Workstation uptime, maintenance, and reboot service

• US 8,533,700 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Feeser, Colin Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HIREN P
• Application Number:
  US11/402,094
• Time in Patent Office: 2,709 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-173
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method, system, and a program product for managing updates to executable programming code on a computer system in a computer network. A maintenance service utility is configured to launch a maintenance procedure at a specified time during operation of the computer system. Operation of a maintenance timer utility is activated during startup of the computer system to track and monitor the amount of time the computer system has been operating since startup. The maintenance service utility determines if there any updates to the executable programming code that require installation. The maintenance procedure is launched after a specified time if there are updates to the executable programming code. The computer system is automatically rebooted to install the updates to the executable programming code. A maintenance service editor utility enables the maintenance service utility to be configured to launch the maintenance procedure after a specified time if there are updates to the executable programming code.

Claims

1. A method for managing updates to executable programming code on a computer system in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

configuring a maintenance service utility to launch a maintenance procedure at a specified time during operation of the computer system and selecting a sleep mode for the maintenance service utility, wherein the sleep mode is selected from a list comprising an hourly time, a specified wait time, a day of a week, a date time and a daily time;

activating operation of a maintenance timer utility during startup of the computer system to track an amount of time that the computer system has been operating since startup, wherein the maintenance timer utility automatically reboots the computer system, when the amount of time, that the computer system has been operating since startup, exceed a predetermined threshold limit;

determining if there are any updates to the executable programming code that require installation;

placing an executable code to be launched in a directory accessible by the computer system;

creating a sub-key in a computer system registry key having a unique name for the executable code to launch;

creating a set of values under the sub-key that will cause the executable code to launch at the specified time;

launching the maintenance procedure after the specified time if there are updates to the executable programming code by launching a thread which launches an update executable code identified by a predefined path, the update executable code comprising the updates to be installed to the executable programming code, wherein the launching of the thread invokes a flag value being set to a first value to keep the thread from being launched again, and wherein the flag is set to a different value after the update executable code has been launched, and wherein the maintenance procedure is launched according to a particular sleep method which causes the maintenance service utility to launch at the specified time based on the set flag value and then subsequently go to sleep for a specified amount of time according to a specified launch schedule and sleep schedule; and

automatically rebooting the computer system to install the updates to the executable programming code.

2. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 further comprising selecting a wait time for the maintenance service utility to remain dormant.

3. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 wherein the step of configuring the maintenance service utility can be performed locally on the computer system or remotely from another computer system in the computer network.

4. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 further comprising displaying a message to a user requesting reboot of the computer system.

5. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 further comprising the step of preventing an automatic reboot of a designated computer system operating a computer program that cannot be interrupted for updates to the executable programming code.

6. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 wherein the step of configuring the maintenance service utility to launch a maintenance procedure further comprises selecting an iterative mode for the maintenance service utility.

7. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 6 wherein the iterative mode enables the maintenance service utility to awake each hour following a specified wait time to determine if there is a new maintenance procedure to launch.

8. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 1 wherein the created set of values includes a sleep mode value, the unique executable code name, and a path to the executable code to launch.

9. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 8 wherein the sleep mode value is a numeric value that corresponds to a sleep mode selected from a list comprising hourly, a specified wait, a day of week, a date time and daily.

10. The method for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 8 wherein the created set of values further includes at least one parameter to pass to the executable code to launch.

11. A computer program product for managing updates to executable programming code on a computer system in a computer network comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code embedded therein, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that configure a maintenance service utility to launch a maintenance procedure at a specified time during operation of the computer system and selecting a sleep mode for the maintenance service utility, wherein the sleep mode is selected from a list comprising an hourly time, a specified wait time, a day of a week, a date time and a daily time;

program instructions that activate operation of a maintenance timer utility during startup of the computer system to track an amount of time that the computer system has been operating since startup, wherein the maintenance timer utility automatically reboots the computer system, when the amount of time, that the computer system has been operating since startup, exceed a predetermined threshold limit;

program instructions that determine if there are any updates to the executable programming code that require installation;

program instructions that place an executable code to be launched in a directory accessible by the computer system;

program instructions that enable creating a sub-key in a computer system registry key having a unique name for the executable code to launch;

program instructions that enable creating a set of values under the sub-key that will cause the executable code to launch at the specified time;

program instructions that launch the maintenance procedure after the specified time if there are updates to the executable programming code the maintenance procedure configured to launch a thread which launches an update executable code identified by a predefined path, the update executable code comprising the updates to be installed to the executable programming code, wherein the thread invokes a flag value being set to a first value to keep the thread from being launched again, and wherein the flag is set to a different value after the update executable code has been launched, and wherein the maintenance procedure is launched according to a particular sleep method which causes the maintenance service utility to launch at the specified time based on the set flag value and then subsequently go to sleep for a specified amount of time according to a specified launch schedule and sleep schedule; and

program instructions that automatically reboot the computer system to install the updates to the executable programming code.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 further comprising program instructions that enable selecting a wait time for the maintenance service utility to remain dormant.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 wherein the program instructions that configure the maintenance service utility can be executed locally on the computer system or remotely from another computer system in the computer network.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 further comprising program instructions that display a message to a user requesting reboot of the computer system.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 further comprising program instructions that prevent an automatic reboot of a designated computer system operating a computer program that cannot be interrupted for updates to the executable programming code.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 wherein program instructions that configure the maintenance service utility to launch a maintenance procedure further comprise program instructions that enable selecting an iterative mode for the maintenance service utility.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 16 wherein the iterative mode enables the maintenance service utility to awake each hour following a specified wait time to determine if there is a new maintenance procedure to launch.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 11 wherein the created set of values includes a sleep mode value, the unique executable code name, and a path to the executable code to launch.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 18 wherein the sleep mode value is a numeric value that corresponds to a sleep mode selected from a list comprising hourly, a specified wait, a day of week, a date time and daily.

20. The computer program product for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 18 wherein the created set of values further includes at least one parameter to pass to the executable code to launch.

21. A system for managing updates to executable programming code on a computer system in a computer network comprising:

a maintenance uptime component activated during startup of the computer system to track an amount of time that the computer system has been operating since startup, wherein the maintenance timer utility automatically reboots the computer system, when the amount of time, that the computer system has been operating since startup, exceed a predetermined threshold limit;

a maintenance service component, cooperative with the maintenance uptime component, for determining if there are any updates to the executable programming code that require installation, placing an executable code to be launched in a directory accessible by the computer system, creating a sub-key in a computer system registry key having a unique name for the executable code to launch, and creating a set of values under the sub-key that will cause the executable code to launch at a specified time, and launching a predefined maintenance procedure at the specified time during operation of the computer system and selecting a sleep mode for the maintenance service component, wherein the sleep mode is selected from a list comprising an hourly time, a specified wait time, a day of a week, a date time and a daily time, the maintenance service component automatically rebooting the computer system to install updates to the executable programming code; and

a maintenance service editor component for configuring the maintenance service component to launch the predefined maintenance procedure after the specified time if there are updates to the executable programming code by launching a thread which launches an update executable code identified by a predefined path, the update executable code comprising the updates to be installed to the executable programming code, wherein the launching of the thread invokes a flag value being set to a first value to keep the thread from being launched again, and wherein the flag is set to a different value after the update executable code has been launched, and wherein the predefined maintenance procedure is launched according to a particular sleep method which causes the maintenance service component to launch at the specified time based on the set flag value and then subsequently go to sleep for a specified amount of time according to a specified launch schedule and sleep schedule.

22. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the maintenance service editor component enables the user to select a wait time for the maintenance service component to remain dormant.

23. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the maintenance service editor component can configure the maintenance service component locally on the computer system or remotely from another computer system in the computer network.

24. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the maintenance uptime component displays a message to a user requesting reboot of the computer system.

25. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the maintenance uptime component prevents an automatic reboot of a designated computer system operating a computer program that cannot be interrupted for updates to the executable programming code.

26. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the maintenance service editor component enables the user to select an iterative mode for the maintenance service component.

27. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 26 wherein the iterative mode enables the maintenance service component to awake each hour following a specified wait time to determine if there is a new maintenance procedure to launch.

28. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 21 wherein the created set of values includes a sleep mode value, the unique executable code name, and a path to the executable code to launch.

29. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 28 wherein the sleep mode value is a numeric value that corresponds to a sleep mode selected from a list comprising hourly, a specified wait, a day of week, a date time and daily.

30. The system for managing updates to executable programming code of claim 28 wherein the created set of values further includes at least one parameter to pass to the executable code to launch.