Methods and apparatus for pre-configuring software

• US 8,266,614 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dossa, Zahir, Noshadi, Hyduke, Bisker, Solomon Michael, Balu, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Xi D
• Application Number:
  US11/625,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A system, operating on a first computerized device, deploys an agent to a second computerized device. The agent, operating on the second computerized device, obtains the configuration data. The system receives, at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device. The system creates software for the second computerized device utilizing the configuration data. The software is customized based on the configuration data specific to the second computerized device. The system then deploys the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device.

Claims

1. In a first computerized device, a computer implemented method of providing software to a second computerized device, the method comprising:

deploying an agent to the second computerized device;

receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device;

obtaining configuration data associated with at least one other computerized device in communication with the second computerized device, the configuration data, associated with the at least one other computerized device, necessary for creation of the software for the second computerized device;

requesting permission for access to obtain the configuration data from the second computerized device comprising requesting permission from a user operating the second computerized device;

notifying the user what configuration data will be obtained from the second computerized device; and

waiting to receive permission from the user prior to obtaining the configuration data from the configuration database;

wherein a security process on the second computerized device prevents malicious software from obtaining unauthorized configuration data;

creating software for the second computerized device utilizing the configuration data and the configuration data from the at least one other computerized device, the software customized based on the configuration data specific to the second computerized device, creating the software comprising;

identifying a plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device;

compiling the plurality of components to create a software deployable on the second computerized device, the software customized for the second computerized device; and

deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying an agent to the second computerized device comprises:

transmitting the agent to the second computerized device to obtain the configuration data from the second computerized device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device comprises:

receiving notification that the second computerized device requires the software.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device comprises:

obtaining the configuration data from a configuration database in communication with the second computerized device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein obtaining the configuration data from a configuration database in communication with the second computerized device comprises:

requesting configuration data from the configuration database, the configuration data necessary to customize the software for the second computerized device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device comprises:

identifying a subset of components that exist on the second computerized device, the subset of components included within the plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device; and

removing the subset of components from the plurality of components when creating the software customized for the second computerized device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein compiling the plurality of components to create software deployable on the second computerized device, the software customized for the second computerized device comprises:

creating the software to minimize user interaction during a deployment of the software on the second computerized device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device comprises:

installing the software on the second computerized device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device comprises:

receiving a status from the second computerized device, the status associated with a deployment of the software on the second computerized device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving a status from the second computerized device, the status associated with a deployment of the software on the second computerized device comprises:

receiving an evaluation of the deployment of the software on the second computerized device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying an agent to the second computerized device comprises deploying the agent to the second computerized device from the first computerized device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising deploying and running an evaluation application that assesses the installation and activation of the software on the second computerized device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the software for the second computerized device comprises application software.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising deploying at least one installation and configuration script with the application software.

15. A computerized device comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;

wherein the memory is encoded with a software configuring application that when executed on the processor is capable of configuring software on the computerized device by performing the operations of;

deploying an agent to the second computerized device;

receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device;

obtaining configuration data associated with at least one other computerized device in communication with the second computerized device, the configuration data, associated with the at least one other computerized device, necessary for creation of the software for the second computerized device;

requesting permission for access to obtain the configuration data from the second computerized device comprising requesting permission from a user associated with the second computerized device;

notifying the user what configuration data will be obtained from the second computerized device;

preventing malicious software from obtaining unauthorized configuration data; and

waiting to receive permission from the user prior to obtaining the configuration data;

creating software for the second computerized device utilizing the configuration data and the configuration data from the at least one other computerized device, the software customized based on the configuration data specific to the second computerized device,

creating the software comprising

identifying a plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device;

compiling the plurality of components to create a software deployable on the second computerized device, the software customized for the second computerized device; and

deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device.

16. The computerized device of claim 15 wherein when the computerized device performs the operation of receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device, the computerized device performs the operations of:

obtaining the configuration data from a configuration database in communication with the second computerized device.

17. The computerized device of claim 15 wherein when the computerized device performs the operation of receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device.

18. The computerized device of claim 15 wherein when the computerized device performs the operation of deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device, the computerized device performs the operations of:

receiving a status from the second computerized device, the status associated with a deployment of the software on the second computerized device.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with computer programming logic that when executed on a process in a computerized device configures software, the medium comprising:

instructions for deploying an agent to the second computerized device;

instructions for receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device;

instructions for obtaining configuration data associated with at least one other computerized device in communication with the second computerized device, the configuration data, associated with the at least one other computerized device, necessary for creation of the software for the second computerized device;

instructions for requesting permission for access to obtain the configuration data from the second computerized device comprising requesting permission from a user associated with the second computerized device;

notifying the user what configuration data will be obtained from the second computerized device;

instructions for preventing malicious software from obtaining unauthorized configuration data; and

instructions for waiting to receive permission from the user prior to obtaining the configuration data from the configuration database;

instructions for creating software for the second computerized device utilizing the configuration data and the configuration data from the at least one other computerized device, the software customized based on the configuration data specific to the second computerized device,

creating the software comprising

identifying a plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device;

instructions for compiling the plurality of components to create a software deployable on the second computerized device, the software customized for the second computerized device; and

instructions for deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device.

20. In a first computerized device, a computer implemented method of providing software to a second computerized device, the method comprising:

deploying an agent to the second computerized device;

receiving at the first computerized device, from the agent operating on the second computerized device, configuration data specific to the second computerized device, the configuration data obtained by the agent operating on the second computerized device;

preventing malicious software from obtaining unauthorized configuration data;

obtaining configuration data associated with at least one other computerized device in communication with the second computerized device, the configuration data, associated with the at least one other computerized device, necessary for creation of the software for the second computerized device;

utilizing the configuration data from the at least one other computerized device to create pre-configured customized software for the second computerized device

creating software for the second computerized device utilizing the configuration data and the configuration data from the at least one other computerized device, the software customized based on the configuration data specific to the second computerized device, creating the software comprising;

identifying a plurality of components necessary to render the software operable on the second computerized device;

compiling the plurality of components to create a software deployable on the second computerized device, the software customized for the second computerized device; and

deploying the software to the second computerized device for operation on the second computerized device.