Network registry and file cleaner

• US 8,463,758 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piriform Software Limited (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Piriform Ltd. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Saner, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US13/107,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 707/692, 707/827, 707/952
• US Class Current: 707/692
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A cleaning application that can clean at least one of one or more files and a registry of a computer is provided. The cleaning application can be remotely deployed over a network to one or more computers. The cleaning application can include an administrator cleaning module and a user cleaning module. The administrator cleaning module can automatically scan a network and detect one or more computers. The administrator cleaning module can then remotely deploy the user cleaning module to one or more selected computers of the network. Once the user cleaning module is deployed on a computer, the administrator cleaning module can remotely manage the user cleaning module over the network. In particular, the administrator cleaning module can instruct the user cleaning module to clean at least one of one or more files and a registry of the computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically scanning, by an administrator cleaning module executed on a computer, a network to detect computers;

selecting, by the administrator cleaning module, one or more computers from a list of computers detected on the network, the list of computers being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses; and

remotely deploying, by the administrator cleaning module, a user cleaning module over the network to the selected one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically scanning the network for computers further comprises using a NetBIOS application programming interface to identify one or more computers connected to the network that have registered at least one of a NetBIOS name, and a NetBIOS group name.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising uninstalling a previous user cleaning module that is already deployed on the selected one or more computers, before remotely deploying the user cleaning module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user cleaning module is configured to clean at least one of one or more files and a registry of the selected one or more computers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules, and wherein each cleaning rule of the one or more cleaning rules comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the selected one or more computers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a user interface and displaying the user interface at a screen of the computer, wherein the user interface comprises one of a web service and an application programming interface.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store an administrator cleaning module; and

a processor configured to execute the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory,

wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory, to,

automatically scan a network to detect computers;

select one or more computers from a list of computers detected on the network, the list of computers being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers and a number of user cleaning module licenses; and

remotely deploy a user cleaning module over the network to the selected one or more computers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory, to use a NetBIOS application programming interface to identify one or more computers connected to the network that have registered at least one of a NetBIOS name, and a NetBIOS group name.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory, to uninstall a previous user cleaning module that is already deployed on the selected one or more computers, before remotely deploying the user cleaning module.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user cleaning module is configured to clean at least one of one or more files and a registry of the selected one or more computers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules, and wherein each cleaning rule of the one or more cleaning rules comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the selected one or more computers.

12. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

automatically scanning a network to detect computers;

selecting one or more computers from a list of computers detected on the network, the list of computers being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses; and

remotely deploying a user cleaning module over the network to the selected one or more computers.

13. A method, comprising:

establishing, by an administrator cleaning module executed on a first computer, a secure connection over a network with a user cleaning module executed on a second computer, the second computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

receiving, by the administrator cleaning module, application information over the network from the user cleaning module;

transmitting, by the administrator cleaning module, a cleaning rule set over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

transmitting, by the administrator cleaning module, an instruction to clean at least one of one or more files or a registry of the second computer over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the instruction is based on the cleaning rule set.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the establishing the secure connection over the network further comprises generating a main encryption key used to encrypt communications over the secure connection, and wherein the secure connection comprises a user datagram protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the application information comprises an application list that represents one or more applications that are installed on the second computer.

16. The method of claim 13,

wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules,

wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities,

wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule, and

wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the second computer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising creating a user interface and displaying the user interface at a screen of the computer, wherein the user interface comprises one of a web service and an application programming interface.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting, by the administrator cleaning module, an instruction to clean one or more databases of the second computer over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the instruction to clean one or more databases is based on the cleaning rule set.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting, by the administrator cleaning module, an instruction to optimize one or more browser applications of the second computer over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the instruction to optimize one or more browser applications is based on the cleaning rule set.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store an administrator cleaning module; and

a processor configured to execute the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory,

wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory, to,

establish a secure connection over a network with a user cleaning module executed on a computer, the computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

receive application information over the network from the user cleaning module;

transmit a cleaning rule set over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

transmit an instruction to clean at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the instruction is based on the cleaning rule set.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the administrator cleaning module stored on the memory, to generate a main encryption key used to encrypt communications over the secure connection, and wherein the secure connection comprises a user datagram protocol.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the application information comprises an application list that represents one or more applications that are installed on the computer.

24. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules,

wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities,

wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule, and

wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the computer.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.

26. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

establishing a secure connection over a network with a user cleaning module executed on a computer, the computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

receiving application information over the network from the user cleaning module;

transmitting a cleaning rule set over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

transmitting an instruction to clean at least one of one or more files or a registry of the computer over the network to the user cleaning module, wherein the instruction is based on the cleaning rule set.

27. A method, comprising:

establishing, by a user cleaning module executed on a first computer, a secure connection over a network with an administrator cleaning module executed on a second computer, the second computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

transmitting, by the user cleaning module, application information over the network to the administrator cleaning module;

receiving, by the user cleaning module, a cleaning rule set over the network from the administrator cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

cleaning, by the user cleaning module, at least one of one or more files or a registry of the first computer, wherein the cleaning is based on an instruction and the cleaning rule set received from the administrator cleaning module.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the establishing the secure connection over the network further comprises generating a main encryption key used to encrypt communications over the secure connection, and wherein the secure connection comprises a user datagram protocol.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the application information comprises an application list that represents one or more applications that are installed on the first computer.

30. The method of claim 27,

wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules,

wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities,

wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule, and

wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the first computer.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the first computer further comprises, for each cleaning rule that corresponds to each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities of the cleaning rule set, at least one of the following:

removing one or more files from the first computer, removing data from one or more files, removing one or more registry entries from the first computer, and removing data from one or more registry entries, based on the cleaning rule.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising cleaning, by the user cleaning module, one or more databases of the first computer, wherein the cleaning is based on an instruction to clean one or more databases and the cleaning rule set received from the administrator cleaning module.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising optimizing, by the user cleaning module, one or more browser applications of the first computer, wherein the optimizing is based on an instruction to optimize one or more browser applications and the cleaning rule set received from the administrator cleaning module.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a user cleaning module; and

a processor configured to execute the user cleaning module stored on the memory,

wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the user cleaning module stored on the memory, to,

establish a secure connection over a network with an administrator cleaning module executed on a computer, the computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

transmit application information over the network to the administrator cleaning module;

receive a cleaning rule set over the network from the administrator cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

clean at least one of one or more files or a registry of the apparatus based on an instruction and the cleaning rule set received from the administrator cleaning module.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the user cleaning module stored on the memory, to generate a main encryption key used to encrypt communications over the secure connection, and wherein the secure connection comprises a user datagram protocol.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the application information comprises an application list that represents one or more applications that are installed on the apparatus.

38. The apparatus of claim 35,

wherein the user cleaning module comprises one or more cleaning rules,

wherein the cleaning rule set comprises one or more cleaning rule identities,

wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to a unique cleaning rule, and

wherein a cleaning rule comprises a set of one or more parameters for cleaning at least one of one or more files and a registry of the apparatus.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities corresponds to either a system cleaning rule, an application cleaning rule, or a registry cleaning rule.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the user cleaning module stored on the memory, to, for each cleaning rule that corresponds to each cleaning rule identity of the one or more cleaning rule identities of the cleaning rule set, at least one of the following:

removing one or more files from the apparatus, removing data from one or more files, removing one or more registry entries from the apparatus, and removing data from one or more registry entries, based on the cleaning rule.

41. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

establishing a secure connection over a network with an administrator cleaning module executed on a computer, the computer being associated with a network summary, and the network summary comprising a number of computers in the network and a number of user cleaning module licenses;

transmitting application information over the network to the administrator cleaning module;

receiving a cleaning rule set over the network from the administrator cleaning module, wherein the cleaning rule set is based on the application information; and

cleaning at least one of one or more files or a registry, wherein the cleaning is based on an instruction and the cleaning rule set received from the administrator cleaning module.