Managing distributed computers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of managing at least one client computer on a network, comprising the acts of:
- managing a client computer, under the control of the client computer, using information retrieved from the network such that the client computer is operable to manage the information when disconnected from the network, the managing including;
determining, in the client computer, a unique identifier for the client computer in response to activating a login system of the client computer, the unique identifier being unique to the client computer such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client computer;
determining, under the control of the client computer, location information for the client computer;
locating, under the control of the client computer, a first record in a directory service of a server via the network, the first record associated with the unique identifier for the client computer, the server separate from the client computer, the client computer operating connected to the network;
retrieving the first record into the client computer from the network such that the first record is received from the network into the client computer through a cache of the client computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the first record and other records retrieved from the network for use in and by the client computer;
locating, under the control of the client computer, a second record associated with the location information, wherein each of the first and second records comprises preference data;
locating, under the control of the client computer, management information associated with the first and second records, wherein the management information includes policy data;
combining, in the client computer, the preference data from the first and second records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data;
sending, internally in the client computer, current computer records and location records of the client computer to the cache following the combining of the preference data, while connected to the network prior to user login on the client computer, such that the cache, running concurrently a login window of the client computer, operates on the current computer and location records in the cache; and
managing, in the client computer, the client computer through use of said managed preference data and said unmanaged preference data.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment provides for a management and resource policy for computers. The policy may control whether users can access or not access local and network software and hardware resources and affects the computer'"'"'s human interface. A hierarchy of management data may be combined into managed and unmanaged preference data and conflicts within the management data are resolved based on the policy.
64 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method of managing at least one client computer on a network, comprising the acts of:
managing a client computer, under the control of the client computer, using information retrieved from the network such that the client computer is operable to manage the information when disconnected from the network, the managing including; determining, in the client computer, a unique identifier for the client computer in response to activating a login system of the client computer, the unique identifier being unique to the client computer such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client computer; determining, under the control of the client computer, location information for the client computer; locating, under the control of the client computer, a first record in a directory service of a server via the network, the first record associated with the unique identifier for the client computer, the server separate from the client computer, the client computer operating connected to the network; retrieving the first record into the client computer from the network such that the first record is received from the network into the client computer through a cache of the client computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the first record and other records retrieved from the network for use in and by the client computer; locating, under the control of the client computer, a second record associated with the location information, wherein each of the first and second records comprises preference data; locating, under the control of the client computer, management information associated with the first and second records, wherein the management information includes policy data; combining, in the client computer, the preference data from the first and second records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data; sending, internally in the client computer, current computer records and location records of the client computer to the cache following the combining of the preference data, while connected to the network prior to user login on the client computer, such that the cache, running concurrently a login window of the client computer, operates on the current computer and location records in the cache; and managing, in the client computer, the client computer through use of said managed preference data and said unmanaged preference data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 57, 58, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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12. An apparatus for managing at least one client computer on a network, comprising:
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means for determining, in the client computer, a unique identifier for the client computer in response to activating a login system of the client computer, the unique identifier being unique to the client computer such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client computer; means, in the client computer, for determining location information for the client computer; means, in the client computer, for locating a first record in a directory service of a server via the network, the first record associated with the unique identifier for the client computer and for locating a second record associated with the location information and for locating management information associated with the first and second records, wherein each of the records comprise preference data and the management information includes policy data, the server separate from the client computer; a cache in the client computer, the cache configured to receive the first record from the network such that the first record is received from the network into the client computer through the cache of the client computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the first record received from the network for use in and by the client computer, the cache configured to receive, from internally in the client computer, computer records and current location records of the client computer following combining the preference data from the first and second records prior to user login on the client computer, while connected to the network, such that the cache is operable to run concurrently a login window of the client computer and operate on the current computer and location records in the cache; means, in the client computer, for combining the preference data from the first and second records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data; and means, in the client computer, for managing the client computer through use of said managed preference data and said unmanaged preference data, wherein all records, acquired from the network, that correspond to preference data for managing the client computer, in the client computer, are received from the network into the client computer through the cache of the client computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the records received from the network for use in and by the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 59, 60)
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22. A signal-bearing non-transitory storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:
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determining, in a client computer, a unique identifier for the client computer attached to a network in response to activating a login system of the client computer, the unique identifier being unique to the client computer such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client computer; determining, under the control of the client computer, location information for the client computer; locating, under the control of the client computer, a first record in a directory service of a server via the network, the first record associated with the unique identifier for the client computer, the server separate from the client computer, the client computer operating connected to the network; retrieving the first record into the client computer from the network such that the first record is received from the network into the client computer through a cache of the client computer; locating, under the control of the client computer, a second record associated with the location information, wherein each of the first and second records comprises preference data; locating, under the control of the client computer, management information associated with the first and second records, wherein the management information includes policy data; combining, in the client computer, the preference data from the first and second records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data; managing, in the client computer, the client computer through use of said managed preference data and said unmanaged preference data, wherein all records, acquired from the network, that correspond to preference data for managing the client computer, in the client computer, are received from the network into the client computer through the cache of the client computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the records acquired from the network for use in and by the client computer; and sending, internally in the client computer, current computer records and location records of the client computer to the cache following the combining of the preference data, while connected to the network prior to user login on the client computer, such that the cache, running concurrently a login window of the client computer, operates on the current computer and location records in the cache. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 61, 62)
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30. A computer, comprising:
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one or more processors; and a storage device coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the storage device comprises instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, perform operations that comprise; determining, in the computer, a unique identifier for the computer in response to activating a login system of the computer, the unique identifier being unique to the computer such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the computer, the computer operable as a client on a network; locating, under the control of the computer, in a directory service of a server, via the network with the computer operating connected to the network, the server separate from the computer, a first record associated with the computer, a second record associated with location information of the computer, and management information associated with the records, wherein the records each comprise preference data and wherein the management information includes policy data; retrieving the first record, the second record, and the management information into the computer from the network such that the first record, the second record, and the management information are received from the network into the computer through a cache of the computer such that the cache operates as a first source of the first record, the second record, and the management information received from the network for use in and by the client computer; combining, in the computer, the preference data from the first and second records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data; and sending, internally in the computer, current computer records and location records of the computer to the cache following the combining of the preference data, while connected to the network prior to user login on the client computer, such that the cache, running concurrently a login window of the computer, operates on the current computer and location records in the cache. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A system comprising:
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a server that hosts a plurality of records, each of which includes preference data and that hosts management information associated with the plurality of records, the management information including policy data; and a client connected to the server via a network, the client separate from the server, wherein the client comprises; an environment detector to determine location information, to determine, in the client, a unique identifier for the client in response to activation of a login system of the client computer, the unique identifier being unique to the client such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client, and to retrieve records from a directory service of the server, via the network, based, at least in part, on the location information and the unique identifier; a cache configured such that access to the records received from the network is through the cache such that the cache operates as a first source of the records received from the network for use in and by the client computer, the cache configured to receive, from internally in the client, computer records and current location records of the client following combining preference data from the retrieved records prior to user login on the client computer, while operably connected to the network, such that the cache is operable to run concurrently a login window of the client and operate on the current location records in the cache; a compositor to combine preference data from the retrieved records into managed preference data that a user is not allowed to change and unmanaged preference data that a user is allowed to change, based on the policy data; and a preference system to notify an application at the client of the managed preference data and the unmanaged preference data. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of managing a client attached to a network, comprising the acts of:
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determining, under the control of said client, for said client an identifier unique to said client in response to activating a login system of said client and location information for the client, the unique identifier being determined in said client, the unique identifier being unique to said client such that the unique identifier is determinable before user login on the client; accessing, under the control of said client, another location on said network to access a record that includes preference data associated with said unique identifier and a record that includes preference data associated with the location information; retrieving said records of preference data into said client from said network such that said records of preference data are received from said network into the client through a cache of the client such that the cache operates as a first source of said records received from said network for use in and by said client; combining, in said client, said records of preference data for said client into a first group of preferences for said client that may not be changed by a user, and a second group of preferences that may be changed by a user; establishing, in said client, controls for said client in accordance with said first and second groups of preferences; and sending, internally in said client, current computer records and location records of said client to said cache following the combining of said records, while connected to the network prior to user login on the client computer, such that said cache, running concurrently a login window of said client, operates on said current computer and location records in said cache. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 63)
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Specification