JP5886901B2 - Storage medium for providing system, method and program for managing distribution of contents to apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(Field of Invention)
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for managing distribution of content to apparatuses.

(Description of prior art)
The content provided to the device takes a variety of different forms. For example, a data file is provided to a device and used with a specific application installed on the device. Also, specific application programs are distributed and installed on the device, and perform new functions such as a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, and an e-mail program.
To date, much of the development of technology to manage the distribution of content to devices has centered on the field of fixed computer devices that connect to computer networks. In such an environment, it is possible to provide a local management support structure to provide content to the network and control individual devices accessing the content.

  For example, US-A-5,692,129 describes a method for managing application programs in a computer network. When a computer network is established within an organization, a directory service database is provided on the computer network to create a “white page” type directory for people and other resources within the organization. Is normal. Such directory service databases are often object-oriented databases. According to the teachings of US-A-5,692,129, such an object-oriented database assists in including application objects that define software applications available on the network. Also, certain types of objects in the database (eg, user objects) can specify desktop attributes. In this case, an application object can be added as a desktop attribute of such an object to indicate that the corresponding application is available to the user that the object represents.

  Furthermore, US-A-5,692,129 specifies the use of a launcher application. A launcher application can search for a user's object for a particular user, and the user's desktop can provide an icon for any application specified by the application object identified by the user object's desktop attribute. . Thus, the above method can automatically update the user's desktop to show applications that are installed on the network and accessible to the user. The application itself is maintained centrally on the network, and users access it over the network.

US-A-5,581,764 describes a scheme for managing the distribution of content to devices. In the D1 method, a hierarchical structure of content is developed for a group of devices. In D1, this is called a schema. Within a schema, one or more dynamic linkages are provided. This determines what content should be given to a device when generating a “should have” (SH) list for any particular device. To enable dynamic linkage, an initial query process is required to determine the value of certain variables in the device.
This method is clearly useful for computer devices that can always connect to the network and run applications on the network, but only when intermittently connected to the network and not connected to the network Obviously, it is not suitable for distributed devices that need to operate independently (ie, that their content needs to be stored locally for their own use). However, as portable computer devices, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic organizers, etc. increase, such scenarios are becoming increasingly common. While it is clearly desirable for an organization to have people in the organization use these portable devices, it is very difficult to control and manage the distribution of content to such devices.

(Summary of Invention)
From a first aspect, the present invention provides a system for managing the distribution of content to devices. The system is a database that can store a number of elements as a hierarchical structure of devices and associate a content identifier with each element in the hierarchical structure, one of the elements representing a device; A profile of the device is generated with reference to a hierarchical structure in the database, the profile includes a number of content identifiers indicating the content provided to the device, and the profile includes any content identifier associated with the element representing the device and its elements A server that includes any content identifier associated with an element in a dependent hierarchical structure and a device that receives a profile from the server and uses the content identifier in the profile to provide the device with the content indicated by the profile, and the device according to the profile Management that keeps records identifying the content given to In addition, when the device administrator receives a subsequent profile from the server, the device administrator compares the content identifier in the subsequent profile with the record to provide new content that has not yet been given to the device and to the device in the future. Determine the old content that is not available, and the device administrator provides the new content to the device using the relevant content identifier and deletes the old content.

  In the present invention, a database capable of storing a large number of elements as a hierarchical structure is provided, and at least one of the elements represents a device to which content is distributed. Next, a content identifier that identifies the specific content is associated with an element in the hierarchical structure. In addition, a server is provided that can generate a profile for a particular device with reference to a hierarchical structure in the database. A profile includes a number of content identifiers, each content identifier identifying content to be provided to the device. Thus, the device administrator associated with the device operates upon receiving the profile to provide the device with the content indicated by the profile and maintains a record identifying the content to be provided to the device according to the profile. Preferably, the record is stored in a storage area logically local to the device (ie, a location that the device can always read regardless of whether it is connected to the network).

The device manager may store on the device or away from the device. However, in the latter case, something is generally resident in the device itself, so that the device manager executes, for example, some configuration information.
In the present invention, when the device administrator receives a subsequent profile from the server at some later time, it is retained to identify the content identifier in the subsequent profile and the content provided to the device according to the previous profile. The record is compared to determine new content that has not yet been given to the device and old content that will not be given to the device in the future. The new content is then imported into the device and the old content is deleted, for example, by actually deleting the content or by deleting the pointer to the content in the device's local memory.

  In this way, the system of the present invention supports a variety of different devices that need to store content locally in order to be able to connect to the network for long or short periods of time and be available when not connected to the network. can do. It should be noted that this system can be used with devices that are always connected to the network. By using the present invention, it is possible to centrally manage the content given to the device, so after associating the content identifier with the appropriate element in the hierarchical structure, the content identifier is then prepared for the device concerned Included in every profile that is played. Thus, the corresponding device manager of the device can give the content to the device the next time the profile is received. However, since the content is generally provided to the device rather than simply holding the content centrally and the device accessing that central point, the present invention provides for the subsequent profile distributed by the server and the device provided according to the previous profile. The old content can be deleted from the device by comparing it with the record held to identify the content.

  It should be noted that the preferred embodiment of the present invention does not prohibit the user of the device from installing his own content on the device. This is because such content is not included in the profile and therefore is not given to the device or removed from the device under the control of the device administrator. However, since the present invention can manage the distribution of certain core content to the device, the content can be given structurally and deleted later without involvement of the user of the device.

  The content identifier may take various forms. However, in the preferred embodiment, each content identifier provides a name for the corresponding content and a location indicator that identifies the location from which the content is obtained. Therefore, when the device manager wants to obtain the content of the device, the position where the content is obtained can be determined using the position indicator in the corresponding content identifier. In the preferred embodiment, the name is not required when searching for content, but it provides a descriptive reference for the network manager who manages the hierarchical structure on the database and the user of the device searching for content.

A system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be used to manage the distribution of different types of content. Preferably, the content identifier also identifies the corresponding content type. A network administrator who manages the hierarchical structure on the database can refer to this information. For example, this is useful for sanity checks, where a network administrator can only assign content to devices that can receive that type of content.
It will be appreciated that a location identifier can take a variety of forms if it serves to identify a location from which content can be obtained. In a preferred embodiment, the content is stored on a server that can be contacted via the Internet, and the location indicator is a URL address.

When providing content to a device, it is understood that the device needs to perform several predetermined operations in order to receive and store the content correctly. Thus, the system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a number of packagers for associating content received by the device with the content information necessary to process it. When capturing content to a device using the content identifier in the profile, the device receives not only the content, but also all the relevant information necessary to correctly process the content within the device. The content and related information given to the device will be referred to as “package” in the future.
As previously mentioned, the system manages the distribution of different types of content. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, a packager is provided for each content type.

  It will be appreciated that the information contained within the package to describe how to process the content can take a variety of different forms depending on the content itself. For example, if the content is a data file for a particular application (eg, a Microsoft Word file), the package identifies that the content is of that type, and the device administrator uses this type information. Determine whether there is an installer for installing this type of content. If it does not exist, the content is generally stored at a default position (for example, a position designated by the apparatus administrator). However, if an installer is available, it is used to install content on the device. When using the installer, the information in the package also identifies the required version number of the Microsoft word that is required to read the file. The installer then looks for a version of the word and alerts the user of the device, for example, if not found.

  As another example, in the case where the content is an application program, it is generally necessary to install it properly on the apparatus by an installer. In such a case, the information related to such content in the preferred embodiment includes identifying which file is the main executable file, identifying icons used to represent the program on the desktop, and the like. The next related installer uses that information to correctly install the application program.

  Since devices change over time and / or the use of any particular device changes over time, different content needs to be associated with the device, and the hierarchical structure in the database is efficiently managed to deal with such changes. It is understood that a function is necessary. Accordingly, the system of the preferred embodiment has a management tool that provides an interface for the user to manage the hierarchical structure stored on the database. For example, if a hierarchical structure is used to represent a large number of devices in an organization, a user in the form of a system administrator uses a management tool to manage the hierarchical structure and receive the content that is desired to be provided to the device Thus, each device is continuously represented at an appropriate point in the hierarchical structure.

  It is understood that there are many different ways to develop a hierarchical structure. However, in a preferred embodiment, the elements in the hierarchical structure include one or more departments that represent a logical grouping of devices, and the management tool creates or deletes each department and assigns a content identifier to each department. Associate with. Therefore, a generic department including all devices can be provided at the top of the hierarchical structure, and a specific department can be generated depending on the generic department. For example, a technical support department including all devices used by the technical support staff is provided, and a separate customer support department including all devices used by the customer support staff is provided. It should be noted that the user (eg, system administrator) creates or deletes departments as needed to create the appropriate hierarchy used to classify the devices represented in the hierarchy. It can be developed.

  It should be noted that content identifiers can be associated with each department, so it is not necessary to individually specify content common to all devices in a specific department for each device, just specify once for the corresponding department. What should I do? In a preferred embodiment, the server-generated profile includes all content identifiers associated with the device and all content identifiers associated with the departments on which the device depends in a hierarchical structure. It will be appreciated that this greatly improves the efficiency of associating content with any particular device. In addition, when a device is moved from one department to another and the next time the device profile is generated, the device automatically receives an updated profile that indicates content related to the new role device. Next, all new contents are automatically searched and old contents are deleted.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the management tool allows the person identifier to identify an individual given as an element in the hierarchical structure. Thereby, the management tool can be used to associate the device with the individual who owns the device in the hierarchical structure. It is useful to include this special classification. This is because a specific individual in an organization often has two or more devices, and often requests specific content for each device. Since individual devices rely on related person identifiers in the hierarchical structure, it is easy for a system administrator to associate new content with each device. Also, as individuals move around in the organization, the system administrator can move the relevant person identifiers between departments. Thereby, all the devices of the person can be automatically moved, and the contents related to the device can be given the next time the profile is given to the device.

  It will be appreciated that various mechanisms may be used to provide the profile to the device at predetermined intervals. For example, if the device is always connected to the network, the server may generate a profile at regular intervals. However, in the preferred embodiment, the system supports many different types of devices, at least some of which are not always connected to the network. In this case, it is necessary to generate and distribute a profile when the device is connected to the network. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the device administrator connects to the server at a predetermined interval to request a profile, and the device administrator identifies the device for which the profile was requested.

  For example, the device administrator requests a profile immediately after turning on the device. This method is suitable for devices that operate only when the network is available and have limited bandwidth (eg, GSM receivers). Alternatively, the device administrator requests a profile immediately after the network connection is established. This method is suitable for devices that work perfectly even when no network is available, but also make connections at any time (eg, portable computers). As another example, the device manager requests a profile periodically at discrete time intervals. This method is suitable for high bandwidth constantly connected devices such as cable television receivers and network computers.

As previously described, the system manages the distribution of multiple different types of content. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of this type is a computer program.
The database used to store the hierarchical structure may be of various types. However, in the preferred embodiment, the database is a relational database. It should be noted that in this preferred embodiment, this database is completely separate from any directory service database that is also given as a “blank” database for resources within an organization. . It has been found that this database should be separate from the directory service database. This is because the database is not bound by a structure that already exists in the directory service database. Conversely, some details about resources in an organization can be obtained from a directory service database and used in a database to manage the distribution of content, but the actual hierarchical structure in the database is managed. It is determined freely considering only the device to be distributed and the content to be distributed.

Viewed from a second aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product for controlling a server used in a system according to the first aspect of the present invention. The computer program product generates a device profile with respect to the database and sends the profile to the device administrator.
Viewed from a third aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product for controlling a computer operating as a management tool in the system according to the first aspect of the present invention. This computer program product provides an interface for the user to manage the hierarchical structure stored on the database.

  Viewed from a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product provided with an apparatus manager used in the system according to the first aspect of the present invention. The computer program product receives the profile from the server and provides the device with the content indicated by the profile using the content identifier in the profile. When this computer program product receives a subsequent profile from the server, it compares the content identifier in the subsequent profile with the record identifying the content provided to the device according to the previous profile, and is still provided to the device. The new content that is not present and the old content that is not provided to the device in the future are determined, the new content is provided to the device using the associated content identifier and the old content is deleted.

  Viewed from a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product for controlling a computer operating as a packager used in a system according to the first aspect of the present invention. The packager is associated with content information necessary to process the content as it is received by the device.

  Viewed from a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a method for managing the distribution of content to devices. This method can store a number of elements in a database as a hierarchical structure and associate a content identifier with an element in the hierarchical structure, one of which represents a device and refers to the hierarchical structure in the database To generate a device profile, the profile including a number of content identifiers indicating the content to be provided to the device, and the profile is an arbitrary content identifier associated with the element representing the device and the elements in the hierarchy upon which the element depends Includes any content identifier associated with the content, refers to the content identifier in the profile, provides the device with the content indicated by the profile, maintains a record identifying the content provided to the device according to the profile, and receives subsequent profiles Compare the content identifier in the profile with the record, In the future and the new content that is not given to a device to determine and old content that is not given to the device, given to the apparatus the new content using the content identifier associated, including the step of deleting the old content.

The present invention will now be described in detail by way of example only, but with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of embodiment of this invention. It is another block diagram which gives the outline | summary of the structure of the system which concerns on preferable embodiment of this invention. 3 shows details of connection to a server according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention that allows a system administrator to manage a hierarchical structure stored on a database. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention that allows a system administrator to manage a hierarchical structure stored on a database. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention that allows a system administrator to manage a hierarchical structure stored on a database. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention that allows a system administrator to manage a hierarchical structure stored on a database. Fig. 3 illustrates a user interface for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention that allows a system administrator to manage a hierarchical structure stored on a database. A simple example of the hierarchical structure stored in the database is shown. A simple example of the hierarchical structure stored in the database is shown. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed in a network device that acts on a profile when the profile is requested and received. Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed in a server to provide a profile to a client. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating details of a procedure performed within a network device to affect a profile received from a server. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating details of a procedure performed within a network device to affect a profile received from a server. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating details of a procedure performed within a network device to affect a profile received from a server. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating details of a procedure performed within a network device to affect a profile received from a server. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating details of how a server prepares a profile in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 outlines a method for packaging content for distribution using a packager in a preferred embodiment.

(Description of Preferred Embodiment)
Conventionally, a relatively fixed number of fixed computer devices are managed with a localized support structure that can form a complex desktop environment. However, in the future, many devices may be handled, whether it is a computer device or a mobile phone, personal digital assistant device (PDA), electronic organizer or other electronic device whose location is fixed or not fixed. For this reason, another more flexible management system is required.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention aims to provide such another management system for distributing and managing network devices in the network. The term “network device” refers to a device for which the system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention manages its content, but not all such devices are always connected to the network. For the purposes of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is sufficient that any such “network device” can be connected to the network at least from time to time, either directly or via other devices. For example, one device may delegate management to another device that can connect to the network at any time. For example, a certain PDA type device cannot originally be connected to a network, and depends on the PC to install a new program. Since the PC can be connected to the network at any time, such a PDA is also a “network device” and can be managed by the system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  In the preferred embodiment, each network device comprises a client program (also referred to herein as a device administrator) that communicates with the server. The server holds details (for example, programs and data) of contents that are preferably present on each device. In the preferred embodiment, the client program identifies a network device to the server, and the server sends a profile of the content that is desired to reside on that device. The client program preferably designs the network device to include the content identified in the profile, all content currently not present on the device but identified in the profile that is retrieved in a predetermined manner.

  In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the client program and server run on a Java platform. Java (registered trademark) is ubiquitous on various platforms such as cable television receivers and mobile telephones, so if it can be connected to a network and controlled at any time, almost all types of remote The device can be controlled centrally.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the client program on each network device automatically updates the configuration of the device. Depending on the type of device, the client program will have a predetermined interval, i.e.
1. Immediately after turning on the device,
2. Immediately after establishing a network connection,
3. After discrete time intervals,
Run with one of the following:
The first scenario is designed for devices that operate only when the network is available and have limited bandwidth (eg, GSM receivers). The second scenario works perfectly even if the network is not available, but is used for devices that connect to the network from time to time (eg, portable computers). The third scenario is designed for high bandwidth, permanently connected devices such as cable television receivers and network computers.

  The client program sends the identification of the device to the server, which returns the content profile (eg, program or data) that the network authority wants to be on the device. The server transmits not a content but a position where each content can be searched. The client records each retrieved content, so that any new or updated content can be selectively retrieved, or the device user's responsibility to manage the device by deleting content that is no longer needed will be waived Is possible.

  The network authority is the entity responsible for defining the device profile. This task is simplified by using a hierarchy definition / structure (ie, representing each device as a member of a logical group called a department). Each department is also a member of the other department, and finally reaches a common ancestor in a linear tree fashion. A profile is defined for each department. In this way, the profile of a certain device includes all the contents explicitly specified in the definition of the hierarchy, the contents of the department, and the contents of the parent department until the last department. Consists of For example, in FIG. 10, the device name is enclosed in parentheses, and the profile of Adelie is defined not only by its own configuration but also by the configuration of penguins, birds, and all. Thus, if Adelie becomes part of the seagull department, the entire structure with the bird is inherited, but includes the structure of a seagull rather than a penguin.

A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the system of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1A-1C.
FIG. 1A shows one possible embodiment of the present invention in which multiple network devices 10 and servers 30 are linked via a LAN 50. In this embodiment, the network device is often a PC, but may be any other suitable electronic device (eg, router, intelligent hub, etc.) instead of a PC. The network device may be a personal organizer, a PDA, or the like that is connected to the network via a PC.

  The server 30 connects to a database 40 that includes a hierarchy definition that identifies the device and the content associated with the device. The system administrator can manage the definition of the hierarchy by connecting to the server 30 via the system management apparatus 20. Although the position of the system management apparatus may be changed, in the example of FIG. 1A, the system management apparatus is connected to the server via the LAN 50.

  In the preferred embodiment, each network device 10 has a client program installed on it and communicates with the server 30 to obtain a profile of each network device obtained by the server in view of the hierarchy definition. . The system of FIG. 1A performs distribution management of such network devices. This is because the definition of the hierarchy is kept centrally and the client program is distributed among the related network devices. The definition of the hierarchy may be managed directly by the server, or may be managed by a distribution point such as the system management device 20.

  FIG. 1B shows another embodiment in which the present invention can be used. In this embodiment, the network device connects via a mobile telecommunications network. The network device 10 is an electronic device that communicates with, for example, a mobile phone or a laptop computer having a mobile telecommunications function via a mobile network. In this embodiment, server 30 connects via telecommunications infrastructure 60 to a number of transmitter / receivers 70 that are used to communicate with network device 10. This system basically operates in the same manner as the system described with reference to FIG. 1A, and each network device 10 includes a client program and can communicate with the server 30. It should be noted that the system management device used by the system administrator to manage the definition of the hierarchy in the database 40 may be anywhere in the network, and therefore on the server 30 or electrical You may provide in the network apparatus of the arbitrary positions in a communication network.

  In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, many different types of devices that connect to the server 30 via different mechanisms can be managed. The outline is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1C. A network device 100 (eg, a desktop device) connects directly to a server via an Ethernet connection 130. Another network device 110 (for example, a pocket organizer or a mobile phone) is connected to the server via the wireless communication by the transmitter / receiver 70. In addition, other network devices 120 (eg, laptop computers, multimedia PCs, etc.) may connect to the server via the Internet 140.

  As previously mentioned, the system of the preferred embodiment can be used for devices that connect to a network at least at any time. In the preferred embodiment, the system can remotely manage various devices using Java and Internet technologies. FIG. 2 shows an overview of the structure of the preferred embodiment. Server 30 is available to client program 200 as a configuration service using Java's Remote Method Invocation (RMI) and Jini connectivity. RMI is a Java mechanism that allows two programs to communicate transparently over a network. Gini is a software infrastructure that enables network services. For details, refer to the website http://www.sun.com/jini/.

The server distributes content using standard Internet protocols such as HTTP and FTP. As shown in FIG. 2, the client program 200 resident on the network device connects to the server 30 via the RMI 220 or Gini 230 mechanism, and requests a profile from the server. The management tool 210 (preferably a computer program) on the system administrator's device uses the RMI mechanism 220, for example, to add new content to the elements (eg, departments and devices) in the hierarchical structure held on the database 40. May be assigned. Upon receiving the profile, the client program 200 may collect content from the servers 250, 260 via the Internet 240 using an appropriate standard Internet protocol such as HTTP or FTP.
It should be noted that the preferred embodiment system is a highly distributed application. Database 40, server 30, management tool 210, and any directory server used to obtain information for use in database 40 can all be on a separate machine.

  FIG. 3 shows details of how to connect the servers according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Server 30 is designed to integrate with existing servers. Thus, the database backend 40 can be used to store the hierarchical structure that the server uses to generate the network device profile. Java database connectivity (JDBC) allows third party databases to be connected to the server 30. Detailed information about the JDBC can be obtained from the web address http://java.sun.com/products/jdbc/.

  Further, by connecting a standard directory server such as LDAP (Internet standard directory server) or NDS to the server 30, the server 30 can acquire information on a specific user in the organization. As shown in FIG. 3, various types of directory servers can be connected to the server 30 by the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI). For detailed information on JNDI, see http://java.sun.com/products/jndi/. Obviously, the server 30 can generate the hierarchical structure in the database 40 from scratch, but an organization wishing to manage the device according to the system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a user. It is likely that you already have a directory server etc that gives relevant details about. Therefore, the task of creating a hierarchical structure in the database 40 is very simple if the server 30 can obtain relevant details about the user from any standard directory server already provided in the organization. become.

Rather than trying to put additional information in a rather fixed structure of an existing directory server database, the hierarchical structure used to manage the distribution of content to the device is stored in a completely separate database 40. It turned out to be very desirable. This is because it is possible to very flexibly generate an appropriate department and the position of the apparatus within the department in consideration of the devices managed thereby and the contents distributed to these devices.
In the preferred embodiment, standard Internet servers 250 and 260 are used to store the actual content distributed to the devices. Accordingly, the server 30 can communicate with the servers 250 and 260 via, for example, a standard Internet connection, check the location where the content is stored, and check the format of the stored content.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in order for a network device to use a service, a standard RMI registry and an optional djinn are used. Since the RMI registry is a remote program that provides a mechanism to look for other remote programs, the client program can communicate with the server 30 by using the RMI mechanism. A djinn is a name given to a group of devices, resources, and users that are joined by the Gini software infrastructure.

  Next, moving to a client program 200 associated with a particular network device, the client program can connect to the server using either of two methods according to its configuration. A network device with embedded client code can use Java's RMI mechanism, but another method is dynamically downloadable client software that uses an optional Gini service. When using the Gini system, the device already has what is called a service browser that looks for available services. In this case, rather than installing the client program locally on the device, the process is automated by using an appropriate configuration present on the device.

  There is a small client registry on each network device that keeps a record of all content present on the device, obtained according to the profile received from the server 30. Contacting the server retrieves a profile that describes what to give on the device. As will be described in detail later, search for new and updated content indicated by the profile and delete the deactivated content. Any installers and deinstallers are preferably downloaded and invoked automatically from the server 30 during this process. It should be noted that this is all done without intervention from the network device user.

  In the preferred embodiment, a management tool application is provided that provides a simple graphical interface to assist administrators, etc., so that the system administrator builds and maintains a hierarchical structure of departments and devices in the database 40. Can do. Next, the content identifier is associated with the hierarchical element by dragging and dropping the content identifier onto a specific element representing a department and / or device. By integrating with the standard directory server shown previously with reference to FIG. 3, the system administrator can determine who owns a particular device on the network. Thus, to give a person a new role, he simply needs to drag the icon representing that person to the new department. These concepts will be further described with reference to FIGS. These diagrams are examples of a graphical interface provided by the management tool, which allows the system administrator to manage the hierarchical structure held on the database 40 by the server 30.

  In FIG. 4, the left window shows an overview of the definition of the hierarchy, and the right window is an information display area. The window at the bottom of the screen contains a list of content identifiers assigned to hierarchical elements representing a particular device or department (in this example, the content is a computer program). As can be seen from FIG. 4, each content identifier includes a name of the content and a position indicator (in this case, a URL address) that identifies a position for searching for the corresponding content. Optionally, the content identifier may include a version number, content type, date of last modification, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows information displayed when the system administrator selects the “Engineer” department. As shown in the information display area, this means that the programs "Yellow", "Indigo", "Orange" are related to the department "Engineer" and the operating system "Green""And the application" Red "are inherited from the department" All ".
FIG. 6 shows information given when the system administrator selects an individual. The individual in this case is Nigel Brookes and has two related devices, “Hugh” and “Cuthbert”. Finally, FIG. 7 shows a program associated with the device “Hugh”. As can be seen, the device “Hugh” has a directly related application “Violet”, which also inherits the programs related to the departments “Engineer” and “All”.

  FIG. 8 shows a graphical interface provided to another exemplary database structure. In this figure, the device called Future Phone belongs to the individual Nigel Brookes, who is assigned within the engineering department, and the engineering department itself is a division of the Concept Technologies department. . Furthermore, the Conceptual Technology Department is included in the Hugh Symons Department, and the Hugh Symons Department is included in all departments. As can be seen from FIG. 8, the device “future phone” has two related applications and inherits one application from the department “All”. In this case, the department Hugh Symons, conceptual technology, and engineers do not include any directly related content. Otherwise, the device “future phone” should have inherited content from these departments.

  It can be seen with reference to FIG. 8 that the content identifier in this case also includes optional information identifying the default lease period. With this information, the client program on the network device can automatically delete the content after the lease period expires. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 8, the two applications assigned to the device “future phone” are permanent leases, while the application JarBall Madness is a 30-day lease that expires on August 26, 1999. The client program uses this information to automatically remove JarBall Madness from future phones on that day.

  For completeness, FIG. 9 shows a simple example of a portion of the hierarchical structure maintained in the database 40. As previously mentioned, the devices are organized into logical hierarchical groups called departments. Each department inherits the contents of its parent department. By assigning content to these departments and individual devices, a profile for a specific device can be generated.

As can be seen from FIG. 9, Sue Bar owns the device “My Cell Phone”. She is part of the customer department and also part of the support and full department. Her device therefore has all the content assigned to the support, customer, and to that particular device. If Sue decides to use a service that sends all SMS (Short Message Service) messages to her email account, she requests that service from the relevant system administrator. The system administrator may decide not to make this service publicly available and only assign it to her cell phone. The next time the device receives a profile from the server, the device automatically receives the relevant application.
The system administrator is responsible for the entire hierarchy, but can delegate control of partial departments to other administrators. Thus, in FIG. 9, the network administrator is responsible for all departments, but may delegate the management of the customer support department and the technical support department to one or more other managers.

  The flowcharts of FIGS. 11 and 12 briefly illustrate the processes that take place when executing a client program on a device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows processing steps executed by the client program, and FIG. 12 shows processing steps executed by the server. Obviously, it is not necessary for all the embodiments to execute the series of steps shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 as they are, and FIGS. 11 and 12 show specific embodiments. For example, if the server determines that the device is not currently in the database, it will refuse to access the network instead of creating a new entry for the device in the “New Device” department. It's okay.

When the “new device” department is provided in the embodiment of FIG. 12, it is understood that it is generally provided as a child of the department “all”. If any content is associated with the department “all”, the new device inherits that content. However, as another method, content related to neither “all” nor “new device” may be provided, and no content may be provided to the new device when the server is contacted for the first time.
Regardless of which approach is taken, in the preferred embodiment, the network administrator attempts to reassign all devices placed in the “new device” department to the appropriate department in the hierarchy. For example, referring to FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, if the new device is actually in the “support” department, the support manager moves the device from the “new equipment” department to the “support” department. On subsequent accesses, the new device receives content suitable for the “support” department.

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are flowcharts showing the details of the process performed when the client program on the apparatus is executed. 13A to 13D show details of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 14 may be considered to show another embodiment shown in FIG. However, the process shown in FIG. 14 simply terminates the process, rather than assigning the unknown device to a new device department, so this process allows the system administrator to place the device in the appropriate position in the hierarchy. Use only when assigned.
In FIG. 13A, execution of the client program begins at step 500 and proceeds to step 510 to determine whether there is an available network. If not, the process ends at step 520 and starts again the next time the client program executes. As previously described, the client program preferably runs at a predetermined interval, which is determined according to the type of device.

  If the network is available, the process proceeds to step 530 and the device downloads the profile from the server 30. Step 540 determines whether the download was successful (ie, whether the profile was received from the server), and if not, the process returns to step 530. It is understood that if there is a temporary problem on the server or network that prevents sending the profile to the client program, the client program will stop here. Thus, in one embodiment, a time out mechanism may be provided here to branch the process to step 520 if the profile download is not successful within a predetermined time. However, for simplicity, FIG. 13A does not show this process.

  If the profile download is successful, the process proceeds to step 550 and compares the new profile with the content record 560 maintained on the network device to identify the content captured on the device according to the previous profile. However, before describing the remainder of FIGS. 13A through 13D, the method by which server 30 generates a profile is described below with reference to FIG. The profile generation is preferably performed by software installed on the server 30. The process begins at step 700 and at step 705 the server waits for a device connection. When the device is connected, it is determined in step 710 whether the device is known (ie, represented in the hierarchical structure), and if not, the connection is closed in step 720. The process then returns to step 705 to wait for the next device connection.

  However, if the device is known, the process proceeds to step 715 and retrieves the device's content identifier from the corresponding element in the hierarchical structure maintained on the database 40. Next, in step 725, it is determined in which department in the hierarchical structure the device is included, and the content identifier related to the department is added to the content identifier searched in step 715.

  Next, in step 735, it is determined whether the department has a parent in the hierarchical structure. If there is a parent, the parent department is searched in step 730, and then the content identifier in the department is added to the content identifier already searched from the database in step 725. Continuing this process and determining in step 735 that the current department has no parent (ie, referring to the previous example, this means that the current department is all departments), at this point It is determined that the corresponding content identifier has been searched. These content identifiers are then sent to the device as the profile requested at step 740. The process then returns to step 705 to wait for the next device connection.

Returning to FIG. 13A, as a result of step 550, new content to be searched, old content to be deleted or content to be updated has been determined by comparing the new profile with the previously stored content record 560. Accordingly, the process proceeds to step 570 of FIG. 13B to determine if there is content to be deleted. If it exists, the uninstaller is executed at step 575 to determine whether it is appropriate to delete the content.
Before continuing the description of FIG. 13B, a mechanism for determining whether an installer / uninstaller is necessary will be described in detail. As previously mentioned, when content is imported into a network device, it is also preferred to include relational information that identifies how to process the content when it is received. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this additional information is associated with the content via one or more preferably packagers implemented by the system of the preferred embodiment. An overview of this process is shown in FIG.

The content delivery mechanism is very flexible and allows developers to introduce new types of content along with any necessary installers and uninstallers without changing any client-side software. For example, the latest work results of all sales units within a particular organization are given to their device and automatically installed in a database application on that device.
This flexibility is achieved by organizing content within a standard Java archive (JAR file). In the preferred embodiment, standard Java archives are associated with the well-known file "META-INF / manifest.mf" and send these Java archives through the packager as shown in FIG. A JAR file is a file that has been compressed into a single file using a jar tool supplied with the Java Development Kit.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the content 800 is sent to the appropriate packager in the group of packagers 810. For example, one packager 830 packages applications, another packager 840 packages documents, and another packager 850 packages other types of content. The relevant packager modifies the content of the overt file to include at least the name, type, and version of the content. The packager is also free to include any other necessary variables in this file. As a result, a package 820 distributed to the network device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is obtained. Note that the resulting package is still fully compatible with Java.

  In a preferred embodiment, a packager is provided for each content type. Each type of content optionally includes an installer / uninstaller that installs / uninstalls such content on the network device. Obviously, since a packager is type specific and an installer / uninstaller is also type specific, a packager can include any variables that the corresponding installer / uninstaller specifically requires. For example, if the content type is a Microsoft Word document for a PC, the packager includes the required version number of the Microsoft Word required to read the file in the package. This causes the installer to look for that version of the word, for example, alert the user of the device if it is not found.

As another example, if the content type is an application program, the packager includes in the package the identification of which file is the main executable, the icon used to represent the program on the desktop, and so on. . The relevant installer can use this information to correctly install the application program.
As can be seen from the above, whether or not an installer / uninstaller is necessary depends on the type of content. The retrieved package, among other things, specifies the content type, as well as the content identifier in the profile. This allows the device administrator to check whether the installer / uninstaller is related to that content type. For example, this is appropriate if the content is an application program.

Returning to FIG. 13B, if it is determined in step 575 to execute the uninstaller, the process proceeds to step 585 where the appropriate uninstaller is downloaded and executed to delete the relevant content. In the preferred embodiment, to download the appropriate uninstaller, the client program queries the RMI registry 310 shown in FIG. 3 whether there is an installer / uninstaller for the type of content received. . If such an installer / uninstaller exists, the RMI registry downloads it to the client program and executes it to uninstall the specific content of interest.
However, not all content types require an uninstaller. For example, the content may be a data file that can simply be deleted. In this case, it is determined in step 575 that there is no need to run the uninstaller, and the process proceeds to step 580 to delete the content. The process then returns to step 570 to determine if there is another content that needs to be deleted. If so, repeat the process described above.

  If not, the process proceeds to step 590 and determines whether there is content to update. If so, the process proceeds to step 595 to download the updated content from the location indicated by the corresponding content identifier in the profile. As previously mentioned, the content is preferably stored on an Internet server, in which case the content identifier identifies the appropriate Internet address of the party to which the content is downloaded. When the content has been downloaded, it is determined in step 600 of FIG. 13C whether the installer / uninstaller needs to be executed. As previously mentioned, this determination is based on the type of content to be updated.

  For example, when the content is a data file, it is better not to execute the installer / uninstaller. Accordingly, the process proceeds to step 615 to delete stale content and save the updated content. However, if it is determined that an installer / uninstaller is required, the process proceeds to step 605, where the required installer / uninstaller is downloaded using the process previously described with reference to step 585. The uninstaller is then run to remove obsolete content, and then the process proceeds to step 610 where the required installer is run to install the updated content. The process then returns to step 590 to determine if there is another content that needs to be updated. If there is, the process described above is repeated, otherwise the process proceeds to step 620 shown in FIG. 13D.

  In step 620, it is determined whether there is new content to be added. If so, the process proceeds to step 625 and downloads new content using information provided by the relevant content identifier in the profile. Next, in step 630, it is determined whether the installer needs to be executed, and if so, the process proceeds to step 635 where the appropriate installer is downloaded and executed to install the content. If step 630 determines that no installer is required, the process proceeds directly to step 640 and saves the new content. With regard to the issue of where to store new content, if an installer is used, it may be determined whether there is a default location for storing that type of content. For example, if the content is a Microsoft Word file, the installer checks the device's configuration settings to see if a default location for the Microsoft Word file has been specified. The content is stored using the position. If such a default location does not exist, or if no installer is used, the device administrator may specify a default location for storing content.

  Once the new content has been stored on the device, the process returns to step 620 to determine if there is another content to add. If so, repeat the process described above, but if there is no other content to add, the process proceeds to step 645 and stores the current profile as a content record 560. In the preferred embodiment, at this stage the device should contain all the content shown in the current profile. However, if for some reason the device fails to capture a specific item of content in the profile (eg if the corresponding server was not running at that time), it simply remembers the current profile itself. Instead, it is preferable to update the content record 560 to reflect the actual content captured by the device according to the profile. Once the content record has been updated, the process proceeds to step 655 and the process ends.

  As will be appreciated from the above description, the system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a platform for managing different heterogeneous distributed devices. Such devices include, but are not limited to computers, digital mobile phones and set-top boxes. The system of the preferred embodiment provides a unique mechanism for automatically distributing, installing, and deleting almost any type of content, including applications, without user intervention. The system administrator uses the management tool to construct a content program for each device or group of devices. A small number of code on the client side compares the server-generated profile with a record of the content stored on the device according to the previous profile at predetermined intervals. Automatically captures and installs all new or updated content and removes all stalled content. In the preferred embodiment, the server, management tool, and client program all use Java.

To illustrate the diversity of the above system, the following example scenario is presented.
First, consider the case where a member of a company network introduces a new device. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device queries the owner's identity during synchronization. The server verifies that the user exists in the directory server and automatically installs the device as owned by the user. Assign a profile to the device based on its position in the hierarchical structure and automatically receive that content.

As a second example, consider a case where a member of an organizational unit changes its function. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user's icon in the hierarchy is dragged and dropped to the department representing the new function. This automatically updates a set of content to reflect this change the next time the user's device receives a profile.
As another example, consider the case where a team operates a pool of mobile phones. These are usually owned by organizational units in the directory server. When a user requests a device, the device is dragged from the organizational unit onto the user's icon and content appropriate for the user is automatically provided to the device.

As yet another example, consider the case of introducing a new program. The administrator packages a new program using one of the previously described packagers, moves the packaged content to the web server, and tells the server 30 the network location of the content. As a result, a corresponding content identifier is generated and associated with the corresponding department / device in the hierarchical structure.
Finally, consider a scenario for updating a program. If the program is packaged in an appropriate manner using one of the previously described packagers, it is automatically distributed as an improvement and improved according to the process previously described with reference to FIGS. 13A-13D The product is installed.

  Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited thereto and that many changes and additions may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions of the dependent claims and the functions of the independent claims can be variously combined without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (21)

A system for managing the distribution of content to devices,
A plurality of elements can be stored as a hierarchical structure of devices, and a content identifier can be associated with each element in the hierarchical structure, one of the elements representing the device, the element further representing one or more departments Each department includes a database represented by a logical group of devices, and
At regular intervals or to automatically generate a new profile when the user of the device changes between the one or more departments so that the device moves to a new location in the hierarchy. A server that generates a profile of the device by referring to the hierarchical structure in the database when the device is connected to a network, the profile of the device being given to the device and executed by the device A plurality of content identifiers indicating content including at least one application program or a data file used by a user of the device, and any content identifier associated with an element representing the device and its content in the hierarchical structure A profile of the device that includes any content identifier associated with the element on which the element depends And the server to be formed,
Wherein provided in the apparatus, the apparatus, the to receive the profile from the server, the content indicated by the profile by using the content identifiers of said profile is provided to the device, the content given to the device according to the profile a device management program configured so that is retained records identifying the device,
With
When the device management program further receives a subsequent profile from the server, the device management program causes the device to compare the content identifier and the record in the subsequent profile, and new content that has not yet been given to the device. wherein to determine the old content which is not imparted to the device, the new content using the content identifier the relationship is applied to the device, the is configured to delete the old content, the plurality of different types of content distribution, the system manages the content identifier further identifies the type of the corresponding content, the system.   The system of claim 1, wherein each content identifier provides a name of the corresponding content and a location indicator identifying a location from which the content can be obtained. The system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the content is stored on a server that can be contacted via the Internet, and the location indicator is a URL address. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of packagers for associating content information required to handle the content when receiving the content. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the distribution of a plurality of different types of content is managed by the system, and a packager is provided for each content type. 6. A system according to claim 4 or claim 5 , wherein the information related to the content includes an identification of an installer used to install the content on the device. System according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a management tool that provides an interface to the hierarchical structure stored on the database so that the user can manage. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the management tool can create and delete departments and associate a content identifier with each department. 9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the profile generated by the server includes all content identifiers associated with the device and all content identifiers associated with departments that the device depends on in the hierarchical structure. The management tool enables a person identifier to identify an individual given as an element in the hierarchical structure, and the management tool is used to identify the device and the individual who owns the device in the hierarchical structure. 10. A system according to any one of claims 7 to 9 that can be associated. The device management program connects to the server at predetermined intervals to request the profile, any of claims 10 to device that requested the profile claims 1 configured to identify the server one The system described in the section . The said dispensing of a plurality of different types of content, the system manages at least one of the type according to claims 1, which is a computer program to any of claims 11 system. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the database is a relational database. A storage medium for providing a computer program for controlling a server used in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the profile of the device is generated with reference to the database, A storage medium providing a computer program configured to send a profile to the device management program. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the profile is generated in response to a request for the profile from the device management program. 15. A storage medium according to claim 14 , further comprising a computer program for controlling a computer operating as a management tool in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the computer program A storage medium configured to provide an interface that allows a user to manage the hierarchical structure stored on the database. The elements in the hierarchical structure include one or more departments, each department represents a logical grouping of devices, and the management tool creates and deletes departments and associates content identifiers with each department. The storage medium according to claim 16, which is capable of. The management tool enables a person identifier to identify an individual given as an element in the hierarchical structure, and the management tool is used to identify the device and the individual who owns the device in the hierarchical structure. 18. A storage medium according to claim 16 or claim 17 that can be associated. 14. A storage medium for providing a device management program used in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 in the device, wherein the device management program receives a profile from the server, and the profile The content indicated by the profile using the content identifier in the device is given to the device, and when the subsequent profile is received from the server, the content identifier in the subsequent profile and the content given to the device according to the previous profile To determine new content that has not yet been given to the device and old content that will no longer be given to the device, and to use the related content identifier to place the new content in the device. Is configured to delete the old content given to Storage medium. A storage medium according to claim 19 , further comprising a computer program for controlling a computer operating as a packager used in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the packager A storage medium for associating with content information necessary to process the content when the device receives the content. A method for managing the distribution of content to devices,
The server stores a plurality of elements in a database as a hierarchical structure of devices, wherein a content identifier can be associated with each element in the hierarchical structure, one of the elements representing the device, The element further includes one or more departments, each department being represented by a logical group of devices;
The server periodically periodically generates a new profile when the device user is changed between the one or more departments so that the device moves to a new location in the hierarchy. A server that generates a profile of the device with reference to the hierarchical structure in the database at a regular interval or when the device is connected to a network, wherein the profile of the device is provided to the device An arbitrary content identifier associated with an element representing the device and the hierarchy, including a plurality of content identifiers indicating content including at least one application program executed on the device or a data file used by a user of the device; Including any content identifier associated with an element on which the element depends within the structure. The method comprising the steps of: generating a Rofiru,
Using a device management program, referring to the content identifier in the profile, the content indicated by the profile is given to the device, and a record for identifying the content given to the device according to the profile is held in the storage device comprising the steps of: Ru is,
When the device management program receives a subsequent profile, the device management program causes the device to compare the content identifier in the subsequent profile and the record, and to provide the device with new content that has not yet been provided to the device. not to determine the old content, the new content using the content identifier the relationship is applied to said device, comprising the steps of Ru is deleting the old contents,
The distribution is performed for a plurality of different types of content, and further identifying the type of content to which the content identifier corresponds;
Including said method.

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