Methods, devices, and products for providing access to system-administration functions of a computer or related resources

A device comprising:

• at least one processor to execute software;
• a storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor from which the processor reads at least a portion of the software for execution thereby;
• wherein the software comprises a system administration application, the system administration application comprising a plurality of user-interface modules;
• wherein the system administration application is operable to cause the processor to display a shared user-interface object therefor;
• wherein each of the user-interface modules is operable to cause the processor to automatically update a block of content with current information received from at least one resource and display the updated block of content in the shared user-interface object;
• and
• wherein the system administration application is operable to cause the processor to execute software operable to perform a system administration task associated with at least one block of content displayed in the shared user-interface object in response to user input received when the at least block of content is displayed in the shared user-interface object.

A program product comprising a processor-readable medium on which program instructions are embodied, wherein the program instructions are operable, when executed by at least one programmable processor included in a device, to cause the device to:

• automatically receive information from a heterogonous group of resources related to the device, wherein the resources comprise operating system software, application software, and product offerings;
• and
• display a shared user-interface object that is used to display content associated with the resources;
• and
• wherein the shared user-interface object is used to display content indicative of a system administration task and wherein the program instructions are operable, when executed by the at least one programmable processor included in the device, to cause the device to execute software that is operable to perform the system administration task when predetermined user input associated with content is received;
• and
• wherein the shared user-interface object is used to display content associated with product offerings.

A method comprising:

• automatically receiving information related to a heterogeneous group of resources associated with a computing device;
• displaying a shared user-interface object that is used to display content associated with a plurality of the resources associated with the computing device, wherein at least some of the content is indicative of a system administration task to be performed and wherein at least some of the content is derived from at least some of the information;
• causing the system administration task to be performed when predetermined user input associated with the at least some content is received;
• monitoring at least one of:
• interactions of a user with the shared user-interface object, operation of the computing device, and use of the heterogeneous group of resources by the computing device, wherein monitoring information is generated by the monitoring;
• and
• communicating at least some of the monitoring information to at least one of the resources associated with the computing device for use in generating information to be communicated to the computing device that is derived from the at least some of the monitoring information.

A system for presenting a user interface for a local program executing on a computing device, the system comprising:

• at least one remote server to supply a web page;
• and
• a computing device operable to execute the local program and a browser, the computing device communicatively coupled to the remote server;
• wherein the computing device is operable execute the local program outside of an environment associated with the browser;
• wherein the remote server is operable to supply the web page to the browser;
• and
• wherein a portion of the web page is operable to display the user interface for the local program in the browser.

A method for presenting a user interface for a local program executing on a computing device, the method comprising:

• accessing a web portal using a browser executing on the computing device;
• receiving, at the browser, a web portal page for the web portal, wherein a portion of the web portal page is operable to display the user interface for the local program in the browser;
• communicating information from the local program executing on the computing device to the browser;
• and
• updating the portion of the web portal page that is operable to display the user interface for the local program in the browser using at least a portion of the information communicated to the browser from the local program;
• wherein the local program executes on the computing device outside of an environment associated with the browser.