Automatic software installation on heterogeneous networked client computer systems

Patent 5742829 Issued on April 21, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 21, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

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Inventors

Assignee

Microsoft Corporation

Application

No. 403246 filed on 03/10/1995

US Classes:

717/178Including downloading

Examiners

Primary: Voeltz, Emanuel T.
Assistant: Corcoran, III, Peter J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Seed and Berry LLP

International Class

G06F 009/45

Abstract

The present invention provides for automatically installing software on heterogeneous client computer systems. In a distributed system having heterogeneous computer systems of different natural languages, different operating system types, and/or different processor types, the present invention automatically installs the appropriate edition of software onto client computers. The present invention installs an edition of software appropriate for execution on a particular processor type, with a particular operating system type and in a particular natural language by utilizing commands specific to an operating system type. The present invention automatically installs software in response to the availability of a new version of the software, a change in the operating system of the client computer, a change in the associated natural language of the client computer, or in response to input of the administrator of the distributed system.