Registry key federation systems and methods

1. A method for registry key management in a computer network, the method comprising:

detecting registry keys stored in a registry of each of a plurality of client computing devices;

storing on a remote database a copy of the registry keys of each of the plurality of client computing devices, the remote database being in network communication with each of the plurality of client computing devices;

modifying the copy of the registry keys of a first one of the plurality of client computing devices on the remote database to reflect modifications to the registry of the first client computing device;

detecting an upgrade or change of an operating system installed on the first client computing device;

accessing a data structure in the remote database that indicates whether the first client computing device is a part of a group for which one or more particular ones of the registry keys are to be installed; and

automatically reinstalling registry keys on the first client computing device based on the copy of the registry keys stored on the remote database and the information in the data structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising tracking with a management module executing on the first client computing device modifications made to the registry of the first client computing device, wherein said tracking is performed with a user interface configured to receive registry changes input by a user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting registry keys comprises identifying the registry keys based on predetermined criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising replicating according to one or more policies at least one registry key between at least two of the plurality of client computing devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said upgrade or change comprises an installation of an operating system on the first client computing device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the operating system comprises a different operating system than a previous operating system installed on the first client computing device prior to said upgrade or change.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said reinstalling registry keys comprises translating at least one registry key from a first format corresponding to the previous operating system to a second format corresponding to the different operating system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting registry keys is performed with one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying the copy of the registry keys comprises adding a new registry key to the copy of the registry keys.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting an upgrade or change comprises detecting a failure of the client computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said storing the copy of the registry keys comprises storing fewer registry keys than those detected in the registries of the plurality of client computing devices.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating system is a MICROSOFT WINDOWS operating system.

13. A system for managing registry keys in a computer network, the system comprising:

a plurality of client computing devices each comprising a registry having a plurality of registry keys;

at least one management server in network communication with the plurality of client computing devices, the at least one management server being configured to:

detect registry keys stored in the registry of each of the plurality of client computing devices; and

maintain in a database a copy of the registry keys installed in each registry of the plurality of client computing devices; and

a management module executing on a first one of the plurality of client computing devices, the management module being configured to

instruct the at least one management server to update the copy of the registry keys to reflect modifications made to the registry of the first client computing device,

wherein the at least one management server is further configured to:

modify the copy of the registry keys on the database to reflect said modifications to the registry of the first client computing device;

detect an upgrade or change of an operating system installed on the first client computing device;

access a data structure in the database that indicates whether the first client computing device is a part of a group for which one or more particular ones of the registry keys are to be installed; and

automatically reinstall registry keys on the first client computing device based on the copy of the registry keys stored on the database and the information in the data structure.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the copy of the registry keys comprises a full copy of the registry keys installed on the plurality of client computing devices.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the copy of the registry keys comprises a list of the registry keys installed on the plurality of client computing devices.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the management module is configured to reinstall the registry keys of the first client computing device to the first client computing device during a rebuilding of the first client computing device.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one management server further comprises a translation module configured to translate one of the registry keys associated with a first format corresponding to a first operating system to a second format corresponding to a second operating system.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one management server further accesses at least one predetermined policy to replicate at least one of the registry keys on one client computing device to a second client computing device.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the management module comprises a user interface configured to receive registry key changes input by a user.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operating system is a MICROSOFT WINDOWS operating system.