System and method for updating network computer systems

• US 8,375,108 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Aderton, Harry, Aderton, Richard, Patel, Prakash, Reckeweg, John, Rietmann, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US12/115,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/202, 709/203, 717/103, 717/120, 717/168, 717/171, 717/173, 717/174, 717/177, 719/316, 719/317, 719/318
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An update system configured to provide software updates, software patches and/or other data packets to one or more computer systems via a network is disclosed. The update system may interact with a network management system, such as an enterprise management system, to distribute data packets and gather configuration information. The update system may generate and send commands to the network management system. The network management system may carry out the commands to distribute data packets and/or gather configuration information.

Claims

1. A method of updating computer systems on a network, comprising:

sending one or more first scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more first scanning applications are configured to determine one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems;

determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems using the one or more first scanning applications;

selecting one or more computer systems to send one or more additional data packets to;

identifying one or more installation data packets to be installed on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems;

sending the one or more installation data packets to the at least one of the selected one or more computer systems;

installing at least one of the one or more installation data packets on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems; and

determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems;

wherein determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems comprises sending one or more second scanning applications to at least one of the one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more second scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding at least one of the one or more computer systems and send the configuration information to a server computer system, and wherein the one or more second scanning applications do not persist on one or more computer systems after the configuration information has been sent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems comprises sending one or more commands to the one or more first scanning applications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more computer systems comprises determining configuration of one or more computer systems using one or more of the first scanning applications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more computer system comprises selecting one or more computer systems based on a defined grouping of one or more computer systems.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending one or more installation data packets comprises sending a command to a network management system, wherein the network management system is configured to send the one or more installation data packets to the at least one of the selected one or more computer systems in response to receiving the command.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting the results of determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems, selecting one or more computer systems to send one or more data packets to and sending the one or more installation data packets are performed automatically.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems, selecting one or more computer systems to send one or more data packets to, sending the one or more installation data packets and determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems are performed based on one or more preconfigured rules.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more computer systems comprises associating two or more computer systems to form one or more computer system groups and selecting one or more computer system groups to send one or more data packets to.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more unauthorized software applications on one or more computer systems.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising scanning at least one of the one or more computer systems to determine hardware configuration information regarding one or more computer systems coupled to the network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising scanning at least one of the one or more computer systems to determine software configuration information regarding one or more computer systems.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems comprises requesting information from the one or more second scanning applications regarding the configuration of one or more computer systems.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more computer systems comprises selecting one or more computer systems based on one or more configuration conditions.

15. A system, comprising:

a plurality of computer systems coupled to a network;

an update system on the network, wherein the update system is configured to implement a method comprising;

sending one or more first scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more first scanning applications are configured to determine one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems;

determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems using the one or more first scanning applications;

selecting one or more computer systems to send one or more additional data packets to;

identifying one or more installation data packets to be installed on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems;

installing at least one of the one or more installation data packets on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems; and

determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems;

wherein determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems comprises sending one or more second scanning applications to at least one of the one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more second scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding at least one of the one or more computer systems and send the configuration information to a server computer system, and wherein the one or more second scanning applications do not persist on one or more computer systems after the configuration information has been sent.

16. A computer readable memory medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable on a computer system to implement a method comprising:

sending one or more first scanning applications to one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more first scanning applications are configured to determine one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems;

determining one or more data packets present on the one or more computer systems using the one or more first scanning applications;

selecting one or more computer systems to send one or more additional data packets to;

identifying one or more installation data packets to be installed on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems;

installing at least one of the one or more identified installation data packets on at least one of the selected one or more computer systems;

determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems;

wherein determining whether the one or more installation data packets were received and loaded onto at least one of the one or more computer systems comprises sending a one or more second scanning applications to at least one of the one or more computer systems, wherein the one or more second scanning applications are configured to determine configuration information regarding at least one of the one or more computer systems and send the configuration information to a server computer system, and wherein the one or more second scanning applications do not persist on one or more computer systems after the configuration information has been sent.