On-demand active role-based software provisioning
View Patent ↗Automated software provisioning based upon a set of role definitions for a user of a configurable device such as a computer or personal digital assistant. The present invention may be realized as an enhancement or extension to currently available software distribution tools which are used to distribute software to remote and local machines, and to permit unattended software installation and maintenance. The invention provides role-based software provisioning which automatically distributes the appropriate software programs and updates to computers that are owned by users based on the role of each user, thereby avoiding the need for intensive manual efforts to determine which computers need what software. The invention may also be interfaced to a License Management system in order to accomplish automatic recovery of unused software licenses, and to obtain permission for installing new licenses, based on user role changes.
1. A method for automatically provisioning a networked device with one or more software programs comprising the:
associating with a first user and a first networked client device at least one computer-readable user-organizational role definition file, containing at least one software package identifier according to an organizational role to be performed by said user;
initializing said first networked client device for use in said organization by said user for said user-organizational role by installing one or more software packages on said networked client device according to said software package identifiers in said user-organizational role definition file;
storing said user-organizational role definition file on or in said associated first networked client device using a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol directory service protocol such that said user-organizational role definition file is modifiable by said first user using said networked device, and such that a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server may monitor status of said user-organizational role definition file;
subsequent to said initialization of said first networked client device, providing on-demand reconfiguration responsive to detection of modification by said first user of said user-organizational role definition file through monitoring by said Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server by:
reevaluating software package requirements of said first networked client device with respect to said first user's modified role definition;
installing on said first networked client device via said Lightweight Directory Access Protocol one or more software packages required by said first user according to a modified first user's organizational role as reflected in said modified user-organizational role definition file; and
uninstalling from said first networked client device via said Lightweight Directory Access Protocol one or more software packages no longer required by said first user according to a modified organizational role as reflected in said first user's modified user-organizational role definition file; and
recovering one or more licenses by a license management system corresponding to said uninstalled software packages such that recovered licenses may be reassigned to second and subsequent users of second and subsequent networked client devices during repetition of said steps of initialization and providing on-demand reconfiguration.