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| Summary / Description | This system describes a system for distributing software updates to multiple computers, determining required software for each client computer and monitor the installation process. |
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | 6151643 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | Network Associates Inc |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | 40 - 42 |
| URL | http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/... |
| Filing Date | June 7, 1996 |
| Additional Information | |
| Notes | |
Excerpt A system and method update client computers of various end users with software updates for software products installed on the client computers, the software products manufacturered by diverse, unrelated software vendors. The system includes a service provider computer system, a number of client computers and software vendor computer systems communicating on a common network. The service provider computer system stores in an update database information about the software updates of the diverse software vendors, identifying the software products for which software updates are available, their location on the network at the various software vendor computer systems, information for identifying in the client computers the software products stored thereon, and information for determining for such products, which have software updates available. Users of the client computers connect to the service provider computer and obtain a current version of portions of the database. The client computer determines that software products stored thereon, and using this information, determines from the database, which products have updates available, based on product name and release information for the installed products. The user selects updates for installation. The selected updates are downloaded from the software vendor computer systems and installed on the client computer. Payment for the software update and the service is mediated by the service provider computer. Authentication of the user ensures only registered users obtain software updates. Authentication of the software updates ensures that the software updates are virus free and uncorrupted. Changes to the client computer during installation are monitored and archived, allowing the updates to be subsequently removed by the user. |
A software maintenance system for managing a software distribution system for distributing a software package to one or more target machines, the software distribution system comprising a plurality of software distribution parts, wherein at least one of the software distribution parts is provided at each target machine for receiving the software package, the software management system comprising: a software maintenance server for receiving a software package for updating one or more target machines, the software maintenance server configured to: define at least target machines for download of the software package; and provide the software package to the software distribution system; and at least one software maintenance unit for each software distribution part for acting as an interface between the software maintenance server and each software distribution part, each software maintenance unit configured to control the respective software distribution part to achieve distribution of the software package to each target machine via the respective software distribution part.
| Relevance | - This system also describes a system for distributing software to multiple machines, - Each client is also installed with a software for receiving updates, - Server also handles the distribution of updates, - Client software also serves as the interface to the server |
A system according to claim 2, wherein the software maintenance server is configured to define the content of the software package in respect to one or more of the target machines.
| Relevance | The system also determine the required updates for each individual client. |
A system according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein each software maintenance unit is configured to manage installing of the components of the downloaded software package at the respective target machine.
| Relevance | A software component is installed at the client computer to manage the installation and download of the software updates. |
A system according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the software maintenance server configured to monitor the progress of the distribution of the software package by the software distribution system.
| Relevance | The server will also monitor whether the client actually gets the software update and installed the update properly. |
A system according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the software maintenance server configured to: define a plurality of tasks for the software distribution system to undertake so as to distribute and install the software package to the defined target machines; and control the software distribution system to undertake the plurality of tasks so as to achieve distribution and installation of the software package to each target machine.
| Relevance | The server can also issue specification for software update installation process which is of similar nature as the "tasks" mentioned in this claim. |
A software management system comprising: a software distribution system for distributing a software package to one or more target machines, the software distribution system comprising a plurality of software distribution parts, wherein at least one of the software distribution parts is provided at each target machine for receiving the software package; a software maintenance server for receiving a software package for updating one or more target machines, the software maintenance server configured to: define at least one target machine for download the software package; and provide the software package to the software distribution system; and at least one software maintenance unit for each software distribution part for acting as an interface between the software maintenance server and each software distribution part, each software maintenance unit configured to control the respective software distribution part to achieve distribution of the software package to each target machine via the respective software distribution part.
| Relevance | - This system also describes a system for distributing software to multiple machines, - Each client is also installed with a software for receiving updates, - Server also handles the distribution of updates, - Client software also serves as the interface to the server |
A system according to claim 8, wherein the software maintenance server is configured to provide the software package to the software distribution server for distribution to one or more software distribution clients according to the defined target machines under the control of the respective software maintenance units.
| Relevance | The software installed on the client computer will also make sure the update is and received and installed properly. |
A method of distributing a software package comprising a plurality of software components to one or more target machines comprising: receiving a software package for updating one or more target machines; defining at least target machines for download of the software package with a software maintenance system; providing the software package to a software distribution system comprised of a plurality of parts, wherein each part is used by one of a plurality of potential target machines for downloading of a given software package to the respective machine; controlling selected software distribution system parts with the software maintenance system to download the software package to a required one or more target machines.
| Relevance | - This system also describes a system for distributing software to multiple machines, - Each client is also installed with a software for receiving updates, - Server also handles the distribution of updates, - Client software also serves as the interface to the server |
A method according to claim 10, further comprising: defining a plurality of tasks for the software distribution system to undertake so as to distribute and install the software package to the defined target machines with the software maintenance system; and controlling the software distribution system parts with the software maintenance system to undertake the plurality of tasks so as to achieve distribution and installation of the software package to each target machine.
| Relevance | The server can also issue specification for software update installation process which is of similar nature as the "tasks" mentioned in this claim. |
A method according to either claim 10 or 11, wherein there is a software maintenance unit corresponding to each of the selected software distribution system parts and each software maintenance unit interfaces a software maintenance server to each software distribution part so as to control each software distribution part to achieve distribution of the software package to each target machine.
| Relevance | The software installed on the client computer acts as an interface to the update server and will also make sure the update is and received and installed properly. |
Logic embodied in a machine readable form comprising instructions to control a machine or machines to operate as a software maintenance system for managing a software distribution system for distributing a software package to one or more target machines, the software distribution system comprising a plurality of software distribution parts, wherein at least one of the software distribution parts is provided at each target machine for receiving the software package, the software maintenance system comprising: a software maintenance server for receiving a software package for updating one or more target machines, the software maintenance server is configured to: define at least target machines for download of the software package; and provide the software package to the software distribution system; and at least one software maintenance unit for each software distribution part for acting as an interface between the software maintenance server and each software distribution part, each software maintenance unit configured to control the respective software distribution part to achieve distribution of the software package to each target machines via the respective software distribution part.
| Relevance | The software can be compiled into object code and hence embodied in machine readable form. |
Logic embodied in a machine readable form comprising instructions to control a machine or machines to: receive a software package for updating one or more target machines; define at least target machines for download of the software package with a software maintenance system; provide the tasks and software package to a software distribution system comprised of a plurality of parts, wherein each part is used by one of a plurality of potential target machines for downloading of a given software package to the respective machine; control selected software distribution system parts with the software maintenance system to download the software package to a required one or more target machines.
| Relevance | The software can be compiled into object code and hence embodied in machine readable form. |
The logic of claim 13 or 14, wherein the logic is in the form of a computer program.
| Relevance | The software is a computer program. |
The logic of claim 13 or 14, wherein the logic is in the form of a data signal.
| Relevance | The software, when executed by the server computer or client computer, is in the form of a data signal. |
A software maintenance server for managing a software distribution system for distributing a software package to one or more target machines, the software distribution system comprising a plurality of software distribution parts, wherein at least one of the software distribution parts is provided at each target machine for receiving the software package, the software management server comprising: an interface for receiving a software package for updating one or more target machines, defining at least target machines for download of the software package, providing the software package to the software distribution system and communicating with each software distribution part through at least one software maintenance unit; a controller for controlling each software maintenance unit to in turn control the respective software distribution part to achieve distribution of the software package to a respective one of the one or more target machines via the respective software distribution part.
| Relevance | - This system also describes a system for distributing software to multiple machines, - Each client is also installed with a software for receiving updates, - Server also handles the distribution of updates, - Client software also serves as the interface to the server |
A software maintenance unit for controlling parts of a software distribution system for distributing a software package to one or more target machines, wherein at least one of the software distribution parts is provided at each target machine for receiving the software package, the software management unit being implemented on a target machine and comprising: a controller arranged to control a respective one of the software distribution parts; an interface to a software maintenance server and the software distribution part; wherein the controller is configured to be controlled by the software maintenance server so as to in turn control the software distribution part to achieve distribution of a software package to the target machine using the software distribution part to receive the software package at the target machine under the control of the software maintenance server.
| Relevance | - This system also describes a system for distributing software to multiple machines, - Each client is also installed with a software for receiving updates, - Server also handles the distribution of updates, - Client software also serves as the interface to the server |
United States