Granted Patent B2

US 7,647,621 · App. 11/112,032 · Granted Jan 12, 2010

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality to rules for applying policies to a computer;

identifying information associated with the computer that is usable for policy management; and

applying the policies to the computer based on the plurality of rules and the information;

wherein the plurality of rules include a rule tree;

wherein the policies are applied to computer upon the computer being first included in a population of computers;

wherein the rule tree include a plurality of decision points; and

wherein the plurality of decision points determine an operation system associated with the computer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies are manually edited.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies are again applied to the computer after the computer being first included in the population of computers.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the policies are again applied to the computer in response to the identification of a problem associated with the computer.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the policies are again applied to the computer in response to a change in the plurality of rules.

6. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the policies are again applied to the computer in response to a virus outbreak.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of decision points determine a geography associated with the computer.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of decision points determine a type of the computer.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of decision points determine a business unit associated with the computer.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising changing the plurality of rules.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rules are changed in response to a virus outbreak.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies include security policies.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies include administrator rights policies.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies include computer setting policies.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies include notification policies.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the policies include task policies.

17. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, comprising:

computer code for identifying a plurality to rules for applying policies to a computer;

computer code for identifying information associated with the computer that is usable for policy management; and

computer code for applying the policies to the computer based on the plurality of rules and the information;

wherein the plurality of rules include a rule tree;

wherein the policies are applied to computer upon the computer being first included in a population of computers;

wherein the rule tree include a plurality of decision points; and

wherein the plurality of decision points determine an operation system associated with the computer.

18. A system, comprising:

a bus;

a display device;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the display device via the bus, the processor adapted for identifying a plurality to rules for applying policies to a computer and information associated with the computer that is usable for policy management;

wherein the policies are applied to the computer based on the plurality of rules and the information;

wherein the plurality of rules include a rule tree;

wherein the system is operable such that the policies are applied to computer upon the computer being first included in a population of computers;

wherein the rule tree include a plurality of decision points; and

wherein the system is operable such that the plurality of decision points determine an operation system associated with the computer.

Assignments (9)