Techniques for automatic software provisioning

• US 8,701,102 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Appiah, Madan, Chandrasekaran, Subramanian
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T
• Application Number:
  US11/823,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090007091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Techniques to perform automatic software provisioning are described. An apparatus may comprise a provisioning database, a client provisioning module and a network interface. The provisioning server may be operative to store software update packages for different packet telephony devices. The client provisioning module may be operative to automatically provision packet telephony devices in response to provisioning requests from the packet telephony devices. For example, the client provisioning module may receive device configuration information for a packet telephony device, and retrieve a software update package from the provisioning database based on the device configuration information. The network interface may send the software update package to the packet telephony device on behalf of the client provisioning module. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a provisioning request by a provisioning server;

receiving device configuration information for a packet telephony device, the device configuration information received with the provisioning request;

analyzing, by the provisioning server, the received device configuration information in response to the provisioning request to determine whether the packet telephony device needs a software update;

determining to provide the software update for the packet telephony device based on the device configuration information, wherein the determination is in response to the provisioning request; and

sending a software update package from the provisioning server to the packet telephony device for installation on the packet telephony device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving device configuration information having type identification information and component version information for the packet telephony device.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving device configuration information having type identification information for the packet telephony device, the type identification information comprising a type identifier, a vendor identifier, a model identifier, a hardware revision identifier or a locale identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving device configuration information having component version information for the packet telephony device, the device configuration information comprising a file major version identifier, a file minor version identifier, a file build identifier or a file quick fix engineering identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising retrieving the software update package corresponding to a type identifier for the packet telephony device included with the device configuration information from a provisioning database.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the software update package from a publishing server by the provisioning server.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending the provisioning request to the provisioning server;

sending the device configuration information for the packet telephony device;

receiving the software update package by the packet telephony device; and

installing the software update package on the packet telephony device.

8. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive a provisioning request by a provisioning server;

receive device configuration information for a packet telephony device, the device configuration information received with the provisioning request;

analyze, by the provisioning server, the received device configuration information in response to the provisioning request to determine whether the packet telephony device needs a software update;

retrieve a software update package for the packet telephony device based on the device configuration information, wherein the retrieval is in response to the provisioning request; and

send the software update package from the provisioning server to the packet telephony device for installation on the packet telephony device.

9. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to determine whether to send a software update package to the packet telephony device based on the device configuration information.

10. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive device configuration information having type identification information and component version information for the packet telephony device.

11. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive device configuration information having type identification information for the packet telephony device, the type identification information comprising a type identifier, a vendor identifier, a model identifier, a hardware revision identifier or a locale identifier.

12. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive device configuration information having component version information for the packet telephony device, the device configuration information comprising a file major version identifier, a file minor version identifier, a file build identifier or a file quick fix engineering identifier.

13. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to retrieve the software update package corresponding to a type identifier for the packet telephony device included with the device configuration information from a provisioning database.

14. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to test and validate the software update package prior to sending the software update package from the provisioning server to the packet telephony device for installation on the packet telephony device.

15. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to

send the provisioning request to the provisioning server;

send the device configuration information for the packet telephony device;

receive the software update package by the packet telephony device; and

install the software update package on the packet telephony device.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a provisioning database to store software update packages for different packet telephony devices;

a client provisioning module communicatively coupled to the provisioning database, the client provisioning module operative to automatically provision packet telephony devices in response to provisioning requests from the packet telephony devices, the client provisioning module to receive with a provisioning request device configuration information for a packet telephony device, analyze the received device configuration information in response to the provisioning request to determine whether the packet telephony devices need a software update, and retrieve a software update package from the provisioning database based on the device configuration information, wherein the retrieval is in response to the provisioning request; and

a network interface communicatively coupled to the client provisioning module, the network interface to send the software update package to the packet telephony device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising an automatic update module having an update agent and an installer, the update agent to receive an update package from a publishing server, and the installer to install the update package in a provisioning database and notify an automatic update services module of the installation.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising an update package handler and an automatic update services module having an update listener, the update listener to receive notification of installation of an update package, and the update package handler to extract an update file from the update package and store in a provisioning database.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the device configuration information having type identification information for the packet telephony device, the type identification information comprising a type identifier, a vendor identifier, a model identifier, a hardware revision identifier or a locale identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the device configuration information having component version information for the packet telephony device, the device configuration information comprising a file major version identifier, a file minor version identifier, a file build identifier or a file quick fix engineering identifier.