SOLUTION FOR LOCALLY STAGED ELECTRONIC SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION USING SECURE REMOVABLE MEDIA

• US 20090185690A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vuozzo, Michael L., Herrero, Victor R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/278
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product, are provided for creating a Removable Installation Kit (“RIK”) for locally staged electronic software distribution on a user system. The method includes selecting at least one software package from a list of software packages on a software distribution server. A set of data elements is created that is associated with an RIK to be created using the at least one software package. The set of data elements is stored at the software distribution server. A temporary copy of the at least one software package that has been selected is stored. The RIK is created by placing at least the software package that has been selected and a unique identifier associated with the RIK on at least one removable storage medium.

Claims

1. A method, with an information processing system, for creating a Removable Installation Kit (“

RIK”

) for locally staged electronic software distribution on an end-user system, the method comprising;

selecting at least one software package from a list of software packages on a software distribution server;

creating a set of data elements associated with an RIK to be created using the at least one software package that has been selected;

storing the set of data elements at the software distribution server;

storing a temporary copy of the at least one software package that has been selected; and

creating the RIK by placing the at least one software package that has been selected and a unique identifier associated with the RIK on at least one removable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating a set of data elements further comprises at least one of:

creating the unique identifier associated with the RIK;

generating an encryption key;

generating a decryption key; and

specifying a size of the at least one removable medium including the at least one software package.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting, using an encryption key, each source directory associated with the at least one software package that has been stored locally.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a set of images associated with the at least one software package based on a size value associated with the at least one removable medium, wherein the set of images includes directory structures for creating the RIK on the at least one removable medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one removable medium comprises at least one of:

a Compact Disc;

a Digital Video Disk;

a flash drive; and

a portable hard drive.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the RIK further comprises:

storing mapping information within the RIK that indicates a specific removable media associated with the at least one software package.

7. A method, with a software distribution server comprising an electronic software distribution environment for performing a locally staged software installation using a Removable Installation Kit (“

RIK”

), the method comprising;

receiving from a user system a request for installing at least one software package in an RIK;

receiving from the user system a unique identifier associated with the RIK;

presenting, in response to receiving the unique identifier, a set of candidate software packages to the user system;

determining that the user system has initiated an installation operation; and

loading, in response to the determining, a remote installation client onto user system

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is located on a removable medium associated with the RIK.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending a decryption key to the remote installation client for decrypting the at least one software package in the RIK.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a removable medium from a package-image map associated with the RIK, wherein the package-image map provides a mapping of at least one software package to at least one removable medium associated with the RIK; and

prompting, in response to the identifying, the user system to insert the removable medium that has been identified into a drive capable of reading the removable medium.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the user system has inserted an incorrect removable medium into the drive; and

prompting the user system to insert the removable medium associated with the RIK in to the drive.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the presenting further comprises:

identifying, in response to the receiving the unique identifier, a set of software packages from the set of candidate software packages associated with the RIK.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the presenting further comprises:

determining at least one software package in the set of software packages has been one of updated and deleted; and

removing, in response to the determining that at least one software package in the set of software packages has been one of updated and deleted, the at least one software package that has been one of updated and deleted from the set of software packages.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the presenting further comprises:

determining if any software package in the set of software packages that has been identified fails to be associated with an entitlement policy associated with the user system; and

removing, in response to determining that at least one software package in the set of software packages that has been identified fails to be associated with the entitlement policy associated with the user system, the at least one software package from the set of candidate software packages.

15. An information processing system for creating a Removable Installation Kit (“

RIK”

) for locally staged electronic software distribution on a user system, the information processing system comprising;

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

an RIK creation module adapted to;

select at least one software package from a list of software packages on a software distribution server;

create a set of data elements associated with an RIK to be created using the at least one software package that has been selected;

store the set of data elements at the software distribution server;

store a temporary copy of the at least one software package that has been selected; and

create the RIK by placing the at least one software package that has been selected and a unique identifier associated with the RIK on at least one removable medium.

16. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the RIK creation module is further adapted to create a set of data elements by at least one of:

creating the unique identifier associated with the RIK;

generating an encryption key;

generating a decryption key; and

specifying a size of the at least one removable medium including the at least one software package.

17. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the RIK creation module is further adapted to:

encrypt, using an encryption key, each source directory associated with the at least one software package that has been stored locally.

18. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the RIK creation module is further adapted to:

create a set of images associated with the at least one software package based on a size value associated with the at least one removable medium, wherein the set of images includes directory structures for creating the RIK on the at least one removable medium.

19. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one removable medium comprises at least one of:

a Compact Disc;

a Digital Video Disk;

a flash drive; and

a portable hard drive.

20. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the creating the RIK further comprises:

storing mapping information within the RIK that identifies one or more specific removable media associated with the at least one software package.