Installing a solution

• US 7,925,621 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jha, Rajesh J., Yiu, Kelvin S., Barac, Dragos, Narendran, Arungundram, Sikchi, Prakash, Pavlicic, Miladin
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US12/021,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/203, 707/609, 707/705, 707/999.001, 717/100, 717/101, 717/121, 715/513
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Tool(s) enabling installation of a solution are described. These tool(s) may follow appropriate security precautions to contain possibly dangerous code in a data file'"'"'s solution even when the solution is installed from a local source, such as when a user is offline. These tool(s) determine what level of security is appropriate for a data file'"'"'s solution based on the original source of the solution. The tool(s) may also and/or instead enable a user to edit a data file without the user having to discover or deploy a solution application governing the data file.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computer comprising:

determining a solution'"'"'s origin;

determining security precautions for executing the solution based on the solution'"'"'s origin; and

silently installing the solution from a source other than the solution'"'"'s origin within a sandbox enforcing the security precautions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the solution'"'"'s origin includes reading a solution identifier from a data file governed by the solution.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the solution identifier is read from a processing instruction.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the solution identifier is a URL or a URN.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining security precautions based on the solution'"'"'s origin includes a high level of security precautions when the solution'"'"'s origin is a remote server accessed through a global internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining security precautions based on the solution'"'"'s origin includes a low level of security precautions when the solution'"'"'s origin is a locally-accessible memory source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining security precautions based on the solution'"'"'s origin includes a moderate level of security precautions when the solution'"'"'s origin is a remote server accessed through an intranet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the source other than the solution'"'"'s origin is a local memory source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed without user interaction.

10. A method implemented at least in part by a computer comprising:

receiving input to open a data file having a solution;

discovering, without user interaction, the solution in an offline memory source;

deploying, without user interaction, the solution; and

opening the data file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the deploying is within a sandbox enforcing security precautions, the security precautions determined based on the origin of the solution.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein discovering the solution includes discovering a solution identifier in the data file, computing a special name from the solution identifier, and discovering the solution using the special name.

13. A method implemented at least in part by a computer comprising:

receiving input to open a data file having a solution;

discovering, without user interaction, the solution in an offline memory source;

deploying, without user interaction, the solution;

opening the data file effective to enable a user to edit the data file; and

prior to receiving the input to open the data file;

downloading the solution from an online memory source into the offline memory source.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising, prior to deploying the solution:

updating the solution discovered in the offline memory source with a newer solution.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data file is written in XML.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the solution includes a presentation application written in XSLT.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein opening the data file is performed with the solution and produces an electronic form written in XHTML.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of deploying the solution deploys the solution within a sandbox providing security based on the solution'"'"'s origin.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of opening the data file effective to enable the user to edit the data file comprises receiving information entered into an electronic form representation of the data file and altering the data file to reflect the information entered into the electronic form.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the acts of deploying the solution and opening the data file are effective to display an electronic form representing a product of the solution and the data file.