Method and apparatus to manage network client logon scripts using a graphical management and administration tool

• US 6,871,221 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ScriptLogic Corporation (Quest Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Styles, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/489,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A GUI (Graphical User Interface) Manager is used by a network administrator to fill-in predefined templates. The administrator does not need to compile, debug or write a single line of scripting code. The GUI manager has a “select the box” and “point and click” and “fill-in the blank” approach for selecting computer settings. The predefined configuration and/or template(s) are used by a logon script program on a client system to manage the configuration of resources on at least one client. There are three levels of resources that can be managed. The first type of resource is an operating system. The second type of resource is an application resource. And the third type of resource is to redirect a resource on the client to a resource on a network such as a drive letter mapping. Resources include configurations from the group of configuration settings consisting of drive mappings, shell folders, printer deployment, proxy server access, application paths, service packs, anti-virus updates, policies and automatic mail profile creation. In another embodiment, validation logic is used on the clients'"'"' system during the execution of an application program that takes the template and applies the defined configuration settings in the template to the clients'"'"' system so as to automatically configure at least one configuration setting for a user if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, a selected operating system and a selected connection method are met. In still another embodiment, an interpretive engine is used on the client'"'"'s system to permit the administration of client resources with a template while also allowing network administrators to build their own custom logon scripts.

Claims

1. A method in a client-server environment, to manage a configuration of resources on at least one client, the method on a client system comprising:

receiving a set of one or more configuration files from a server, over a previously configured network interface, the set of configuration files are identical to the set of configuration files received by other client systems attached to the server, and wherein the set configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings, wherein the configuration files were previously built through use of a graphical interface, and without the need to create client specific text edit logon scripts; and

in response to the user logging on and authenticated to the server, executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for a user on the client system, zero or more configuration settings, wherein the application program excutes so as to validates at least one of the configuration settings in the configuration based on logon authentication and validates one or more of run-time environmental variables of the client system, the variables consisting of at least one of (i) an IP subnet address, (ii) a LAN group membership, and (iii) at least one registry entry, before applying the configurations settings to the client system, and wherein the application executes after the client system boots-up, loads an operating system and before an operating system shell is presented to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving set of one or more configuration files includes receiving set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configurations from the group of configuration settings consisting of drive mappings, shell folders, printer deployment, proxy server access, application paths, service packs, anti-virus updates, policies and automatic mail profile creation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a set of one or more configuration files includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings for the operating system running on the client system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a set of one or more configuration files includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings for an application running on the client system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a set of one or more configuration files includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings for redirecting a resource on the client to a resource on a network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving a set of one or more configuration files-includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files from a server system.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

executing a interpretative engine that interprets the application program as source programming language; and

wherein the step of executing an application program includes executing an application program on the interpretative engine.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a custom application script on a computer readable medium, the custom application script in a source programming that is interpreted by the interpretative engine; and

wherein the step executing an application program includes executing an application program along with the custom application script so as to automatically configure for at least one user, at least one configuration setting.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the executing an application program includes executing the custom application script prior to the execution of the application program so as to cause the application program to alter at least one configuration setting differently then if the application program was executed after the custom application script.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the executing an application program includes executing the custom application script after the execution of the application program so as to cause the application program to alter at least one configuration setting differently then if the application program was executed prior to the custom application script.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the operating system running on the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to an application running on the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to redirect a resource on the client to a resource on a network so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

15. A method in a client-server environment, to manage a configuration of resources on at least one client, the method on a server system comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface to a user containing user selectable items representing one or more configuration settings for at least one user on at least one client system and wherein the settings are customized without the need to create client specific text edit logon scripts;

receiving one or more user selections on the graphical user interface;

storing the one or more user selections in a set of one or more configuration files so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting, wherein the set of configuration files are identical to configuration files received by other client systems attached to a server; and

transferring the the set of one or more configuration files from the server over a previously configured network interface to the client system so at to cause an application program to take the set of one or more configuration files and apply at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for the user on the client system, at least one configuration setting, wherein the application program is loaded and validates at least one of the configuration settings based on logon authentication and validates one or more run-time environmental variables of the client system, the variables consisting of an IP subnet address, a LAN group membership, and a registry entry, before applying the configurations settings to the client system, and wherein the application executes after the client system boots-up, loads an operating system and before an operating system shell is presented to the user.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving one or more selections includes receiving one or more configuration settings from the group of configuration settings consisting of drive mappings, shell folders, printer deployment, proxy server access, application paths, service packs, anti-virus updates, policies and automatic mail profile creation.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transferring a configuration includes transferring a configuration containing one or more defined configuration settings for the operating system running on the client system.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transferring a configuration includes transferring a configuration containing one or more defined configuration settings for an application running on the client system.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transferring a configuration includes transferring a configuration containing one or more defined configuration settings for redirecting a resource on the client to a resource on a network.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transferring set of one or more configuration files the configuration includes transferring the set of one or more configuration files configuration to at least one client system so as to cause an application program to take the set of one or more configuration files and apply at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the transferring the set of one or more configuration files includes transferring the set of one or more configuration files to at least one client system so at to cause an application program to take the set of one or more configuration files and apply at least one of the defined configuration settings to an operating system running on the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the transferring the set of one or more configuration files includes transferring set of one or more configuration files to at least one client system so at to cause an application program to take the set of one or more configuration files and apply at least one of the defined configuration settings to an application running on the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for a selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the transferring the set of one or more configuration files includes transferring the set of one or more configuration files to at least one client system so at to cause an application program to take the set of one or more configuration files and apply at least one of the defined configuration settings to redirect a resource on the client to a resource on a network so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

24. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions on a client system in a client-server environment, the programming instructions for managing a configuration of resources on at least one client, the computer readable medium comprising the instructions of:

receiving a set of one or more configuration files from a server, over a previously configured network interface, the set of configuration files are identical to configuration files received by other client systems attached;

to the server, and wherein the set configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings, wherein the configuration files were previously built through use of a graphical interface, and without the need to create client specific text edit logon scripts; and

in response to the user logging on and authenticated to the server, executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for a user on the client system, zero or more configuration settings, wherein the application program executes so as to validates at least one of the configuration settings in the configuration based on logon authentication and validates one or more of run-time environmental variables of the client system, the variables consisting of at least one of (i) an IP subnet address, (ii) a LAN group membership, and (iii) at least one registry entry, before applying the configurations settings to the client system, and wherein the application executes after the client system boots-up, loads an operating system and before an operating system shell is presented to the user.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the programming instruction of receiving a set of one or more configuration files includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configurations from the group of configuration settings consisting of drive mappings, shell folders, printer deployment, proxy server access, application paths, service packs, anti-virus updates, policies and automatic mail profile creation.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the programming instruction of executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.

27. A client system to manage the configuration of at resource in a client-server environment comprising:

means for receiving a set of one or more configuration files from a server, over a previously configured network interface, the set of configuration files are identical to configuration files received by other client systems attached to the server, and wherein the set configuration files containing one or more defined configuration settings, wherein the configuration files were previously built through use of a graphical interface, and without the need to create client specific text edit logon scripts; and

in response to the user logging on and authenticated to the server, means for executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for a user on the client system, zero or more configuration settings, wherein the application program executes so as to validates at least one of the configuration settings in the configuration based on logon authentication and validates one or more of run-time environmental variables of the client system, the variables consisting of at least one of (i) an IP subnet address, (ii) a LAN group membership, and (iii) at least one registry entry, before applying the configurations settings to the client system, and wherein the application executes after the client system boots-up, loads an operating system and before an operating system shell is presented to the user.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the means for receiving a configuration includes receiving a set of one or more configuration files containing one or more defined configurations from the group of configuration settings consisting of drive mappings, shell folders, printer deployment, proxy server access, application paths, service packs, anti-virus updates, policies and automatic mail profile creation.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the means for executing an application program includes executing an application program that takes the set of one or more configuration files and applies at least one of the defined configuration settings to the client system so as to automatically configure for at least one user on the client system, at least one configuration setting if the combination of one or more predefined conditions for selected group, MAC address, user name, workstation name, TCP/IP address, host address, site, domain, operating system and connection method are met.