JPH11232083A - Computer system and resource managing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a computer system with which system resources provided in the computer of an end user are efficiently held in the latest version while utilizing a computer network. SOLUTION: When a client computer 2 starts connection to a computer network 3, environment information containing the version of system resources provided in the computer is collected by an environment information collecting part 23 and transmitted to a server computer 1 by a server access part 22. At the server computer 1 which receives this environment information, on the other hand, it is discriminated by a version discriminating part 12 while referring to a latest module managing table 13 whether the system resources indicated in that environment information are the latest version or not, and the discriminated result is returned to the client computer 2. When a report informing that any system resource is a former version is returned, a download part 24 of the client computer 2 requests the transfer of that system resource to the server computer 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to various device drivers and BIOSes provided in end-user computers.
(Basic Input / Output System
The present invention relates to a computer system and a resource management system capable of maintaining the latest version of system resources such as m) using the Internet or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various computers called desktop type or notebook type have been developed. Also, various peripheral devices mounted or connected to these computers have been developed.

[0003] The peripheral devices are driven and controlled by a BIOS or a device driver operating under an operating system, and the BIOS and the device driver are updated, for example, in accordance with a version upgrade of the operating system or measures against bugs. .

[0004] The latest version of B after this update
The IOS and the device driver are recorded on a recording medium such as a floppy disk, for example, and distributed by mail or the like to a user who has been requested by the manufacturer of the provider.

[0005] In recent years, since the use of the Internet has become popular, there are many manufacturers who publish home pages on the Internet, and the latest version of B
It has been practiced to distribute IOS and device drivers via the Internet by having users refer to homepages.

[0006]

By the way, the update information on such system resources as the BIOS and the device driver is individually notified to the registered authorized user from the manufacturer as the provider each time. If there is no problem. However, for example, in the case of notifying by a magazine advertisement, etc., or in the case where the notification is not performed at all, the user himself may contact the maker appropriately or visit the above homepage. Was needed. On the other hand, on the manufacturer side, every time system resources such as BIOS and device driver are updated, it is a great burden to take some measure for the user.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and efficiently converts system resources such as various device drivers and BIOS of an end-user computer to the latest version using a computer network such as the Internet. It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer system and a resource management system capable of maintaining the information.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a server which, when a client computer is connected to a network, collects environment information including a version of a system resource provided in the client computer. On the other hand, the server computer receiving the environment information determines whether the system resource indicated by the environment information is the latest version, and returns the determination result to the client computer. It was done. When a server computer returns a notification that any of the system resources is an old version, the client computer requests the server computer to transfer the system resources.

In other words, according to the present invention, a client computer having an old version of system resources can automatically download the latest version of system resources from a server computer via a network. Work efficiency can be improved.

Further, the present invention provides the above-described resource management only when a client computer is connected to a network, and only when an elapsed period from the previous access to the server computer exceeds a predetermined period. Means for executing the processing, or even when the client computer is not connected to the network, but is still connected to the network, and the elapsed time from the previous access to the server computer exceeds a predetermined period. It is preferable to provide a means for newly executing the above-described resource management processing in the client computer when the client computer is in the state. As a result, more appropriate resource management is performed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of the configuration of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the computer system of this embodiment, a server computer 1 and a client computer 2 are connected via a computer network 3. The computer network 3 is a data communication network such as the Internet, for example, and is connected to an unspecified number of computers at irregular intervals. Also,
Each of the computers connected to the computer network 3 can be either a server computer or a client computer in each case. However, for the sake of explanation, a maker providing system resources such as a BIOS and a device driver will be described here. The computer is assumed to be a server computer 1, and the computer on the end user side supplied with these system resources is assumed to be a client computer 2.

The server computer 1 includes a control unit 11, a version determination unit 12, and a latest module management table 1.
3, a download unit 14, a latest module storage file 15, and an interface unit 16.

The control unit 11 controls the entire server computer 1. The version determination unit 12 determines whether the system resources such as the BIOS and the device driver of the client computer 2 are of the latest version. This determination is made by the client computer 2
This is performed by comparing the environment information including the version of the system resources included in the client computer 2 transmitted from the client with information on the latest module 15 managed by the latest module management table 13.

The latest module management table 13 is a table for managing the latest version (for example, version number) of each system resource such as BIOS and device driver provided to the user. The download unit 14 reads the latest module of the system resource requested from the client computer 2 from the latest module storage file 15 and transfers it. The latest module storage file 15 is a file that stores the latest module of each system resource. Then, the interface unit 16 controls connection with the computer network 3.

On the other hand, the client computer 2 includes a control unit 21, a server access unit 22, an environment information collection unit 23
And a download unit 24. Control unit 21
Controls the entire client computer 2. The server access unit 22 accesses the server computer 1 (when the client computer 2 starts connecting to the computer network 3).
Further, the server access unit 22 includes the environment information collection unit 2
3 transmits to the server computer 1 the environment information including the version of the system resources such as the BIOS and device driver of the client computer 2 collected by the client computer 2.

The environment information collection unit 23 collects environment information transmitted to the server computer 1 by the server access unit 22. This collection is performed, for example, by directly applying API (Application Program) to the system resource itself.
This is performed by making an inquiry through a "ramming interface", or by performing a read process on a memory or a register which is predetermined to store environment information.

The download unit 24 requests the server computer 1 to transfer the latest module of the system resources (indicated by the server computer 1 to indicate that the version is an old version), and the user transfers the latest module transferred to the user. Store in the specified storage location. Then, the interface unit 16 controls connection with the computer network 3.

Here, the operation procedure of the client computer of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
Is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the client computer 2.

When the client computer 2 starts connecting to the computer network 3 (step A)
1) The control unit 21 causes the environment information collection unit 23 to collect environment information including the version of the BIOS and device driver of the client computer 2 (step A2). Then, the control unit 21 controls the server access unit 2
2 to execute a connection to the server computer 1 (prespecified among the unspecified number of server computers) (step A3).

When the connection to the server computer 1 is successful (YES in step A4), the control unit 21 causes the server access unit 22 to transmit the environment information collected by the environment information collection unit 23 to the server computer 1 (step A).
5).

Next, when a response to the transmission of the environment information is notified from the server computer 1 (step A).
6) The control unit 21 recognizes from the notification whether or not all of the current environment (system resources) is the latest version (step A7). Is (NO in step A7),
First, an inquiry is made to the user as to whether to request the server computer 1 to transfer the latest module of the system resource which is the old version (step A8).

When an instruction to request the transfer of the latest module is obtained (YES in step A9), the storage location of the transferred latest module is inquired of the user, and the server access unit 22 is notified of the latest module. Ask the server computer to transfer the module,
The latest module transferred in response to the request is stored in the specified storage location.

Next, the operation procedure of the server computer of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when environment information is transmitted from the client computer 2, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when a transfer request for the latest module is transmitted from the client computer 2.

When the server computer 1 receives the environment information from the client computer 2 (step B1 in FIG. 3), the control unit 11 transfers the environment information to the version determination unit 12, and transmits the system resources indicated by the environment information. It is determined whether each is the latest module (step B2 in FIG. 3). Then, the version determination unit 12 determines whether each of the system resources indicated by the transferred environment information is the latest module by referring to the latest module management table 13, and returns the determination result to the client computer 2. (Step B3 in FIG. 3).

When the server computer 1 receives the latest module transfer request from the client computer 2 (step C1 in FIG. 4), the server computer 1 notifies the download section 14 of the request. Then, upon receiving this notification, the download unit 14 reads the corresponding latest module from the latest module storage file 15 (step C in FIG. 4).
2) Transfer the read latest module to the client computer 2 (step C3 in FIG. 4).

As described above, according to the computer system of this embodiment, when the client computer 2 has the old version of the system resources, the latest module is automatically transferred to the server when the client computer 2 is connected to the computer network 3. It can be obtained from the computer 1.

In the computer system of the above-described embodiment, when the client computer 2 starts to connect to the computer network 3, the environment information is transmitted to the server computer 1.
For example, the control unit 21 is provided with means for determining whether or not the elapsed time from the previous access to the server computer 1 exceeds a predetermined period, so that even when the connection to the computer network 3 is started. It is also effective not to transmit the environmental information to the server computer 1 when the elapsed time from the previous access does not exceed a predetermined period.

Further, even when the client computer 2 does not start the connection to the computer network 3, the control unit 21 informs the control unit 21 of the last access to the server computer 1 in the state of being connected to the computer network 3. It is also possible to provide a means for determining whether or not the elapsed time from the time exceeds a predetermined period, and to transmit the environmental information to the server computer 1 when these conditions are met. It is valid.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when a client computer is connected to a network, environment information including the version of system resources provided in the client computer is collected and transmitted to the server computer. On the other hand, the server computer receiving the environment information determines whether the system resource indicated by the environment information is the latest version, and returns the determination result to the client computer. When a notification that any of the system resources is an old version is returned, the client computer requests the transfer of the system resource from the server computer so that the client computer having the old version of the system resource is returned. Is the most Will be able to automatically download a version of the system resources from the server computer via the network, it is possible to achieve a user side and efficient manufacturer both work.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing a part of a configuration of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the operation procedure of the client computer of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating an operation procedure when environment information is transmitted from a client computer of the server computer of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart showing the operation procedure when a transfer request for the latest module is transmitted from the client computer of the server computer of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Server computer 2 ... Client computer 3 ... Computer network 11 ... (Server computer side) control part 12 ... Version judgment part 13 ... Latest module management table 14 ... (Server computer side) Download part 15 ... Latest module 16 ... (Server computer) Side) interface unit 21 (client computer side) control unit 22 server access unit 23 environment information collection unit 24 (client computer side) download unit 25 ... (client computer side) interface unit

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A computer system in which a client computer appropriately accesses a server computer via a network, comprising: a server access unit for accessing a server computer designated in advance when connecting to the network; Environment information collecting means for collecting environment information including a version of a system resource provided in the client computer; environment information transmitting means for transmitting the environment information collected by the environment information collecting means to the designated server computer; Requesting transfer of the system resources to the specified server computer when a notification that any of the system resources is an old version is returned from the specified server computer in response to the transmission of Computer system characterized in that a and downloading means. 2. The server access means, the environment information collection means, and the environment, wherein the client computer is provided with the server access means only when an elapsed time from a previous access to the designated server computer exceeds a predetermined period. 2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising timer control means for operating the information transmission means and the download means. 3. When the client computer is connected to the network and the elapsed time from the previous access to the designated server computer exceeds a predetermined period, 2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising timer control means for newly operating server access means, environment information collection means, environment information transmission means and download means. 4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said download means has an inquiry means for inquiring of a user whether or not to execute a request for transferring system resources to said server system. 5. A computer system in which a client computer appropriately accesses a server computer via a network, wherein the server computer manages the latest version of the system resources provided in the client computer. When environment information including the version of the system resource provided in the client computer is transmitted from the client computer, whether or not the system resource indicated by the environment information is the latest version managed by the system resource management means A computer system comprising: a determination unit for determining; and a determination result notification unit that notifies a determination result of the determination unit to a client computer that is a transmission source of the environment information. 6. A resource management method for a client computer which appropriately accesses a server computer via a network, comprising: a step of accessing a server computer designated in advance when connecting to the network; Collecting environment information including a version of a system resource; transmitting the collected environment information to the specified server computer; and responding to the transmission of the environment information from the specified server computer. Requesting the designated server computer to transfer the system resources when a notification that the system resources are an old version is returned. 7. A resource management method for a server computer which is appropriately accessed from a client computer via a network and manages the latest version of system resources provided in the client computer, wherein the client computer is connected to the client computer from any one of the client computers. When environment information including the version of the system resource provided is transmitted, determining whether or not the system resource indicated by the environment information is the latest version to be managed; and Notifying the client computer that is the transmission source of the resource.