US 7,930,693 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spring, Maximilian J., Ottamalika, Iqlas Maheen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, HANH THI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/099,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 717/120, 717/122, 717/162, 717/168, 717/170, 717/171, 717/174, 711/153, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

A method for launching an interface with a remotely located electronic device. Specifically, a loader that is locally installed is launched. The loader is associated with an embedded application stored on a remote device. Communication is established with the remote device to access a first checksum value that is stored on the remote device. Thereafter, the first checksum value is compared against a second checksum value of a locally stored version of the embedded application. The locally stored version of the embedded application is launched when the first check value matches the second checksum value.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

launching a loader directly from a client workstation which bypasses a browser interface of the client workstation, wherein the loader is locally installed in the client workstation, and wherein the loader is configured to launch a java-based embedded application that is compatible a remote device;

determining, with the loader, whether a local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device by;

accessing the remote device over a network to retrieve a first checksum value of the java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device without downloading any java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device after the loader is launched,

accessing the local java-based embedded application stored locally in the client workstation to ascertain a second checksum value, and

comparing, at the client workstation, the first checksum value of the java-based embedded application with the second checksum value of the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation;

launching the local java-based embedded application in the client workstation with the loader when the first checksum value matches the second checksum value indicating the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device, the local java-based embedded application allowing the client workstation to configure the remote device over the network through an interface supported by the launched local java-based embedded application; and

downloading, with the loader, the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network when the first checksum value fails to match the second checksum value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing of the first checksum value further comprises:

determining the client workstation stores multiple local java-based embedded applications; and

comparing the first checksum value of said java-based embedded application with a plurality of checksum values corresponding to the multiple local java-based embedded application to determine if one of the plurality of checksum values matches the first checksum value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before said launching of the loader, establishing communication with the remote device that is associated with the java-based embedded application through the browser window; and

locally installing the loader on the client workstation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said locally installing further comprises:

executing the loader independently of the browser window;

downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network;

storing the downloaded java-based embedded application as the local java-based embedded application; and

naming a filename of a locally stored version of the java-based embedded application with the second checksum value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing the first checksum value further comprises:

accessing a filename of the local java-based embedded application to determine the second checksum value, wherein said filename comprises the second checksum value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device when the first checksum value does not equal the second checksum value;

storing the java-based embedded application as a locally stored version of the java-based embedded application; and

naming a filename of the local java-based embedded application using the first checksum value, wherein the filename comprises the second checksum value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a networking device.

8. A computer system comprising:

a bus; and

a computer-readable memory includes program instructions that, when executed by a client workstation, cause the client workstation to;

launch a loader directly from the client workstation which bypasses a browser interface of the client workstation, wherein the loader is locally installed in the client workstation, and wherein the loader is configured to launch a java-based embedded application that is compatible a remote device;

determine, with the loader, whether a local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device by accessing the remote device over a network to retrieve a first checksum value of the java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device without downloading any java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device after the loader is launched, accessing the local java-based embedded application stored locally in the client workstation to ascertain a second checksum value, and comparing, at the client workstation, the first checksum value of the java-based embedded application with the second checksum value of the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation; and

launch the local java-based embedded application in the client workstation with the loader when the first checksum value matches the second checksum value indicating the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device, the local java-based embedded application allowing the client workstation to configure the remote device over the network through an interface supported by the launched local java-based embedded application.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the client workstation is further configured to

determine the client workstation stores multiple local java-based embedded applications;

and

compare the first checksum value of said java-based embedded application with a plurality of checksum values corresponding to the multiple local java-based embedded application to determine if one of the plurality of checksum values matches said first checksum value.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further capable of:

establishing communication with the remote device that is associated with the java-based embedded application through the browser window;

locally installing the loader;

executing the loader independently of the browser window;

downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network;

storing the downloaded java-based embedded application as the local java-based embedded application; and

naming a filename of the local java-based embedded application with the second checksum value.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further capable of:

downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device when the first checksum value does not equal the second checksum value;

storing the java-based embedded application as the local java-based embedded application; and

naming a filename of the local java-based embedded application using the first checksum value, wherein the filename comprises the second checksum value.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the client workstation, are further capable of downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network when the first checksum value fails to match the second checksum value.

13. A computer-readable memory comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing to:

launch a loader directly from a client workstation which bypasses a browser interface of the client workstation, wherein the loader is locally installed in the client workstation, and wherein said loader is configured to launch a java-based embedded application that is compatible a remote device;

determine, with the loader, whether a local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device by accessing the remote device over a network to retrieve a first checksum value of the java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device without downloading any java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device after launching the loader, accessing the local Java-based embedded application stored locally in the client workstation to ascertain a second checksum value, and comparing, at the client workstation, the first checksum value of the java-based embedded application with the second checksum value of the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation; and

launch the local java-based embedded application in the client workstation with the loader when the first checksum value matches the second checksum value indicating the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device, the local java-based embedded application allowing the client workstation to configure the remote device over the network through an interface supported by the launched local java-based embedded application.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when further executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

before said launch of the loader, establish communication with the remote device that is associated with the java-based embedded application through the browser window; and

locally install the loader on the client workstation.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when further executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

execute the loader independently of the browser window;

download the java-based embedded application as the local java-based embedded application; and

name a filename of the local java-based embedded application with a checksum, the second checksum value, of the embedded application.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when further executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

download the java-based embedded application from the remote device when the first checksum value does not equal the second checksum value;

store the java-based embedded application as the local java-based embedded application; and

name a filename of the local java-based embedded application using the first checksum value, wherein the filename comprises the second checksum value.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein said instructions, when further executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to download the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network when the first checksum value fails to match the second checksum value.

18. A system comprising:

means for launching a loader directly from a client workstation which bypasses a browser interface of the client workstation, wherein the loader is locally installed in the client workstation, and wherein the loader is configured to launch a java-based embedded application that is compatible a remote device;

means for accessing the remote device over a network to retrieve a first checksum value of the java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device without downloading any java-based embedded application that is stored on the remote device after the means for launching launches the loader;

means for accessing the local java-based embedded application stored locally in the client workstation to ascertain a second checksum value;

means for comparing, at the client workstation, the first checksum value of the java-based embedded application with the second checksum value of the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation; and

means for launching the local java-based embedded application in the client workstation with the loader when the first checksum value matches the second checksum value indicating the local java-based embedded application stored in the client workstation is compatible with the java-based embedded application stored on the remote device, the local java-based embedded application allowing the client workstation to configure the remote device over the network through an interface supported by the launched local java-based embedded application.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining the client workstation stores multiple local java-based embedded applications; and

means for comparing the first checksum value of the java-based embedded application with a plurality of checksum values corresponding to the multiple local java-based embedded application to determine if one of the plurality of checksum values matches the first checksum value.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for downloading the java-based embedded application from the remote device over the network when the first checksum value fails to match the second checksum value.