Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Michael L Davis

Bruce Wayne Copeland

Or Ben-Natan

Raymond W McCollum

Jonathan I Shuval

The present invention provides for automatically installing software on heterogeneous computer systems. In a distributed system having heterogeneous computer systems having dissimilar hardware or software components or dissimilar configuration information, such as different natural languages, different operating system types, different network operating system types, and different processor types, the present invention automatically installs the appropriate edition of software on computers. The present invention installs an edition of software appropriate for use with a specific operating system type, appropriate for execution on a particular processor type and in a particular natural language by utilizing commands specific to an operating system and network operating system type. The present invention automatically installs software in response to user input, the addition of a new computer to the distributed system, or upon the availability of a new version of the software.

Automatic software installation on heterogeneous networked computer systems

A method and system for consolidating related error reports is provided. In a preferred embodiment, an facility preferably implemented in software ('the facility') receives error reports and success reports generated by programs. When the facility receives a novel error report specifying an error source for which no error state is set, it sets an error state corresponding to the error report. The facility also preferably generates a consolidated error report at this point, which is delivered to a error state reporting subsystem. The error state reporting subsystem may add the consolidated error report to an error log and/or display it to a user. When the facility receives a redundant error report specifying an error source for which an error state is already set, the facility preferably does not set a new error state, nor does it generate a consolidated error report. When the facility receives a success report specifying an error source, it clears any error states that are set for the specified error source, and preferably generates a consolidated success report. The performance of the facility is preferably optimized by processing success reports asynchronously.

Method and system for consolidating related error reports in a computer

The present invention provides for automatically installing software on heterogeneous client computer systems. In a distributed system having heterogeneous computer systems of different natural languages, different operating system types, and/or different processor types, the present invention automatically installs the appropriate edition of software onto client computers. The present invention installs an edition of software appropriate for execution on a particular processor type, with a particular operating system type and in a particular natural language by utilizing commands specific to an operating system type. The present invention automatically installs software in response to the availability of a new version of the software, a change in the operating system of the client computer, a change in the associated natural language of the client computer, or in response to input of the administrator of the distributed system.

Automatic software installation on heterogeneous networked client

A method and system for associating related errors in a computer system is provided. In a preferred embodiment, an error reported by a first program is associated with a related error reported by a second program that calls the first program. The first program detects the occurrence of an error, and, in response, generates a first error report containing information describing the error detected by the first program. The first error report is thereafter associated with a first error report identifier identifying the first error report. When the first program later returns to the second program, the second program also detects the occurrence of an error. In response, the second program likewise generates an error report containing information describing the error detected by the second program. The second error report is thereafter associated with a second error report identifier identifying the second error report. After the first and second error reports have been generated, the method and system generates an indication that the error reports identified by the first and second error report identifiers are related.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Michael L Davis