Workstation deployment

• US 7,996,832 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Patton, Daniel E., Markey, Peter, Esbenshade, John F., Radack, Jeffrey P., Lesher, Richard E., Schuenzel, Karl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US11/670,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 717/177
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Deployment of a workstation includes receiving data related to the computing environment of workstations, organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data, and producing a deployment schedule based on the groups.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data related to computing environments of a plurality of workstations;

organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data;

defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and

producing a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the common attribute among the received data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the deployment schedule on a database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a new computing environment to the workstations.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving data related to a computing environment comprising a plurality of workstations;

organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data;

defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and

producing a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the common attribute among the received data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a database to maintain the deployment schedule.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the deployment comprises a new computing environment to the workstations.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data related to the computing environment of workstations at a server;

organizing the workstations into groups associated with the workstations based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data;

defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and

automatically producing a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware of software residing on the workstations.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the common attribute among the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining the deployment schedule on a database.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program that is included in a new computing environment.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising a deployment of a new computing environment to the workstations.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive data related to the computing environment of workstations;

organize workstations into groups associated with the workstations based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data;

define, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and

automatically produce a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location on the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the common attribute among the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a database to maintain the deployment schedule.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program that is included in a computing environment.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, the processor furthered configured to provide a new computing environment to the workstations.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of a operating system, application program, or device drivers.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to access a system that is adapted to perform operations comprising;

receiving data related to a computing environment comprising a plurality of workstations;

organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data;

defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and

producing a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the common attribute among the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the deployment schedule is maintained on a database.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a graphical user interface is used for displaying or updating the deployment schedule.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the deployment comprises a new computing environment to the workstations, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers.

34. A system comprising:

a plurality of workstations each having a computing environment; and

a server computer coupled to the plurality of workstations over a network, wherein the server computer is configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving from the workstations data related to the respective computing environments of the workstations;

organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data;

defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment;

producing a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment; and

causing a new computing environment to be provided to at least one of the workstations.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the common attribute among the received data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

37. The system of claim 34, further comprising a database to maintain the deployment schedule.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule.

39. The system of claim 34, the server computer further comprising a graphical user interface for displaying or updating the deployment schedule.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers.