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

• US 9,891,902 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• 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): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALINOWSKI, WALTER J
• Application Number:
  US15/146,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 726 27, 709220, 717173, 717174, 717178
• 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

In some examples, a client device receives, from a network-attached storage (NAS) system, installer code. Executing the installer code at the client device causes display of a user interface at the client device. Questions are presented in the user interface at the client device. Responsive to answers to the questions received in the user interface, the installer code executing at the client device installs a subset of software components relating to the NAS system the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

executing the installer code at the client device, wherein executing the installer code causes display of a user interface at the client device;

presenting, by the installer code, questions in the user interface at the client device;

responsive to answers to the questions received in the user interface, installing, by the installer code executing at the client device, a subset of software components relating to the NAS system on the client device;

selecting, by the installer code executing at the client device, a selected subset of administrative tasks based on the answers; and

executing, by the installer code executing at the client device, the selected subset of administrative tasks, the selected subset of administrative tasks comprising operations that change settings at the NAS system, wherein executing the selected subset of administrative tasks comprises setting up a user account at 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 device receiving the installer code from a web interface at the NAS system.

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises at least one selected from among:

(1) setting up a firewall port at the NAS system, (2) changing a security setting at the NAS system, or (3) setting up shared folders at the NAS system.

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

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

7. A client device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the at least one processor to receive, over a network from a network-attached storage (NAS) system, installer code;

the received installer code executable on the at least one processor to;

cause display of a user interface at the client device;

present questions in the user interface at the client device; and

responsive to answers to the questions received in the user interface,

select a subset of software components less than all software components relating to the NAS system on the client device stored on a storage medium,

install the selected subset of software components relating to the NAS system on the client device,

select a subset of administrative tasks responsive to the answers to the questions received in the user interface, and

execute the selected subset of administrative tasks that comprise operations that change settings at the NAS system, the selected subset of administrative tasks comprising setting up a user account at the NAS system.

8. The client device of claim 7, further comprising a web browser to download the installer code to the client device from a web interface of the NAS system.

9. The client device of claim 7, wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises setting up a firewall port at the NAS system.

10. The client device of claim 7, wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises changing a security setting at the NAS system.

11. The client device of claim 7, wherein the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises setting up shared folders at the NAS system.

12. The client device of claim 7, wherein the subset of software components comprises a control software component to manage the NAS system.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed cause a client device to:

receive, over a network from a network-attached storage (NAS) system, installer code;

execute the installer code at the client device, wherein executing the installer code causes display of a graphical user interface at the client device;

present, by the installer code, questions in the graphical user interface at the client device;

responsive to answers to the questions received in the graphical user interface, select, by the installer code from among software components stored on a storage medium, a subset of the software components relating to the NAS system;

install, by the installer code, the selected subset of software components on the client device;

select a subset of administrative tasks responsive to the answers to the questions received in the graphical user interface; and

execute the selected subset of administrative tasks that comprise operations that change settings at the NAS system, the selected subset of administrative tasks comprising setting up a user account at the NAS system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the client device to further:

submit first information relating to a user and the client device 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 client device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein executing the selected subset of administrative tasks further comprises at least one selected from among:

setting up a firewall port at the NAS system, changing a security setting at the NAS system, or setting up shared folders at the NAS system.