US 7,254,631 B2 · Method and system for distributing software features to a computer

Abstract

A method (300) of distributing software features (particularly software products having a global portion and a user portion necessary for activating the software products) to client workstations of a network; each client workstation has a multi-user operating system, and may be accessed (327-328) with different user profiles each one associated with a corresponding operating context. A distribution package is received (312) in the client workstation; the distribution package includes instructions associated with global activities for the client workstation as a whole or with user activities specific for the single profiles. A distribution agent (running outside the context of a current profile) executes (309-329) only the global activity (even if the workstation is in a logoff condition) and schedules the user activities to be performed when a user next logs onto the workstation. A user agent loaded (330) when the workstation is accessed with a selected profile executes (333-339) the user activities in the corresponding context.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of distributing software features to a computer being accessible with a plurality of different user profiles each one associated with a corresponding operating context, the method including the steps of:

providing a distribution package including at least one item indicative of an activity for enforcing a corresponding software feature on the computer, at least one activity being defined as a user activity associated with at least one user profile,
storing an indication of the at least one user activity on the computer,
accessing the computer with a current user profile, and
retrieving and executing each user activity associated with the current user profile in the corresponding operating context, wherein each software feature includes a global portion and a user portion necessary in each context for activating the software feature, a corresponding item being indicative of the global activity of enforcing the global portion and a further corresponding item being indicative of the user activity of enforcing the user portion of each associated user profile.

1 more element

A system for distributing software features to a computer being accessible with a plurality of different user profiles each one associated with a corresponding operating context, the system including means for providing a distribution package including at least one item indicative of an activity for enforcing a corresponding software feature on the computer, at least one activity being defined as a user activity associated with at least one user profile, means for storing an indication of the at least one user activity on the computer, means for accessing the computer with a current user profile, and means for retrieving and executing each user activity associated with the current user profile in the corresponding operating context, wherein each software feature includes a global portion and a user portion necessary in each context for activating the software feature, a corresponding item being indicative of the global activity of enforcing the global portion and a further corresponding item being indicative of the user activity of enforcing the user portion of each associated user profile.

An apparatus for distributing software features to a workstation, wherein the workstation is accessible by using one of a plurality of user profiles associated with the workstation, and wherein the user profiles have associated operating context for defining an execution environment of the workstation;

comprising:
a logon module that controls access to the workstation to thereby initiate an operating context for a current user profile;
a network interface for receiving, from a provider of a software distribution package, a software distribution package that includes a list of items for enforcing a software feature on the workstation, each item having a first field which defines an activity consisting of one or more instructions to be carried out for reaching a desired software configuration, a second field that defines the activity as a global or user activity, and one or more files for enforcing the software feature;
a distribution agent that runs outside any operating context associated with user profiles of the plurality of user profiles;
a global catalogue module, controlled by the distribution agent, which specifies global portions of each software feature that have been installed on and removed from the workstation;
a user agent that performs services in the operating contexts associated with the plurality of user profiles;
a user catalogue module, controlled by the user agent, which specifies information on a status of each software feature in each of the operating contexts associated with the plurality of user profiles;
an authorization list module that includes a series of records each having a first field identifying a software feature, a second field identifying one or more user profiles allowed to have this software feature enforced, wherein:
the distribution agent, in response to receiving a software package via the network interface, executes all the actions of the software package identified as global actions and updates a status of corresponding software features in the global catalogue module;
the user agent, in response to an initiation of the operating context associated with the current user profile, retrieves status information for a software feature from the global catalogue module, determines if the current user profile is allowed to have this software feature enforce, and extracts status information from the user catalogue module for the software feature if the software feature is allowed to be enforced for the current user profile;
the user agent compares the status information from the global catalogue module to the status information from the user catalogue module and determines if any further action is necessary to enforce the software feature for the current user profile;
the user agent retrieves the instructions needed for enforcing the software feature for the current user profile if further action is determined to be necessary;
and
the user agent executes the retrieved instructions to thereby enforce the software feature for the current user profile and updates status information for the software feature in the user catalogue module.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for distributing software features to a computer

Life of this patent

Method and system for distributing software features to a computer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20