JP2009020819A - Installer which displays graphical network setting guidance - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to select software to install easily and accurately, and to perform setting related to a network when installing. <P>SOLUTION: An install program comprises: a table showing mutual dependency between software; and a step for displaying a network structure guidance picture on the basis of the table and a selection state of the software. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an installer for introducing software into a computer.

  Recently, network technology has made great progress. In response to such environmental changes, a system has been realized in which a program is provided with a communication function, the program is distributed and arranged on a plurality of computers, and a cooperative operation is performed.

  In order to install such a program group in the computer, a method of selecting which program to install in the computer on which the installer is operating is realized by a graphical user interface such as a check box.

  Such a program can be broadly divided into a type in which a partner is determined by itself (client type) and a type that opens a specific communication port and waits for a client type to communicate (server type). In addition, the program is roughly divided into a type that cannot operate its function at all if there is no other party of communication, and a type that can execute processing normally, although some functions cannot be operated if there is no other party. it can.

  In general, such a program is started at the same time when the OS of the computer is started, and continues to operate until the OS is ended, so it is called a resident program or a service. In the following description, the names of services are unified.

As a conventional example, with a GUI drawing tool such as VISIO, place a network device such as a PC / printer on the network, determine the service to be installed on that device, fill in the information required for the service, Some network configuration diagrams are created, and an installer for each network device is automatically created based on the network configuration diagram (see Patent Document 1). Also, install the server first with the server application and client application installation method, save the network configuration information in the USB memory, and then input the information when installing the client on another machine Thus, there is a method that does not require user input (see Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-210482 JP 2003-5973 A

  During installation, if a service (service A) is selected on the service selection screen, the user cannot know the dependency information of service A, and it is difficult to understand which one to select. There is.

  Further, it is assumed that the service A depending on the service B is selected on the service selection screen. On the subsequent screen, input of network setting information for communication between service A and service B is requested. At this time, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to input correctly while thinking of the network configuration and remembering what to connect and what to set from which direction.

  In order to solve the above two problems, the dependency between the services selected at the time of installation and the services that were not selected is displayed and clarified. "Screen" is displayed.

  The display contents and display logic will be described in detail with reference to the drawings in the first embodiment.

  During installation, users can now "easy" and "accurately" configure the network.

Example 1
Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the installer selects four services, service A, service B, service C, and service D, performs necessary settings, and installs them.

  First, the interrelation between services will be described with reference to the service interrelation table in FIG. This service correlation table is incorporated in the installer as part of the installer resource. Service A is a client type and connects to service B. Service B is essential for service A. Service B is a server type and connects to service A. Service A is not essential for service B. Service C is connected to service D in a server type. Service D is not essential for service C. Service D is connected to service C in a client type. Service C is not essential for service D.

  FIG. 2 shows a selection screen and a setting screen according to the prior art. In the following, how the service is selected and set in the prior art and its inconvenience will be described. First, a service selection screen 201 is displayed. Here, for example, service A and service C are selected. However, it is not easy to know here whether the service A is a server or a client and what it depends on. When the “Next” button is pressed on the service screen, the network setting screen 202 of service A is displayed. Here, input of the IP address and port of service B is requested, but the reason why the information of service B is requested on the setting screen of service A will not be clear to the user. When the “Next” button is pressed on the service A setting screen, the service C network setting screen 203 is displayed. On the setting screen of service C, a port that waits for a request from service D is input.

  Such a screen display is difficult for the user to install. In order to improve it, a guidance screen is displayed together with a service selection screen to improve ease of installation. Hereinafter, the operation will be described in order according to the operation procedure when the installer is executed.

  FIG. 3 is an initial display of the selection screen and the guidance screen according to the present proposal. Display the service selection screen during installation. On that screen, each service group can be selected with a check box. At the same time as displaying the service selection screen, a network configuration guidance screen is displayed next to it. The current machine (PC 1) is displayed on the network configuration guidance screen. Inside the PC 1, the IP address of the PC 1 is displayed.

  The operation when the service A is selected by clicking the service A check box on the service selection screen will be described with reference to FIG. When service A is selected, service A is displayed within the current machine display. According to the service interrelation table of FIG. 1, since service A is a client type, the port number is displayed as “Any” inside service A. According to the table, it can be seen that service A depends on service B. In the current service selection state, service B is not to be installed on this computer. Therefore, the installer determines that the service B is to be installed on another computer. Therefore, another computer (PC2) is drawn at a position away from PC1, and a text box for inputting the IP address is drawn inside PC2. Further, service B is drawn inside the PC 2. The installer confirms service B in the table and knows that service B is a server type. Since it is a server type, a text box for inputting a port number is drawn inside the service B. Finally, service A and service B are connected by a line. As confirmed earlier, since service B is essential for service A, its connecting line is drawn as a solid line. Further, since service A is a client type and service B is a client type, the connection line is drawn in the shape of an arrow from service A to service B.

  The operation when the service C is selected by clicking the check box of the service C on the service selection screen will be described with reference to FIG. When service C is selected, service C is displayed within the current machine display. According to the service correlation table of FIG. 1, since service C is a server type, a text box for inputting a port number is drawn inside service C. According to the table, it can be seen that service C is connected to service D. In the current service selection state, service D is not to be installed on this computer. Therefore, the installer determines that the service D is to be installed on another computer. Therefore, another computer (PC2) is drawn at a position away from PC1, and a text box for inputting the IP address is drawn inside PC2. Furthermore, the service D is drawn inside the PC 2. The installer confirms the service D with the table and knows that the service D is a client type. Since it is a client type, the port number is drawn as “Any” inside the service D. Finally, service C and service D are connected by a line. As confirmed above, since service D is not essential for service C, its connecting line is drawn with a dotted line. Further, since service D is a client type and service C is a client type, the connecting line is drawn in the shape of an arrow from service D to service C.

  Next, referring to FIG. 6, the processing flow is confirmed. First, the installer is started at 601. Next, in step 602, preprocessing of the installer, for example, input of a license key, input of an installation path, and the like are performed. Next, at 603, a service selection screen is displayed. Next, at 604, a network configuration guidance screen is displayed. Next, at 605, a diagram representing the current PC (PC1) is displayed on the network configuration guidance screen. Next, at 606, the user waits for input to select a service. Next, in 607, it is checked by referring to the service dependency relationship table 608 whether the service selected by the user is connected / dependent on another service. If there is no connection or dependency, the installation process continues with the post-processing of 618. If it is connected or dependent, the process proceeds to process 609. In process 609, a diagram of another PC is drawn on the network configuration guidance screen. Next, in 610, the dependent service is drawn on the network configuration guidance screen. Next, it is confirmed whether or not the service selected in 611 is a server type. If it is a server type, the process proceeds to process 612. If it is a client type, the process proceeds to process 614. In process 612, an arrow line is drawn from the client type service to the server type service. In step 613, a text input box for port numbers is drawn inside the selected service. Returning to the processing when the selected service is of the client type, in step 614, an arrow line is drawn from the client type service to the server type service. Next, in 615, a text input box for the port number is drawn in the dependent service. Next, in 616, a text input box for the IP address is drawn on another PC (PC2). Next, in processing 617, it waits for the user to input a port number or IP address number. In step 618, post-installation processing such as file copy processing and setting embedding processing is executed. When the process 618 ends, the installer process ends.

  Fig. 7 shows the software configuration.

Service relationship table Selection screen and setting screen by conventional technology Initial display of selection screen and guidance screen by this proposal Display after selecting service A Display after selecting service C flowchart Software configuration diagram

Claims (4)

An installation program for installing a plurality of software that communicate with each other over a network,
Displaying a screen that allows the user to select software to install;
Displaying a guidance screen for displaying a diagram representing a network configuration;
Drawing a graphic representing a computer executing the installation program and a graphic representing another computer on the guidance screen;
Drawing a graphic representing the software selected by the user in the graphic representing the computer executing the installation program;
Comparing the software selected by the user with a pre-designated table representing the mutual dependency between the software and determining the missing software;
Drawing a graphic representing the missing software in a graphic representing the other computer;
Drawing a line that interconnects graphic groups representing the software based on the pre-designated table representing software mutual dependence;
An installation program comprising: An installation program according to claim 1,
Comparing the software selected by the user with a pre-designated software interdependency table together with a table representing the direction of dependence to determine the missing software;
Adding a figure indicating the direction to a line connecting the graphic groups representing the software according to the direction of dependence, and drawing,
An installation program comprising: An installation program according to claim 1,
Extracting network setting items of software selected by the user from a network setting item table of each software specified in advance;
Displaying the network setting item in a graphic representing the corresponding software;
An installation program comprising: An installation program according to claim 1,
Comparing the software selected by the user with a pre-designated software mutual dependency table together with a table representing the strength of the dependency to determine the missing software;
Changing a drawing method of a line connecting the figure and the figure group representing the lacking software according to the strength of dependence;
An installation program comprising:

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