Method for software program synchronization

• US 8,949,469 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2004
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gerdes, Martin, Holtmanns, Silke, Quinet, Raphael, Schuba, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Benoit, Esther
• Application Number:
  US11/573,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,825 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 705/59, 717/168
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method, devices, and a computer program for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device (D100) to a second device (D200) are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating (100) an application profile indicating one or more software programs on the first device (ID100) and indicating one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) from which said one or more software programs are obtainable, providing (200) the application profile to a synchronization manager (SM 100), identifying (300) by the synchronization manager (SM 100) the one or more software programs and the one or more software program providing nodes (SN100,SN200) according to the application profile, requesting (400) by the synchronization manager (SM 100) the one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) to transfer the one or more software programs, and transferring (500) the one or more software programs from the one or more software program providing nodes (SN 100,SN200) to the second device (D200).

Claims

1. Method for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device to a second device, comprising the steps of:

creating an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

providing the application profile to a synchronization manager;

the synchronization manager identifying both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification of the software program requiring a license, the synchronization manager;

requesting from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device;

requesting the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device;

authenticating a user of the second device as being the same as a user of the first device; and

transferring the software program requiring a license to the second device in response to the user of the second device being authenticated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application profile comprises

at least one software program name for indicating and identifying one or more software programs,

at least one node address for indicating and identifying one or more software program nodes.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application profile further comprises a version indicator for identifying and indicating at least one version of the software program.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a corresponding software program is transferred instead of or in addition to the software program according to the application profile as a result of analysis of the corresponding software program, the corresponding program being better suited for particularities of the second device than the software program.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses for indicating one or more license authorities to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

6. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of a selective charging for the transferred one or more software programs.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of creating the application profile is performed whenever a change of the one or more software programs on the first device occurs.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second devices use different operating systems.

8. A synchronization manager for synchronizing one or more software programs from a first device to a second device, wherein the synchronization manager comprises:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the synchronization manager to;

receive an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

identify both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification of the software program requiring a license;

request from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device; and

request the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device;

authenticate a user of the second device as being the same as a user of the first device; and

transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device in response to the user of the second device being authenticated.

9. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein the synchronization manager is adapted to process the application profile, which comprises

at least one software program name indicating one of the one or more software programs and

at least one node address indicating one of the one or more software program nodes for identifying the one or more software programs and the one or more software program nodes.

10. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein the synchronization manager is further adapted to process the application profile comprising at least one version indicator indicating at least one version of the one or more software programs for identifying the at least one version of the one or more software programs.

11. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein for at least a part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile one or more corresponding software programs exist and the synchronization manager is adapted to process the one or more corresponding software programs that are transferred instead of or in addition to said part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile as a result of an analysis of said part of the one or more software programs according to the application profile and the one or more corresponding software programs, the one or more corresponding programs being better suited for particularities of the second device than the one or more software programs.

12. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses for indicating one or more license authorities to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

13. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the synchronization manager to process and provide data for a selective charging of the transferred one or more software programs.

14. The synchronization manager according to claim 8, wherein the synchronization manager is operated on a server in a communications network.

15. A first device comprising a processor and an output unit, wherein the processor is adapted to create an application profile indicating one or more software programs on the first device and indicating one or more software program nodes from which said one or more software programs are obtainable, the application profile comprising at least one license indicator for indicating and identifying at least a part of the one or more software programs requiring a license, and to execute, for synchronization of the one or more software programs to a second device in dependence on the user of the second device being authenticated, a transfer of the application profile to at least one of

a synchronization manager,

the second device, and

an application profile storage node in a communications network.

16. The first device according to claim 15, wherein the application profile comprises one or more license authority addresses to be contacted for authorizing the transfer of the one or more respective software programs to the second device.

17. The first device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to create the application profile whenever a change of the one or more software programs on the first device occurs.

18. The first device according to claim 15, wherein for the transfer of the application profile

the processor is adapted to generate a message comprising the application profile and to send the message via the output unit for the transfer of the application profile, and

the processor is adapted to store the application profile on a non-transitory movable storage medium being removable from the output unit for the transfer of the application profile.

19. The first device according to claim 16, wherein the first device is further adapted to operate the synchronization manager wherein the synchronization manager comprises instructions adapted to perform the following operations when executed on the first device:

receive an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on the first device and on a software program node;

identify both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

responsive to the identification;

request from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device, the software program requiring a license;

request the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device.

20. A second device comprising an input unit and an output unit, wherein the second device is adapted to operate a synchronization manager, wherein the synchronization manager includes:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the synchronization manager to;

receive an application profile comprising a license indicator for indicating and identifying a software program requiring a license, the application profile indicating the software program on a first device and on a software program node;

provide the application profile to a synchronization manager;

identify both the software program and the software program node according to the application profile;

authenticate a user of the second device as being the same as a user of the first device; and

responsive to the identification of the software program;

request from a licensing authority an authorization of a transfer from the software program node to the second device; and

request the software program node to transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device; and

responsive to the user of the second device being authenticated;

transfer the software program requiring a license to the second device,

wherein the second device is adapted to receive the one or more software programs via the input unit.

21. The second device according to claim 20, wherein the synchronization manager is adapted to receive the application profile via the input unit from at least one of an application profile storage node in a communications network, the first device, and a non-transitory movable storage medium.