Application programming interface for identifying, downloading and installing applicable software updates

• US 20060212865A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chow, Chung Yiu, Showman, Kenneth A., Vincent, Joshuah, Kumar, Korukonda Naveen
• Granted Patent: US 7,987,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

An application programming interface (API) provides a set of functions for application developers to build software programs that automatically detect, download, and install desired software updates.

Claims

1. A software architecture for a distributed computing system comprising:

a program configured to access software updates existing in the distributed computing system; and

an application programming interface to present functions used by the application to access the software updates.

2. The software architecture in claim 1, wherein the distributed computing system comprises one or more client devices and one or more server devices that handle a request from a client device for accessing the software updates.

3. The software architecture of claim 1, wherein the application programming interface includes a first group of services related to searching, downloading, and installing software updates.

4. The software architecture of claim 3, wherein the first group of services includes:

a group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria;

a group of services related to downloading one or more of the software updates; and

a group of services related to installing one or more of the downloaded software updates.

5. The software architecture of claim 4, wherein the group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria provides services for an item selected from the group consisting of:

history of a software update;

a software update;

a category of a software update, and

an exception generated for a software update.

6. The software architecture of claim 3, wherein the application programming interface further includes a second group of services related to automatic installation of software updates.

7. The software architecture of claim 3, wherein the application programming interface further includes a third group of services related to providing data about a client device that requests access to software updates.

8. An application programming interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising a first group of services related to searching, downloading, and installing software updates.

9. The application programming interface of claim 8, wherein the first group of services includes:

a group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria;

a group of services related to downloading one or more of the software updates; and

a group of services related to installing one or more of the downloaded software updates.

10. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria provides services for an item selected from the group consisting of:

history of a software update;

a software update;

a category of a software update, and

an exception generated for a software update.

11. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the group of services related to installing one or more of the downloaded software updates further includes services related to un-installing one or more of the downloaded software updates that have been previously installed.

12. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the first group of services further includes a group of services related to accessing software updates on the Internet.

13. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the application programming interface further includes a second group of services related to automatic installation of software updates.

14. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the application programming interface further includes a third group of services related to providing data about a client device that requests one or more software updates.

15. The application programming interface of claim 9, wherein the application programming interface further includes a fourth group of services related to providing information about one or more services through which a software program accesses available software updates.

16. A computing system including at least one data processor and at least one software program, the software program utilizing an application programming interface to access software updates, the application programming interface including separate commands to request a first group of services related to searching, downloading, and installing software updates.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the first group of services includes:

a group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria;

a group of services related to downloading one or more of the software updates; and

a group of services related to installing one or more of the downloaded software updates.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein the group of services related to searching software updates that meet one or more criteria provides services for an item selected from the group consisting of:

history of a software update;

a software update;

a category of a software update, and

an exception generated for a software update.

19. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the application programming interface further includes separate commands to request services related to automatic installation of software updates.

20. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the application programming interface further includes separate commands to request services related to providing data about a client device that requests one or more software updates.