Method for combined unicast/multicast software transmission
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting software from a central computer to at least two further computers, the method comprising the following steps:
- interconnecting the central computer and the at least two further computers with a communication link for data transmission;
setting up a unicast connection from the central computer to the at least two further computers and, with the central computer, requesting properties from the at least two further computers, the at least two further computers sending their properties to the central computer;
setting up an additional, simultaneously available multicast channel to the at least two further computers according to said properties sent to the central computer by the at least two further computers;
transmitting parts of the software that are the same for the at least two further computers and, therefore, being suitable for multicast transmission, from the central computer to the at least two further computers having been identified as having multicast capability using the multicast channel, wherein each of the at least two further computers has a respective maximum supported block size;
setting a maximum block size to a minimum block size determined between each respective maximum supported block size;
dividing the software into blocks according to the set maximum block size; and
transmitting parts of the software that are individualized for at least some of the at least two further computers and, therefore, are not suitable for multicast transmission, from the central computer to the at least two further computers using the unicast channel in parallel with the transmitting step of the multicast transmission, wherein the transmission is performed block by block based on the divided software blocks.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for transmitting software from a central computer to at least two further computers, includes connecting the central computer and the at least two further computers with a communication link for data transmission. The central computer sets up a connection to the at least two further computers and requests properties of the at least two further computers. The central computer transmits to the at least two further computers, which have been identified as having multicast capability, those parts of the software which are suitable for multicast transmission. The central computer sets up a unicast connection to the at least two further computers for those parts of the software not suitable for multicast transmission.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting software from a central computer to at least two further computers, the method comprising the following steps:
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interconnecting the central computer and the at least two further computers with a communication link for data transmission; setting up a unicast connection from the central computer to the at least two further computers and, with the central computer, requesting properties from the at least two further computers, the at least two further computers sending their properties to the central computer;
setting up an additional, simultaneously available multicast channel to the at least two further computers according to said properties sent to the central computer by the at least two further computers;transmitting parts of the software that are the same for the at least two further computers and, therefore, being suitable for multicast transmission, from the central computer to the at least two further computers having been identified as having multicast capability using the multicast channel, wherein each of the at least two further computers has a respective maximum supported block size; setting a maximum block size to a minimum block size determined between each respective maximum supported block size; dividing the software into blocks according to the set maximum block size; and transmitting parts of the software that are individualized for at least some of the at least two further computers and, therefore, are not suitable for multicast transmission, from the central computer to the at least two further computers using the unicast channel in parallel with the transmitting step of the multicast transmission, wherein the transmission is performed block by block based on the divided software blocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification