Performing administrative tasks associated with a network-attached storage system at a client

• US 9,354,853 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McJilton, Charles Martin, Cesario, Paul Michael, Haines, Matthew D., Peterson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Nalven, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALINOWSKI, WALTER J
• Application Number:
  US13/002,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• 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

Installer code is received from a network attached storage (NAS) system at a client device. The installer code executing at the client device performs a selected subset of administrative tasks at the client device, where the administrative tasks are tasks associated with the NAS system. The selected subset of administrative tasks includes installing a backup software component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a network-attached storage (NAS) system, installer code at a client device; and

performing, by the installer code executing at the client device, a selected subset of administrative tasks at the client device, wherein the administrative tasks are tasks associated with the NAS system, wherein performing the selected subset of administrative tasks comprises installing a subset of software components relating to the NAS system on the client device, and wherein installing the subset of the software components on the client device comprises installing a backup software component to perform file backup from the client device to the NAS system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the installer code at the client device comprises a web browser at the client receiving the installer code from a web interface at the NAS system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises setting up a user account at the NAS system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the subset of the software components further comprises installing a control software component to manage the NAS system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises at least one of:

(1) setting up one or more firewall ports at the NAS system, and (2) changing a security setting at the NAS system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the installer code comprises receiving one of an ActiveX code and a Java applet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the selected subset of administrative tasks comprises synchronizing user information from the client device to the NAS system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the installer code executing at the client device, a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents questions to a user;

receiving, through the GUI, answers to the questions;

wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks is based on the answers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the installer code comprises receiving the installer code over a network from the NAS system.

10. A client device comprising:

at least one processor to;

receive, from a network-attached storage (NAS) device coupled over a network to the client device, executable installer code;

execute the received executable installer code in the client device to perform a selected subset of administrative tasks relating to the NAS device, the selected subset of administrative tasks including downloading a backup software component over the network to the client device, and installing the backup software component at the client device; and

perform file backup from the client device to the NAS device by executing the backup software component at the client device.

11. The client device of claim 10, further comprising a web browser, and wherein the web browser is configured to download the executable installer code to the client device.

12. The client device of claim 11, wherein the web browser is configured to access a web interface of the NAS system to download the executable installer code.

13. The client device of claim 10, wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks performed by the executable installer code executing at the client device further comprises installation of NAS-related software components on the client device.

14. The client device of claim 10, wherein execution of the executable installer code at the client device causes:

presenting of a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes questions to a user;

receiving, through the GUI, answers to the questions,

wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks is based on the answers.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a computer to:

send a request over to a network to a network-attached storage (NAS) device, wherein the NAS device contains executable installer code;

download the executable installer code from the NAS device to the computer;

execute the downloaded executable installer code to perform a selected subset of administrative tasks related to the NAS system, wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks includes downloading, over the network, a backup software component and installing the backup software component at the computer; and

perform software file backup from the computer to the NAS device by executing the backup software component to perform the file backup.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer to further:

submit first information relating to a user and the computer to the NAS system; and

receive second information based on the first information regarding tasks recommended by the NAS system to be performed at the computer.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the executable installer code is downloaded from the NAS device over a network to the computer.