# US 2014/0195659 A1 · Managed execution and expiration of agent commands > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195659 A1 - Document ID: US20140195659A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/738,815 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Webroot Inc. - Applicants: Webroot Inc. - Inventors: Joseph Jaroch; Melvyn Morris - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195659A1 ## CPC - H04L 41/046: comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor - G06F 9/4843: {by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system} - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods and apparatus for managing the expiration and execution of commands sent from a remote system having administration functions to an agent residing on a computer system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving, at an agent, one or more commands, storing the one or more received commands, retrieving the one or more stored commands, and determining whether the one or more retrieved commands can be executed by comparing at least one time parameter associated with the agent to at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of evaluating one or more commands to be executed, the method comprising: receiving, at an agent, one or more commands; storing the one or more received commands; retrieving the one or more stored commands; and determining whether the one or more retrieved commands can be executed by comparing at least one time parameter associated with the agent to at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a duration of time that has elapsed since the agent has last contacted a remote system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is greater than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are discarded and are not executed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands and (ii) a second of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more retrieved commands is after the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands; (ii) a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands is before the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent; and (iii) a third of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more retrieved commands indicates that the one or more retrieved commands can be executed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are received from a remote system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are received from a remote system located in a cloud computing environment. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for evaluating one or more commands to be executed, the apparatus comprising: a computer-based system having an agent installed thereon, the agent arranged to receive one or more commands from a remote system, store the one or more commands received from the remote system, and execute the one or more commands received from the remote system; the agent further arranged to determine whether the one or more commands received from the remote system can be executed by comparing at least one time parameter associated with the agent to at least one time parameter associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a duration of time that has elapsed since the agent has last contacted the remote system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is greater than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system, and wherein the one or more commands received from the remote system are discarded and are not executed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system, and wherein the one or more commands received from the remote system are executed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more commands received from the remote system are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system; and (ii) a second of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system is after the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more commands received from the remote system are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system; (ii) a second of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system is before the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent; and (iii) a third of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more commands received from the remote system indicates that the one or more commands received from the remote system can be executed. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, encoded with processor readable instructions to perform a method for evaluating one or more commands for execution by an agent, the method comprising: receiving, at an agent, one or more commands; storing the one or more commands; retrieving the one or more stored commands; and determining whether the one or more retrieved commands can be executed by comparing at least one time parameter associated with the agent to at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a duration of time that has elapsed since the agent has last contacted a remote system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is greater than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are discarded and are not executed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands and (ii) a second of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more retrieved commands is after the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent comprises a current time, and wherein the one or more retrieved commands are executed when (i) the at least one time parameter associated with the agent is less than the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands; (ii) a second of the at least one time parameter associated with the one or more retrieved commands is before the second of the at least one time parameter associated with the agent; and (iii) a third of the at least one time parameters associated with the one or more retrieved commands indicates that the one or more retrieved commands can be executed.