CN1441374A - Configuration and management systems for mobile and embedded devices - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a configuration and management system for mobile and embedded devices, the system comprising a client proxy server implemented independently of the client device. The client proxy server is configured to communicate with the client device and simulate a full-function client computer representing the client device.

Description

Configuration and management systems for mobile and embedded devices

related application

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 60/338777, filed December 5, 2001, by Craig C. Marl et al., entitled "Configuration & Management System for Mobile & Embedded Devices."

technical field

The present application relates to a configuration management system, and more particularly to the use of such a system with limited resources and/or incompatible client devices.

Background technique

Computers have become an integral part of the workplace. In many organizations, nearly every employee uses at least one computer. Consequently, large corporations typically operate and maintain very large numbers of computers. In these companies, it is important to automate piecemeal maintenance tasks as much as possible.

Fortunately, local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) have also become common, allowing individual computers within an organization to take advantage of centrally provided computer services such as user identification, file sharing, e-mail, and various other type of service.

A configuration management system represents one type of service that can be effectively used in a network environment to automate the maintenance and management of various computers within an organization. This service provides tools for centralized software distribution, asset management, and remote discovery and troubleshooting of desktop computers, servers, and server applications. Microsoft Corporation's "Systems Management Server" is an example of a system designed for this purpose.

Figure 1 shows a simplified example of a computer system 10 in which automated configuration management is implemented. The system includes a management server 12 and a plurality of client computers 14 . Through a local or wide area network 16, communication between clients 14 and between the clients and the management server is possible.

Although the management server is shown as one device in FIG. 1, it may comprise a plurality of individual computers or servers, which may be located in close proximity to each other, or may be located at various locations.

Modern operating systems and application software often provide client support for automated configuration management of the computers on which the operating system and application software are installed. For example, Microsoft's Windows XP family of operating systems maintains a detailed inventory of hardware and software components in a database for programmatic queries and data calibration from components within the computer itself and from other computers. Kernel (datacollation). In the Windows environment, this feature is called WindowsManagement Instrumentation (window management test) or WMI. Change and configuration management software can use WMI information to obtain an inventory of individual computers and evaluate whether a computer's configuration should be updated or changed.

In addition to operating system support, each client computer 14 is typically configured with dedicated software to support automated configuration management. Such software is generally designed to be part of an automated configuration management system implemented by a particular vendor, for example as part of Microsoft's Systems Management Server product. The dedicated software and the operating system of the client computer work together so as to cooperate with the management server 12 to complete various functions. Therefore, the entire framework of the automated configuration management system includes server parts and client components.

FIG. 2 shows simplified logical components of the configuration management framework implemented by Microsoft's Systems Management Server product, including portions of the server 12 and portions implemented within the client 14. The sections shown refer to the framework's manifest and software distribution features.

The management server 12 has an inventory and discovery component 20 that cooperates with a client inventory and discovery component 22 that resides on the client 14. Client inventory and discovery component 22 collects identification information and hardware and software inventory of clients 14 , organizes the information into data structures, and provides the information to server inventory and discovery component 20 of server 12 . The identification information uniquely identifies the client on the managed network and includes attributes such as NetBIOS name, IP address and the like. This information is packaged and reported as a data structure called a Discovery Data Record or DDR. The management server maintains this information in a database to facilitate asset management functions. Within the client machine 14, much information is gathered using the WMI functionality of the Windows XP operating system. Communication between server 12 and client 14 utilizes a predetermined protocol specific to the particular implementation of the automated configuration management system.

Client computers can collect and report over 200 attributes, including details such as:

Number and size of disk drives

Processor type and speed

amount of memory

operating system

Monitor and Display Settings

Computer name and IP address

Information about connected peripherals

Network Type

BIOS information

Additionally, each client computer reports a list of all software applications installed on the client computer, including manufacturer and version information.

The management server 12 includes a policy provider 24 that distributes policies to managed computers, such as clients 14. The policies represent configuration settings and software distributions. An example of a configuration setting policy is a rule such as "Passwords on this client computer must be 7-10 characters long and not include non-alphabetic characters." The software distribution policy indicates the software packages available for download and installation, and also includes information indicating which types of clients can download and install the indicated software packages. A package is a collection of files and instructions for downloading and installing the files.

Client 14 has a policy evaluator 26 that receives policies from server 12 and evaluates those policies to determine which is the policy for client 14 . When policy server 26 determines that a policy is intended for client 14, the policy evaluator sends this information to the appropriate component for enforcement. Configuration setting policies are enforced in a variety of ways - some of which require changes to the registry, some of which require access to WMI. If the policy is a software distribution type of policy, it is sent to the application installation component 28 of the client 14. The installation component 28 examines the policy information and determines how to download the relevant software packages. It then connects to the distribution point 29 associated with the server 12 and downloads the software package. After the software package is downloaded, the application installation component 28 installs the packaged software according to the information contained in the downloaded software package.

Existing automated configuration management systems such as Microsoft System Management Server can work well in the traditional network environment shown in FIG. 1 , where the computers to be managed include desktops or other full-featured computers. Increasingly, however, employees within organizations utilize portable computing devices that have more limited capabilities than conventional desktop computers. Specifically, hand-held devices known as personal digital assistants (PDAs) are becoming more and more widely used, and their users often connect such devices to the corporate network in order to read e-mails or to synchronize contact lists. list). The network connection can be through an associated desktop computer, or it can be through a separate network connection, including wireless and/or remote access devices.

Although many organizations do not officially provide technical support for handheld devices such as PDAs, they often receive an increasing number of support requests for these devices. These requests generally involve configuring the handheld device to obtain new updates for applications installed on said device.

In environments where computers or computer-like devices with less than full desktop capabilities are used extensively. Factory automation controllers, point-of-sale electronic outlets, gas station pumps, etc., are examples of commonly used devices that are often networked but do not have the full capabilities and resources of a traditional desktop computer. Microsoft Corporation designed a special version of the Windows operating system for such limited resource devices, known as the Windows CE operating system.

In the past, limited resource devices such as PDAs and the other examples mentioned above were not able to participate in automated configuration management. Existing configuration management solutions generally impose a considerable amount of processing tasks on managed client computers, and the required client software generally cannot run on limited-resource devices such as PDAs. It is conceivable that client software designed specifically for these devices could be designed for use with existing configuration management systems, but would likely approach or exceed the limits of the computing resources available on these devices.

Contents of the invention

A system management framework for limited-resource clients, including client-proxy servers implemented separately from client devices. The client proxy server is configured to communicate with the client device and emulates a fully functional client computer on behalf of the client device. Specifically, the client proxy server has a policy evaluator that receives comments from the configuration management system and evaluates policies to determine their applicability to client devices. If the client proxy determines that a policy is applicable to the client device, the client proxy provides instructions to the client on how to apply new settings or on how new software packages are downloaded and installed.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system management framework in the prior art;

2 is a block diagram of logical elements of a configuration management server and client computers, such as used in the prior art system management framework shown in FIG. 1;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system management framework according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram representing logical elements of a configuration management server, client computer, and client proxy server, such as used in the system shown in FIG. 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are block diagrams representing method aspects of the system management framework of Figures 3 and 4; and

Figure 7 is a block diagram representing computer elements, a subset of which may be used to implement various portions of the logical functions described therein.

Detailed ways

FIG. 3 shows a top-level representation of the system management framework 30 . Framework 30 includes configuration management system or server 32 , client device 34 and client proxy server 36 . The configuration management server system 32 in the illustrated embodiment includes the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) device described above, although the techniques described herein may be implemented in conjunction with automated management systems from other manufacturers.

Configuration management system 32 is configured to communicate with and manage the aforementioned plurality of compatible client computers. When this client computer is a full-featured computer such as a traditional desktop computer, the client computer runs the above-mentioned dedicated software (generally referred to as the management system client agent or client component), thereby providing the functions provided by the configuration management system compatibility. However, in the example shown in FIG. 3, client device 34 is a limited resource device on which it is not possible, practical, or desirable to run the standard client components of an automated configuration management system. Limited resource devices include handheld computers, mobile devices, or other computer or computer-like devices that have limited resources and capabilities compared to traditional full-featured desktop computers. Examples of such devices include PDAs, factory automation controllers and point-of-sale electronic outlets, gas station pumps, mobile phones, etc. These devices typically run under an operating system with less overhead and fewer features than a traditional desktop computer operating system. The Windows CE operating system is an example of an operating system that is often used in conjunction with limited-resource computers such as those described above.

Client device 34 is considered in this specification to be incompatible with configuration management system 32 because of its limited capabilities and resources, and inability to run standard client software for the configuration management system: it cannot communicate directly with configuration management system 32 without running and managed by the configuration management system 32 . Instead, the client proxy server 36 emulates a compliant, non-resourced client computer representing the incompatible client device 34, thereby enabling the configuration management system to manage the incompatible client device. Management of client devices includes maintaining inventory information about the devices and the ability to add and remove applications from the client devices.

The client proxy server 36 is a limited-resource client device 34 independent, such as on a computer that is part of the management system, on a centralized server or computer, or on a desktop host computer connected to the client device 34 for synchronization purposes. software components executed on it. It is connected to communicate with the management system 32 by means of a network connection or other means. The client proxy server 36 communicates with the management system 32 as a managed client, which appears to the management system 32 as a normal full-featured client. Thus, a standard configuration of the management system 32 can be utilized with only minor changes in the server portion of the product in order to support limited resource clients.

Client proxy server 36 communicates with client device 34 via a host computer (eg, a desktop computer connected to the client device for synchronization purposes) via a wired network connection, a wireless connection, or an HTTP proxy server connection. For management purposes, client devices 34 communicate with client proxy servers 36 rather than directly with configuration management system 32 .

The responsibilities of client proxy server 36 can be roughly divided into two categories: (a) converting and relaying information between client device 34 and management server 32, and (b) performing management functions that would otherwise be performed by client device 34.

With regard to the first of the two categories, client proxy server 36 obtains or receives current configuration information from client device 34 in a format and protocol that is not compatible with the format and protocol used by configuration management system 32 . The client proxy server converts at least some of the configuration information into a format compatible with configuration management system 32 and provides or reports the configuration information to configuration management system 32 on behalf of client device 34 in the format desired by the management system.

The configuration information includes a software manifest identifying application programs that are available on the client device. More specifically, the software inventory includes a list of package IDs corresponding to packages that the client device has been instructed to install or make available according to the client device user's selection. Configuration information also includes hardware inventory.

In the described embodiment, configuration information passed from client device 34 to client proxy server 36 is formatted as XML data according to an XML data schema, an example of which is given later in this description.

Regarding the second category: performing management functions, the client proxy server 36 communicates with the management server 32 to receive or obtain policies. As noted above, policies indicate configuration settings and/or software packages available for download and installation, and also include information indicating which types of clients should download and enforce the indicated configuration settings or download and install the indicated software packages. Client proxy server 36 receives policies from configuration management system 32, determines whether a policy applies to client device 34, and issues instructions to the client device. Specifically, the client proxy server instructs the client device to download and execute one or several configuration change commands, or download, install and/or remove one or several application programs according to the policies determined to be applied to the client device. The instructions provided to the client device may indicate the conditions under which a certain application or a set of configuration change instructions should be downloaded, as well as the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) from which they can be downloaded.

Figure 4 shows the logical components of the system management framework 30 in more detail. Management server system 32 includes inventory and discovery component 40 , policy provider 42 , and application or package distribution component 44 .

Inventory and discovery component 40 receives discovery data records and hardware and software inventories from a plurality of client computers for asset management. This information is typically stored in a database (not shown) that can be accessed by the system administrator.

Policy provider 42 distributes policies to computers and other devices managed by server system 32 . The policy indicates which configuration settings or software packages are available for download and installation, and also includes information indicating which type of client the policy applies to. A package is a collection of files and instructions for downloading and installing them.

Distribution component 44 is the connection point to which clients can connect in order to download applications, packages, or configuration change instructions.

Logical components of client proxy server 36 include inventory and discovery component 46 , policy evaluator 48 and instruction provider 50 . Inventory and discovery component 46 interacts with client device 34 to obtain information about the configuration of the client device, including hardware and software inventory. The hardware and software inventory received from limited-resource client devices 34 is much simpler than inventories that can be generated by other types of clients, such as full-featured desktop computers. Inventory and discovery component 46 formats this simplified information in accordance with the communication protocol used by management server system 32 and communicates the information to management server system 32 in the form of hardware and software inventory and discovery data records (DDRs).

Policy evaluator 48 receives policies from policy provider 42 of management server system 32 and evaluates the policies to determine which policy is for client device 34 . When the policy evaluator 48 determines that a policy is directed to the client device 34, its command instruction provider component 50 provides download or configuration change instructions to the client device 34 that specify how (and optionally under what conditions) the application is downloaded, A package or set of configuration directives that are the subject of a policy.

Logical components of client device 34 include polling and reporting component 52 , scheduling component 54 , downloading component 56 , installation instruction interpreter 58 , and program or package installation component 60 . These components may be implemented with dedicated software installed on the client device and pre-configured with, for example, a URL or other specification about the client proxy server 36, as well as authentication information and credentials. Because of the limited capabilities and resources of the client device 34, this dedicated software is limited in scope and functionality compared to standard client software that can be used on a full-featured desktop computer. This will become clearer as the discussion progresses.

The client device also has a program memory 64 in which are installed application programs and a database or data structure 66, with which the client device 34 maintains an offering list, indicating that through previous interactions with the client agent server 36 it has offered of the application or package utilized by the client device. The interaction of these components with each other and with the client proxy server 36 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 5 .

FIG. 5 represents the method aspects of the framework shown in FIG. 4 . Operations on the left side of the figure are performed by components of client device 34 . Operations on the right side of the figure are performed by components of client proxy server 36 . Operations in the middle are performed by an administrator or server system 32 . These actions will be described with reference to the need to distribute and install an application on all mobile devices. An example as an application has 3 components: foo.exe, foo.dll and foo.reg. Installation on the client device involves copying the first two components to a directory called "\ProgramFiles\Foo" and loading "foo.reg" into the client device's registry.

Initial operation 70 includes generating a distribution package containing the three program components foo.exe, foo.dll and foo.reg. Said package may include a so-called "CAB" file (a well-known file type used to combine multiple files into a single file for easy distribution), which can be opened by the client automatically installed on the above client devices. Alternatively, a non-CAB package can be assembled that includes application components and files containing installation scripts that can be executed by the client device to accomplish installation tasks. In this example, the install script file is called "foo.cmd" and contains the following directives:

copy foo.exe "\program files\foo.exe"

copy foo.dll "\program files\foo.dll"

loadreg foo.reg

delete foo.exe

delete foo.dll

delete foo.reg

This file is typically created by someone who is a system administrator.

At predetermined intervals determined by scheduling component 54, polling and reporting component 52 performs an operation 72 of connecting to client proxy server 36 and sending configuration information. The configuration information includes various information about the hardware and software of the client device, and includes a list of application packages referred to herein as a provisioning list. The provisioning list identifies application packages that the client device has been instructed to install or offered for installation using the package ID. The package ID is obtained from the database 66, which is maintained according to instructions received from the client proxy server 36, as described below. The offer list indicates all packages that the client proxy server 36 commands the client to provide for utilization.

Configuration information is preferably reported to the client proxy server 36 in an XML schema. Here is an example of this pattern: element Attributes describe devmgmt parent element identity serialNumber A unique identifier for the device (serial number, etc.) deviceName Equipment name userName The username of the current user (specified in Control Panel, Connections, etc.) domain The domain of the current user (specified in Control Panel, Connections, etc.) devmgmt-sysinfo parent element version The version number of the SysInfo DLL type Full or Delta device class equipment class modelDescription manufacturer model etc. cpuType strongARM, MIPS, etc. cpuArch cpu architecture cpuLevel CPU level ISA instruction set architecture osVersion major major version minor auxiliary version buildNum Assembly number (Build Number) Code Pages Default code page for client systems shipped from the factory localeID local ID binFile pid ver xipRegion screen hRes pixel level resolution vRes pixel vertical resolution type color/black and white numColors If applicable: color; otherwise grayscale transport IP The current IP address of the device subnet The current IP address of the device bandWidth The communication speed of the connection to the client proxy server. Allows you to determine if your connection is fast enough for certain types of downloads MAC MAC ID of the device power AC AC power? battery battery charge status batteryPercent Remaining battery life percentage backup Backup Battery Charge Status backupPercent Backup Battery Life Remaining Percentage memory total Installed memory (kb) program Memory allocated to run the application (kb) programFree Free program memory (kb) storage Memory allocated to external storage (kb) storageFree Free external memory (kb) storage parent element file system name file system name size usedSpace packages parent element package ID package identifier

Below is an example of actual data formatted according to the XML schema above, where boldface indicates examples of variable data values. The XML data is typically passed to the client proxy server 36 as an HTTP post:

           
DEVICE POST:
<devmgmt>
<identity deviceName="corpuser-ipaq" userName="corpuser"

    domain="NTDEV"/>
  <devmgmt-sysinfo varsion="1.0"type="full">
  <ceDevice class="Pocket PC2" modelDescription="Compaq iPAQ

    H3600″cpuType="StrongARM"/>
  <osVersion major="3" minor="0" buildNum="9348"

    CodePage="1236">
  <binFile pid="{13D65099-CE43-11D0-A2AD-0020357512E7}"

    ver="1.0"xipRegion="OS Core"/>
  <binFile pid="{23C46454-CE43-4650-AG7D-0145357512F8}"

    ver="1.6"xipRegion="Apps"/>
  ＜/osVersion＞
  <screen vRes="240"hRes="320"type="Color"

    numColors="65536"/>
  <transportip="157.59.244.92"subnet="255.255.252.0"

    bandWidth="10000"/>
  <power AC="Connected" battery="High" batteryPercent="95"

    backup = "High" backupPercent = "100"/>
  <memory total="31944"program="15984"programFree="3584"

    storage="15960"storageFree="13002"/>
  <storage>
  <fileSystem name="root" size="1002" usedSpace="500"/>
  <fileSystem name="backup" size="1462" usedSpace="700"/>
  <fileSystem name="data" size="150"usedSpace="120"/>
  ＜/storage＞
  <packages>
  <package ID="E9C4C404-A802-460b-B8AF-6BF1D72AF594"/>
  <package ID="4A9D1F33-76CC42d2-93BE-F1D86B7FBA36"/>
  <package ID="2C0E13E1-4C20-4dc2-A80E-368FD63F986F"/>
  </packages>
  </devmgmt-sysinfo>
  </devmgmt>

        

An example of the package ID attribute indicates the package ID received from the configuration management server system 32. The ID may represent a "mandatory" package or an "optional" package. Mandatory packages are packages that the server system 32 requires to be installed on applicable client devices. Optional packages are packages that are downloaded and installed only when selected by the user. The offer list maintained and reported by the client device corresponds to all applicable mandatory and optional packages that the client device already knows through previous interactions with the client proxy server 36 .

The inventory and discovery component 46 of the client proxy server 36 receives configuration information at operation 74 . In response to receipt of the information, the client proxy server performs operation 76 to format the information in the format desired by the management server system 32 and to send the formatted information to the server system 32 . The client proxy server also maintains a mapping between client device IDs received from client devices and IDs assigned to client devices by the management server system 12 .

Policy evaluator 48 of client device 34 also receives the offer list, as well as policies from management server system 32 . Based on this information, client proxy server 36 performs operation 78 to selectively apply the received policy to client device 34 . This involves determining whether there are policies applied to the client device, and evaluating the received offer list against any such applicable policies to determine any changes that should be made by the client to its offer list. The evaluation involves determining whether a package should be added to or removed from the client device's provisioning list. As a result of said determination, policy evaluator 48 performs an operation 80 of sending a provisioning list instruction to client device 34 to change its provisioning list in accordance with said determined change: remove the application in accordance with the policy received from management server 32 and /or download and install the package. In the described implementation, the provisioning list command is sent in the following XML format, where boldface characters indicate example data that will vary depending on the nature of the package:

           
  <RDM-Operation>

    <packages>

    <add>

    <package ID="FE046C21-9272-49e0-83D7-

         8975566184FO"Type=Mandatory"Name="Foo

         Program "Description = "Latest Foo program"/>

    </add>

    ＜remove＞

    <package ID="E9C4C404-A802-460b-B8AF-

        6BF1D72AF594″/＞

    ＜/remove＞

    <packages/>
  ＜/RDM-Operation＞

        

The client device 34 receives the offer list instructions at operation 82 and responds at operation 84 by analyzing and executing the instructions to modify its offer list. In the above example, the client device is instructed to add the "Foo Program" specified by the enumerated Package ID to its provisioning list, and to remove another program also identified by its Package ID.

After modifying its offer list, client device 34 detects the change in the offer list and takes appropriate action. If one or several applications have been removed, they are uninstalled or removed in operation 86 . If one or several applications have been added, they are downloaded and installed at operation 88 .

Figure 6 shows details of operation 88 of adding or installing a new program. After determining that a package needs to be installed, the polling and reporting component 52 performs operation 90 to connect to the client agent server 36 and request download instructions by making a package request. A package request identifies a package that the client has marked as needed by its package ID. The client proxy server 36 receives the package request at operation 91 and responds at operation 92 by generating or compiling a download instruction file and providing the download instruction file to the client device 34 . The download instruction file is preferably provided in XML format.

The download instruction file includes various parameters about how, when, from where and under what conditions the package object should be downloaded. In the described embodiment, the parameters include:

head

content block

ID (GUID)

Response URL for status report (optional)

download command

Start time (Start Time) (GMT)

Delta Time (Delta Time) (GMT)

Flags (connection type or connection class)

Required (YES or NO, default: NO)

Document description

Source URL (Source URL)

Destination on the device (file location as a fully qualified path)

Signature (signed messy data of the file (Signed

hash))

Command to run on device after download (optional)

The "Content Block" contains information about the content of the command file itself, including the URL, to which the client should report the success or failure of the operations listed thereafter. The "download command" specifies a "start time" or "delta time" (a time interval after which the operation should start), and a "flag" indicating the conditions under which the download is permitted. For example, a flag may indicate that the download should only begin when certain communication capabilities are present, such as a connection to a network via a high-speed network. As another example, a flag may indicate that the download begins only when the client device is connected to AC power (as opposed to battery power).

The "requested" parameter indicates whether the management server 32 requests that the package be installed on the device. The "file description" indicates the source and destination locations of the file to be copied to the client device, as well as the signature of the file. The "command" parameter identifies the command to be executed by the client device after successfully copying the file specified by the command file.

The following is an example of an XML download instruction file, where characters in boldface are variable data values:

           
DOWNLOAD XML MESSAGE:

    <RDM-Operation>

    ＜Authorization SourceGUID="66CC03B9-6C89-45e3-94C5-

         4213925B7B21″Signature="Foo Bar"/>

    <Contents Action="Create" ID="FE046C21-9272-49e0-83D7-

         8975566184F0″

    ResponseUrl="https://server/device.dll?status">

    <Description SourceName="Server"OfferingName="Foo Program">

    <ShortDescription>“Latest Foo program”</ShortDescription>

    ＜/Description＞

    ＜Download StartTime＝″d0 07 0a 00 03 00 12 00 00 00 2a 00 05 00

    00 00″DeltaTime=″00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

    00 00″RetryTime=″00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

    00 00″MaxRetryCount="5"Type="Download"Flags="05 00

    00 00″RequireUrlSigs="0"

    NotificationType="MandatorySilent">

    <CopyFile Url="https://server/drop/foo.exe"

    Dest = "\temp\foo.exe"/＞

    <CopyFile Url=https://server/drop/foo.dll

    Desy = "\temp\foo.dll"/＞

    <CopyFile Url="https://server/drop/foo.reg"

    Dest = "\temp\foo.reg"/>

    <CopyFile Url="https://server/drop/foo.cmd"

    Dest = "\temp\foo.cmd"/＞

    <PostlnstallCommand="\temp\foo.cmd"/>

    ＜/Download＞

    ＜/Contents＞

    ＜/RDM-Operation＞

        

The client device 34 receives and analyzes the received download instruction file, and at operation 94 utilizes the scheduling component 54 to schedule the downloaded instructions for execution according to the start time, delta time, and/or flags associated with the instructions. At the appropriate time, the scheduler instructs the download component 56 to perform operation 95 to download the files specified in the download instruction file. The next operation 96 performed by the command interpreter 58 consists of executing the command represented by the "command" parameter of the download command file, which in most cases will initiate the installation of the download file by the installation component 60 . In the given example, this command includes the "foo.cmd" script described above in this article. Executing "foo.cmd" includes executing its individual instructions that perform any required installation tasks, in the given example, copying the file to the client device's appropriate

Returning to Figure 5, after adding or removing a program or package from its program list, or after installing a program or package, the client device 34 performs operation 97, sending a status indicating the success (or failure) of the operation to the client machine proxy server 36 response. The status response is preferably formatted as XML data indicating the package ID of the package that has been downloaded, installed and/or removed. For example, an XML status response can take the following form where bold characters represent variable data <Status><response code="100" ID="E587E5D6-7160-4b8e-A3D9-

041B5568704″Type=″Download″/><response code=″100″ID=″E587E5D6-7160-4b8e-A3D9-

041B85568704″Type=″instll/″></Status>

The client proxy server 36 receives and processes the status response at operation 98 .

In addition to the specific functions detailed above, client proxy server 36 performs other functions in order to support the management of client devices 52 . Specifically, client proxy server 36 responds to status requests and other communications on behalf of client device 34 . Additionally, the client proxy server can enable broader reporting by client devices 34 by instructing client devices to download, install and/or execute specific reporting applications.

The server and client proxy server components and the functions described above are implemented by one or several computers. FIG. 7 shows components of a general example of such a computer, indicated by reference numeral 100 . The components shown in FIG. 7 are only an example and do not constitute any limitation on the functional scope of the invention; the invention does not necessarily depend on the features shown in FIG. 7 .

In general, a variety of different general purpose or special purpose computing system configurations may be used. Examples of known computing systems, environments and/or configurations suitable for use with the present invention include, but are not limited to: personal computers, server computers, laptops, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, network PCs, microcomputers , large computers, distributed computing environments including any of the above-mentioned systems or devices, etc.

The functions of the computer are in many cases implemented by computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by the computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Tasks can also be performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media.

Instructions and/or program modules are stored at various times on computer-readable media, which are either part of the computer or media that can be read by the computer. The program is typically distributed on, for example, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD or other form of transmission medium such as a modulated signal, from which it is installed or loaded into the secondary memory of the computer. At execution, they are loaded at least partially into the computer's main electronic memory. When the computer-readable medium contains instructions, programs, and/or modules for carrying out the steps and operations described above in conjunction with a microprocessor or other data processor, the invention described herein includes these and other types of computer-readable media . The present invention also includes the computer itself programmed according to the methods and techniques described above.

For ease of illustration, programs and other executable program components, such as the operating system, are described herein as discrete modules, but it will be appreciated that such programs and components reside at different times in different memory components of the computer and are controlled by The computer's data processor executes.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , components of the computer 100 may include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 120 , a system memory 130 and a system bus 121 that connects various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 120 . System bus 121 may be any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus structures. By way of example and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISAA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect ( PCI) bus, which is also called Mezzanine bus.

Computer 100 generally includes various computer-readable media. Computer readable media can be any existing media that can be accessed by computer 100 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and propagation media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other storage technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic tape, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium that can be used to store the required information and that can be accessed by the computer 110 . Propagation media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" refers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed such that information is encoded in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, propagation media include wired media such as a wired network, or direct-wire connection, and wireless media such as acoustic media, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

System memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132 . A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS) is typically stored in ROM 131 and contains the basic routines used to help pass information between elements of computer 100, such as during start-up. RAM 132 generally contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessed by processor unit 120 and/or are currently being operated on by processor unit 120. By way of example and not limitation, FIG. 7 shows operating system 134 , application programs 135 , other program modules 136 , and program data 137 .

Computer 100 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only, FIG. 7 shows a hard disk drive 141, which can read from and write to non-removable non-volatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 151, which can read from and write to removable non-volatile magnetic disks 152, and an optical disk drive 151. Drive 155, which can read and write to a changeable non-volatile optical disc 156 such as CD ROM or other optical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that may be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, cassette tapes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tapes, solid-state RAM , solid-state ROM, etc. The hard disk drive 141 is generally connected to the system bus 121 through a non-removable memory interface such as interface 140 , and the magnetic disk drive 151 and optical disk drive 155 are generally connected to the system bus 121 through a removable memory interface such as interface 150 .

The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and shown in FIG. 7 are used for storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for computer 100 . In FIG. 7 , for example, a hard disk drive 141 is shown for storing an operating system 144 , application programs 145 , other program modules 146 and program data 147 . Note that these components may or may not be the same as operating system 134 , application programs 135 , other program modules 136 , and program data 137 . Operating system 144, application programs 145, other program modules 146 and program data 147 have been given different reference numbers in the figure to illustrate that they are at least different copies. A user may enter instructions or information into the computer 100 through input devices such as a keyboard 162 and a pointing device 161 commonly referred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include microphones, joysticks, game pads, satellite dishes, scanners, and the like. These and other input devices are typically connected to the processing unit 120 through a user input interface 160 connected to the system bus, but may also be connected through other interfaces and bus structures such as parallel port, game port or universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 191 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 121 via an interface such as video interface 190 . In addition to the monitor, the computer may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 197 and a printer 196 , which may be connected through the output peripheral interface 195 .

The computer may operate in a network environment through the use of logical connections to one or several remote computers, such as remote computer 180 . Remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, server, router, network PC, peer or other public network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above with respect to computer 100, although only memory is shown in FIG. Storage device 181. The logical connections shown in Figure 7 include a local area network (LAN) 171 and a wide area network (WAN) 173, but other networks may also be included. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise computer networks, intranets and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 100 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 100 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over a WAN 173, such as the Internet. The modem 172 can be built-in or external, and can be connected to the system bus 121 through the user input interface 160 or other suitable mechanisms. In a network environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 100, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example and not limitation, FIG. 7 shows remote application 185 residing in storage device 181 . It should be appreciated that the network connection shown is an example and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

Limited resource client devices 34 are implemented using techniques similar to those shown in Figure 7, albeit on a more limited scale. Additionally, limited resource client devices such as PDAs, cell phones, etc. generally do not have all of the functionality shown in FIG. 7 . For example, limited resource customers typically do not have drives for removable magnetic media such as floppy disks or CD-ROMs. Such clients typically have much less memory capacity, smaller display devices and keyboards, and slower or less powerful processors. Additionally, many of these devices have electronic flash memory, which is used in place of a hard disk. Furthermore, limited resource devices typically run operating systems that do not have all the functionality supported by desktop computer operating systems. For example. Limited resource devices can run the Windows CE operating system, but not the Windows XP operating system.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specific structural features and method steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to these specific features. Rather, the specific features and method steps are disclosed as preferred forms of implementing the claims.

Claims (38)

1. A system management framework comprising: a configuration management system configured to communicate with and manage a plurality of compatible client computers; and a client proxy server configured to communicate with a client device incompatible with said configuration management system, said client proxy server being implemented independently of said incompatible client device and configured to communicate with said configuration management system The system communicates and emulates a compliant client computer representing the incompatible client device, thereby allowing the configuration management system to manage the incompatible client device. 2. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to receive configuration information from a client device and report the received configuration information to the configuration management system. 3. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to receive configuration information from a client device in a format incompatible with the configuration management system, and to convert the received configuration information to Provided to the configuration management system in a format compatible with the configuration management system. 4. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein the client proxy server is configured to receive configuration information from a client device conforming to an XML schema and provide the received configuration information to the configuration management system . 5. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to receive a hardware and software inventory from a client device and report the received hardware and software inventory to the configuration management system. 6. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policy applies to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device instructs the client device. 7. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device instructs the client device to download one or more applications. 8. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device instructs the client device to download one or more configuration change instructions. 9. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device commands the client device to install one or more applications on the client device. 10. The system management framework of claim 1 , wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device commands the client device to make one or more configuration changes on the client device. 11. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device instructs the client device to download and install one or more applications. 12. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device instructs the client device to download and execute configuration change instructions. 13. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein said client proxy server includes a policy evaluator that receives policies from a configuration management system, determines whether any policies apply to said client device, and A policy applicable to the client device commands the client device to remove one or more applications. 14. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to: receive a list of applications from a client device; receive policies from a configuration management system; checking the list of applications against the received policy to determine whether changes should be made to the list of applications; The client device is ordered to change its application list in accordance with the determined changes. 15. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to: receive the current configuration from the client device; receive policies from a configuration management system; checking the received current configuration against the received policy to determine whether changes should be made to the current configuration; The client device is ordered to change its configuration in accordance with the determined changes. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server component is configured to receive a package request from a client device and, in response, return download instructions executable by the client device to download an application package. 17. The system management framework of claim 1, wherein the client proxy server is configured to: receive a list of applications from a client device; receive policies from a configuration management system; checking the list of applications against the received policy to determine whether changes should be made to the list of applications; instructing the client device to change its application list in accordance with the determined change; receiving packet requests from client devices; and In response to receipt of the package request, download instructions executable by the client device to download an application package are returned. 18. The system management framework of claim 1, further comprising a client device maintaining a list of applications, wherein: the client device provides the list of applications to a client proxy server; the client proxy server examines the application list against policies obtained from a configuration management system to determine changes that should be made to the client's application list; Based on the determined changes, the client proxy server instructs the client device to change its application list; the client device submits a package request corresponding to the application added to the client's application list; and In response to the package request, the client agent server returns a download instruction that can be executed by the client device to download the application program package. 19. One or more computer-readable media containing instructions for implementing a client proxy server used in conjunction with a configuration management system, the instructions being executable by a computer to perform the following operations: communicating with client devices that are not compatible with said configuration management system; obtaining configuration information from the client device, wherein the configuration information identifies applications available on the client device; Emulating a compliant client computer representing the incompatible client device, thereby enabling the configuration management system to add and remove applications available on the incompatible client device. 20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: At least a portion of the configuration information is reported to the configuration management system in a format compatible with the configuration management system. 21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receiving configuration information from a client device in a format incompatible with said configuration management system; and At least a portion of the configuration information is reported to the configuration management system in a format compatible with the configuration management system. 22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the configuration information further includes a hardware and software inventory of the client device, the operations further comprising submitting a configuration management system on behalf of the client device Report incoming hardware and software inventory. 23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; determining whether a policy applies to the client device; and The client device is instructed in accordance with a policy determined to be applicable to the client device. 24. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; determining whether a policy applies to the client device; and The client device is instructed to download and install one or more applications in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the client device. 25. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; determining whether a policy applies to the client device; and The client device is instructed to download and execute configuration change instructions in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the client device. 26. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; determining whether a policy applies to the client device; and The client device is ordered to remove one or more applications in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the client device. 27. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; checking the identity of the existing application on the client device against the received policy to determine changes that should be made to the existing application on the client device; The client device is ordered to change its existing application in accordance with said determined change. 28. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive package requests from configuration management systems; In response to the package request, download instructions executable by the client device to download an application package are returned. 29. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receive policies from a configuration management system; checking the identity of the existing application on the client device against the received policy to determine changes that should be made to the existing application on the client device; instructing the client device to change its existing application in accordance with the determined change; receiving packet requests from client devices; and In response to the package request, download instructions executable by the client device to download an application package are returned. 30. A method of including limited resource client devices in a management framework of a configuration management system, the method comprising: Communicate with limited-resource client devices to obtain configuration information about their configuration; emulating a non-resourced client computer representing a finite-resource client device such that a configuration management system can manage the configuration of said client device; Wherein said simulating includes selectively applying policies received from said configuration management system to limited resource client devices. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein: said configuration information identifies existing applications of said limited resource client device; and The selectively applying includes: ordering the limited-resource client device to add and/or remove applications from its existing applications. 32. The method of claim 30, further comprising reporting at least a portion of the configuration information to a configuration management system in a format compatible with the configuration management system. 33. The method of claim 30, further comprising: receiving configuration information from limited resource client devices in a format incompatible with said configuration management system; and At least a portion of the configuration information is reported to the configuration management system in a format compatible with the configuration management system. 34. The method of claim 30, wherein the configuration information further includes a hardware and software inventory of the limited resource client device, the method further comprising: reporting the received Arrived hardware and software inventory. 35. The method of claim 30, wherein selectively applying policies comprises instructing the limited-resource client device to download and install one or more applications in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the limited-resource client device . 36. The method of claim 30, wherein selectively applying a policy comprises commanding the limited resource client device to make one or more configuration changes in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the limited resource client device. 37. The method of claim 30, wherein selectively applying policies comprises ordering the limited resource client device to remove one or more application programs in accordance with the policy determined to be applicable to the limited resource client device . 38. The method of claim 30, further comprising: receiving packet requests from limited-resource client devices; In response to the package request, download instructions executable by the client device to download an application package are returned.

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