Layered architectures for remote dynamic administration of distributed client configurations

• US 9,026,623 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Kevin Kuan, Stillion, Cameron Dee, Srirangam, Vijaysundar R., Wu, Edward, Gorbet, David Paul Harris
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Farrukh
• Application Number:
  US12/024,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

This description provides tools related to layered architectures for remote dynamic administration of distributed client configurations. These tools provide methods that may include subscribing to have online configuration services remotely manage applications installed on client systems. The methods may also include receiving dynamically-updated lists from the online configuration services, with these lists including the installed applications. The methods may also receive configuration payloads that specify how to configure the installed applications, and may configure the installed applications based on these configuration payloads. The methods may also present user interfaces on the client systems, with the user interfaces including the configured applications. The tools also provide methods that may include receiving subscription information from the customer sites, with the subscription information indicating that the customer sites have subscribed to the online configuration services. The methods may also include sending the dynamically-updated lists and the configuration payloads to the customer sites.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

subscribing to have an online configuration service remotely manage at least one application that is installed on at least one client system;

updating at least one dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services based on the subscribing to have the online configuration service remotely manage the at least one application;

sending at least one authentication request to the online configuration service;

receiving at the at least one client system in response to the authentication request, the at least one dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services to which a customer site has subscribed to from the online configuration service, wherein the dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services indicates a representation of the at least one application;

updating at least one dynamically-updated configuration payload based on resolving an incompatibility between different services or applications installed on the at least one client system;

receiving at the at least one client system the at least one dynamically-updated configuration payload related to configuring the at least one application on the at least one client system with respect to a particular end-user;

configuring the at least one application based on the dynamically-updated configuration payload; and

presenting at least one user interface on the at least one client system, wherein the user interface includes a representation of the at least one configured application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input selecting the configured application, and further comprising launching the selected application in response to the user input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising subscribing to have the online configuration service remotely manage at least a further application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving at least one dynamically-updated list of applications includes receiving a list that is updated to incorporate at least the further application.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving at least a further configuration payload related to configuring at least the further application on the at least one client system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring at least the further application in response to receiving the further configuration payload.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting at least one user interface includes presenting a user interface that includes a representation of at least the further application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying to the at least one application at least one setting or at least one preference defined locally at the at least one client system.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

receiving, by a computing device, subscription information from at least one customer site, wherein the subscription information indicates that the at least one customer site has subscribed to have an online configuration service remotely manage at least one application installed at the at least one customer site;

updating, by the computing device, at least one dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services based on the indication of subscribing to have the online configuration service remotely manage the at least one application;

sending at least one authentication request to the online configuration service;

sending, by the computing device and in response to the authentication request, the dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services to the at least one customer site, wherein the dynamically-updated list of applications made available through services includes a list of services to which a customer site has subscribed to including a representation of the at least one application; and

sending, by the computing device, a configuration payload to the at least one customer site, wherein the configuration payload specifies how to configure the at least one application with respect to a particular end-user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, at least one authentication request from at least one client system located at the at least one customer site.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying, by the computing device, the at least one application to be managed at the at least one customer site in response to the authentication request.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, further subscription information from the at least one customer site, wherein the further subscription information indicates that the at least one customer site has subscribed to have the online configuration service remotely manage at least a further application installed at the at least one customer site.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending, by the computing device, a further dynamically-updated list of applications that includes a representation of the further application, and further comprising sending a further configuration payload to the at least one customer site, wherein the further configuration payload specifies how to configure at least the further application.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating, by the computing device, the configuration payload in response to at least one modification affecting the at least one application, and further comprising sending the updated configuration payload to the at least one customer site.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising filtering, by the computing device, a list of applications available to be managed by the online configuration service to select the at least one application installed at the at least one customer site.

16. A system for providing online configuration services for remotely managing at least one client system, the system comprising:

a first computing device configured to

maintain data representing a plurality of applications that the online configuration services may remotely manage on at least one customer site,

maintain data representing a plurality of configuration settings that correspond respectively to the plurality of applications and to

send configuration information that includes at least data representing the applications and data representing the configuration settings;

a second computing device configured to

receive the configuration information from the first computing device,

receive subscription information from at least one customer site, wherein the subscription information indicates that the at least one customer site has subscribed to have the online configuration services manage at least one application that is installed on at least one client system at the at least one customer site,

filter the data representing the applications to select from the at least one application of the plurality of applications that is installed on the at least one client system at the at least one customer site,

filter the data representing the configuration settings to select configuration settings that specify how to configure at least the one application on the at least one client system,

update at least one dynamically-updated configuration payload based on resolving an incompatibility between different services or applications installed on the at least one client system, and to communicate the at least one dynamically-updated configuration payload, including the filtered application data and at least the filtered configuration settings; and

the at least one client system configured to

receive the at least one dynamically-updated configuration payload from the second computing device,

configure the at least one application installed on the at least one client system with respect to a particular end-user, based on the dynamically-updated configuration payload, and to

present at least one user interface on the at least one client system, wherein the at least one user interface includes a representation of the at least one configured application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second computing device provides a server-side administration service for remotely managing at least the one application installed on the at least one client system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second computing device provides a client-side administration service for remotely managing at least the one application installed on the at least one client system.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one configuration database for storing at least the data representing the applications that the online configuration services may remotely manage the at least one customer site, the data representing the plurality of configuration settings that correspond respectively to the plurality of applications, and the subscription data.