Data imaging system and methods

• US 8,291,406 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Milne, Robert T., Demasi, Rocco P., Bland, Ronald L., Herman, Andrew L., Tarricone, Arthur A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): APONTE, FRANCISCO JAVIER
• Application Number:
  US12/015,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 717101-178, 707/694, 709222-227, 711/162, 370370-395, 719/328, 726/5
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method performed by a network device may include receiving index information from a second network device identifying an updated application, querying a third network device for the identified updated application, receiving the identified updated application from the third network device, storing the identified updated application received from the third network device and applying stored application user settings from memory to the stored updated application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

saving, by a device, user settings associated with an application, in a memory;

receiving, by the device and from a first network device, information identifying an update of the application, the device being different than the first network device;

querying, by the device, a plurality of second network devices for the update of the application based on receiving the information identifying the update of the application, the plurality of second network devices being different than the first network device and the device, the device and the plurality of second network devices being of a first type, and

the first network device being of a second type different than the first type;

receiving, by the device, the update of the application from one of the plurality of second network devices when the one of the plurality of second network devices includes the update of the application;

updating, by the device, the application using the update of the application, received from the one of the plurality of second network devices when the one of the plurality of second network devices includes the update of the application, to obtain an updated application; and

applying, by the device, the saved user settings, from the memory, to the updated application.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, based on querying the plurality of second network devices, whether the plurality of second network devices includes the update of the application;

querying the first network device for the update of the application when the plurality of second network devices does not include the update of the application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing routing information identifying the first network device and the plurality of second network devices,

where the first network device and the plurality of second network devices are queried based on the routing information.

4. The method of claim 1, where the plurality of second network devices include computers in a network, and

where the first network device includes a server in the network.

5. The method of claim 1, where the update of the application includes at least one of an update of a software application or an update of an operating system.

6. A network device, comprising:

a memory to store user settings of an application; and

logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, to;

receive information, from a second network device, identifying update of the application,

the second network device being different than the network device, the

second network device including a server;

cause the memory to store the user settings of the application after receiving the information identifying the update of the application;

query a third network device for the update of the application based on receiving the information identifying the update of the application,

the third network device being different than the network device, and the third network device including a computer;

receive the update of the application from the third network device when the third network device includes the update of the application;

update the application, using the update of the application received from the third network device when the third network device includes the update of the application, to obtain an updated application; and

apply the stored user settings of the application to the updated application.

7. The network device of claim 6, where the memory further stores information identifying the second network device and information identifying the third network device,

where the logic is to query the third network device based on the information identifying the third network device, and

where the logic is further to query the second network device, based on the information identifying the second network device, for the update of the application when the third network device does not include the update of the application.

8. The network device of claim 6, where the logic is further to:

automatically query the second network device for the update of the application when the third network device does not include the update of the application.

9. The network device of claim 8, where the update of the application includes at least one of an update of a software application or an update of an operating system.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a network device, cause the at least one processor to store user settings in the network device,

the user settings relating to one or more applications;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive information identifying one or more updated versions of the one or more applications;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to query a plurality of other network devices for the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications based on receiving the information identifying the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications,

the plurality of other network devices and the network device including computers;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications from at least one of the plurality of other network devices, and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to apply the user settings to the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the one or more instructions to receive the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications comprise:

one or more instructions to receive an updated version of a first application, of the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications, from a first network device of the plurality of other network devices; and

one or more instructions to receive an updated version of a second application, of the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications, from a second network device, of the plurality of other network devices, that is different than the first network device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more instructions to periodically check for the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications; and

one or more instructions to receive the information identifying the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications based on periodically checking for the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more instructions to query, after receiving the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications, the plurality of other network devices for one or more additional updated versions of the one or more applications;

one or more instructions to receive the one or more additional updated versions of the one or more applications; and

one or more instructions to apply the user settings to the one or more additional updated versions of the one or more applications.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the received information identifying the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications is received from a server,

the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising:

one or more instructions to store, in the network device, the received information identifying the one or more updated versions of the one or more applications.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first network device and from a second network device, first information relating to an upgrade from the second network device to a third network device,

the first network device, the second network device, and the third network device differing one from another,

the first network device including a server, and the second network device and the third network device including computers;

receiving, by the first network device, application user settings from the second network device after receiving the first information;

receiving, by the first network device and from the third network device, second information relating to the upgrade from the second network device to the third network device, the second information including information requesting the application user settings,

the second information being received after receiving the application user settings; and

transmitting the application user settings to the third network device based on receiving the information requesting the application user settings,

the application user settings being applied, by the third network device, to at least one application in the third network device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request, from a user, to upgrade from the second network device to the third network device,

the first information being included in the request, and

the second information being received from the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying the user as operating the second network device and the third network device,

the application user settings being transmitted to the third network device based on identifying the user as operating the second network device and the third network device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request to upgrade from a fourth network device to a fifth network device;

receiving other application user settings from the fourth network device after receiving the request to upgrade from the fourth network device to the fifth network device; and

transmitting the other application user settings to the fifth network device based on a request, from the fifth network device, for the other application user settings,

the other application user settings being transmitted simultaneously with the application user settings.