Abstract: The present invention relates to a software distribution application, which is used to deploy software products to multiple endpoints. The software distribution application supports either bundled packages (detailing all the operations to be executed on the endpoints) or native packages (including a simple command for launching an external installation program); an introspection attribute is added to discriminate the two types of packages. Whenever an endpoint receives (314) a native package, a snapshot of the endpoint is taken (332) using a reverse engineering tool (such as AutoPack). The desired software product is then installed launching (334) the corresponding external installation program. As soon as the installation has been completed, a further snapshot of the endpoint is taken (336). A reversed package is built (338-339) according to a comparison between the two snapshots.

Abstract: A method (300) of building a package for installing a software application on a data processing system with a distributed architecture is proposed. The installation package is built using an authoring tool based on a declarative model. In the proposed method, a descriptor is used to define (309) a desired configuration of the system (specifying the software products to be installed for each role that can be played by the different target computers of the system). The installation package is build declaring a discoverer element (312), a producer element (315) and a consumer element (318) into the wizard tree (while the product tree is left empty). During the installation process, the discoverer element detects (330-332) a current configuration of the system (including the role assigned to each target computer). The producer creates (337-351) a working queue dynamically, inserting the installation operations that are needed for reaching the desired configuration from the current configuration of the system.

Abstract: A method and a corresponding system for authenticating software products are proposed. A digital certificate (260) and a corresponding private key (265) required to sign each product are stored on a server computer. Whenever a user needs to sign a product, he/she logs on a client computer and transmits a corresponding request to the server computer. The server computer verifies whether the request has been received from an authorized subject; for example, an address of the client computer and an identifier of the user are compared with a predefined list (245). If the result of the verification is positive, the product is signed and returned to the client computer. For this purpose, a script (250) called on the server computer includes either an instruction passing the access password to a signing tool (255) as a parameter or an instruction causing the signing tool (255) to import the access password from a registry of the server computer.

Abstract: A method of managing configuration changes in a data processing system, particularly a network wherein software products (250) must be distributed to client workstations. The method provides the definition of reference models (220e-220d) arranged in a tree (215); each reference model includes configuration elements (such as software products and/or hardware features and their desired target status) for the corresponding client workstations (subscribers). A target configuration (230) of the client workstations associated with each reference model is determined by inheriting the configuration elements of the parent reference models. A list of actions (245) to be carried out on each client workstation for reaching the corresponding target configuration is determined by comparing the target configuration with a current configuration of the client workstation stored in a corresponding inventory (245).

Abstract: A method and system for tracing the failing or successful execution of nested functions coded with return codes in a thread during its execution. The method and system further allow accessing the thread execution information in the trace file and visualizing the tree structure of the nested functions and the result of the execution for each of them.

Abstract: A method (300) of distributing software features (particularly software products having a global portion and a user portion necessary for activating the software products) to client workstations of a network; each client workstation has a multi-user operating system, and may be accessed (327-328) with different user profiles each one associated with a corresponding operating context. A distribution package is received (312) in the client workstation; the distribution package includes instructions associated with global activities for the client workstation as a whole or with user activities specific for the single profiles. A distribution agent (running outside the context of a current profile) executes (309-329) only the global activity (even if the workstation is in a logoff condition) and schedules the user activities to be performed when a user next logs onto the workstation.

Abstract: A method and system for distributing byte data files to endpoint stations through a network, the byte data files being modified versions of an base byte data file stored on the endpoint stations. The method comprises steps for creating a delta software package comprising at least one resulting delta file obtained by applying a differencing algorithm to the base byte data file and the modified byte data file. The method further comprises the step of adding in the header of the software package file, a data integrity code of the base byte data file. On the endpoint stations, the method comprises steps for comparing the base byte data file integrity of the code in the delta package to the code in the base byte data file stored on the end stations. If the code is identical, the delta file is used to rebuild the modified version of the base byte data file from the base byte data file stored on the end stations.

Abstract: A software distribution system comprises building blocks including a preparation and test site, comprising a software package editor, software package transformation tools and an AutoPack module for preparing and testing software packages to be distributed to endpoints. A software package comprises a file including a complete definition of the actions involved in a software distribution and, once distributed, when a software package is available to a target endpoint, an engine resident on the target can be instructed via the management agent to decode the software package from the file into memory and then to perform various software distribution operations including installing, removing and modifying the software and configuration of the endpoint.