Abstract: Described is a technology by which encrypted content is pre-distributed to recipients during a pre-distribution timeframe, for example to distribute protected content to many clients in a controlled manner. At a release moment, a key for decrypting the encrypted content is released. For example, a software update may be pre-distributed in this manner, whereby many clients may receive the updates over time but the update cannot be analyzed for hacking purposes, e.g., to use the update to figure out a prior vulnerability. By rapidly and widely disseminating the key at the release moment, the update is installed on a large percentage of client systems before those systems can be exploited. The content may be allowed to expire before the key is released, or may be canceled or replaced. The content may include a complete file, and/or a delta file that changes another file into a resultant piece of content.

Abstract: A system and method for managing group policy objects in a network, including interfaces that allow access by programs or a user interface component to functions of a group policy management console that performs management tasks on group policy objects and other related objects. The interfaces abstract the underlying data storage and retrieval, thereby facilitating searching for objects, and providing the ability to delegate, view, change and permissions on those objects, and check and save those permissions. Modeling and other test simulations are facilitated by other interfaces. Other interfaces provide dynamic and interactive features, such as to convey progress and rich status messages, and allow canceling of an ongoing operation. Still other interfaces provide methods for operating on group policy related data, including group policy object backup, restore, import, copy and create methods, and methods for linking group policy objects to scope of management objects.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which encrypted content is pre-distributed to recipients during a pre-distribution timeframe, for example to distribute protected content to many clients in a controlled manner. At a release moment, a key for decrypting the encrypted content is released. For example, a software update may be pre-distributed in this manner, whereby many clients may receive the updates over time but the update cannot be analyzed for hacking purposes, e.g., to use the update to figure out a prior vulnerability. By rapidly and widely disseminating the key at the release moment, the update is installed on a large percentage of client systems before those systems can be exploited. The content may be allowed to expire before the key is released, or may be canceled or replaced. The content may include a complete file, and/or a delta file that changes another file into a resultant piece of content.

Abstract: A system and method for managing group policy objects in a network, including interfaces that allow access by programs or a user interface component to functions of a group policy management console that performs management tasks on group policy objects and other related objects. The interfaces abstract the underlying data storage and retrieval, thereby facilitating searching for objects, and providing the ability to delegate, view, change and permissions on those objects, and check and save those permissions. Modeling and other test simulations are facilitated by other interfaces. Other interfaces provide dynamic and interactive features, such as to convey progress and rich status messages, and allow canceling of an ongoing operation. Still other interfaces provide methods for operating on group policy related data, including group policy object backup, restore, import, copy and create methods, and methods for linking group policy objects to scope of management objects.

Abstract: A system and method comprising a reporting mechanism for outputting an HMTL and XML document from a collection of hierarchically maintained settings such as group policy object settings or resultant set of policy data. The reporting mechanism provides a substantially complete view of which settings are configured (enabled) in a given group policy object, or a view for a resultant set of policy (that is applied to a given SOM), along with the values of the settings. The markup language format enables viewing a flat representation of the settings, and printing, saving and/or transporting of the settings. XML schemas describe a valid representation of group policy settings, and a valid representation of resultant set of policy.

Abstract: A system and method for managing group policy objects in a network, including interfaces that allow access by programs or a user interface component to functions of a group policy management console that performs management tasks on group policy objects and other related objects. The interfaces abstract the underlying data storage and retrieval, thereby facilitating searching for objects, and providing the ability to delegate, view, change and permissions on those objects, and check and save those permissions. Modeling and other test simulations are facilitated by other interfaces. Other interfaces provide dynamic and interactive features, such as to convey progress and rich status messages, and allow canceling of an ongoing operation. Still other interfaces provide methods for operating on group policy related data, including group policy object backup, restore, import, copy and create methods, and methods for linking group policy objects to scope of management objects.