Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Robert M Price

Daniel S Glasser

William Lewis Veghte

Ann Elizabeth McCurdy

Robert George Atkinson

Stephen Thomas Wells

Scott A Thurlow

David A Raissipour

Leonard Thomas Smale

James W Kelly

Robert P Reichel

Aaron M Contorer

Bryan William Tuttle

Gregory A Jones

Particular embodiments include a system and method to enable a user-controlled proxy system or coordinating computer to automatically or semi-automatically communicate with multiple devices, determine the currently operating software contents and versions for each device, and to automatically or semi-automatically upgrade each device with updated software without requiring user intervention. The software may include communication, operating system or application-specific program codes that improve a given device's designed function.

System and method for updating software in electronic devices

An electronic mail (e-mail) application program includes a configurable, e-mail messaging feature for automatically responding to a portable computer's transition between online and offline states. The e-mail application program determines the state of a connection between a portable computer and an electronic mail server and processes electronic messages in accordance with the appropriate state. The portable computer's transition between an online state and an offline state triggers a user-configurable response, designed to permit the continuation of electronic mail message processing in a manner that accommodates the state change. The e-mail application program responds to such a transition by automatically switching between online and offline modes of operation. The e-mail application program can also respond to such a transition by establishing a secondary connection to a mail server when a primary connection is rendered inoperative. A user may configure various aspects of the invention to respond to a transition in a way that accommodates the user's hardware and/or software requirements.

Method for continuously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

Method for continouously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

A certification or signature is incorporated in a computer program, an executable file, or code to assure its authenticity and integrity, particularly for receiving it over an open computer network like the Internet. The executable file may be of any executable form, including an executable or portable executable .exe file format, a .cab cabinet file format, an .ocx object control format, or a Java class file. The certification includes a keyed source confirmation with a secure representation of the executable file. In an embodiment, the certification is referenced in a header of the executable file, the reference including a pointer to the keyed source confirmation and an indication of the size of the keyed source confirmation.

Embedding certifications in executable files for network transmission

A unified and straightforward approach to managing file and other resource security in a networked computing environment is disclosed. The invention can be implemented in a multi-user computer network that includes a client computer, a server computer that controls a resource sharable among users of the network, such as a shared file folder or directory, and a communications pathway between the client computer and the server computer. The resource is organized as a hierarchy of elements with a root elemnent at the top of the hierarchy and additional elements below the root element. According to the invention, a request is received to change a protection, such as an access permission, of an element of the resource hierarchy (other than the root) with respect to a particular network user. If the element in question lacks an associated access control list, a nearest ancestor element of the hierarchy is located that has an associated access control list. The first (descendant) element inherits the access control list of the second (ancestor) element. This inheritance is done by generating a copy of the access control list of the second element and associating the generated copy with the first element. The requested change in protection is then incorporated into the generated copy that has been associated with the first element so as to establish an updated access control list for the first element. Further, the requested change can be propagated downwards in the hierarchy from the first element to its descendants having access control lists.

Methods and arrangements for controlling resource access in a networked computing environment

A method and system for connecting to, browsing, and accessing computer network resources are provided. In a network in which the preferred embodiment of the present invention operates, a client video display includes a container called &ldquo;Network Neighborhood.&rdquo; The Network Neighborhood provides a constrained view of the network in a NOS-independent manner. The Network Neighborhood provides a constrained view of the network by displaying only those network resources that are determined to be interesting to the user. Further, the Network Neighborhood provides this view in a NOS-independent manner by displaying all of the network resources in a consistent manner, regardless of the type of client software that was used to enumerate or discover the network resources. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each type of client software installed on a client determines a list of network resources that are interesting to the user. The combination of these lists of network resources is initially included in the Network Neighborhood. The user (or the user's administrator) can then determine that additional network resources are interesting to the user and can add these resources to the Network Neighborhood. Once the network resources that have been determined to be interesting to the user have been included in the Network Neighborhood, the user can browse and access these resources through the Network Neighborhood.

Method and system for connecting to, browsing, and accessing computer network resources

A unified and straightforward approach to managing file and other resource security in a networked computing environment is disclosed. The invention can be implemented in a multi-user computer network that includes a client computer, a server computer that controls a resource sharable among users of the network, such as a shared file folder or directory, and a communications pathway between the client computer and the server computer. The resource is organized as a hierarchy of elements with a root element at the top of the hierarchy and additional elements below the root element. According to the invention, a request is received to change a protection, such as an access permission, of an element of the resource hierarchy (other than the root) with respect to a particular network user. If the element in question lacks an associated access control list, a nearest ancestor element of the hierarchy is located that has an associated access control list. The first (descendant) element inherits the access control list of the second (ancestor) element. This inheritance is done by generating a copy of the access control list of the second element and associating the generated copy with the first element. The requested change in protection is then incorporated into the generated copy that has been associated with the first element so as to establish an updated access control list for the first element. Further, the requested change can be propagated downwards in the hierarchy from the first element to its descendants having access control lists.

Method and system for controlling user access to a resource in a

A method and system for connecting to, browsing, and accessing computer network resources are provided. In a network in which the preferred embodiment of the present invention operates, a client video display includes a container called 'Network Neighborhood.' The Network Neighborhood provides a constrained view of the network in a NOS-independent manner. The Network Neighborhood provides a constrained view of the network by displaying only those network resources that are determined to be interesting to the user. Further, the Network Neighborhood provides this view in a NOS-independent manner by displaying all of the network resources in a consistent manner, regardless of the type of client software that was used to enumerate or discover the network resources. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each type of client software installed on a client determines a list of network resources that are interesting to the user. The combination of these lists of network resources is initially included in the Network Neighborhood. The user (or the user's administrator) can then determine that additional network resources are interesting to the user and can add these resources to the Network Neighborhood. Once the network resources that have been determined to be interesting to the user have been included in the Network Neighborhood, the user can browse and access these resources through the Network Neighborhood.

Method and system for connecting to, browsing, and accessing computer

A certification or signing method ensures the authenticity and integrity of a computer program, an executable file, or code received over a computer network. The method is used by a publisher or distributor to 'sign' an executable file so it can be transmitted with confidence to a recipient over an open network like the Internet. The executable file may be of any executable form, including an executable or portable executable .exe file format, a .cab cabinet file format, an .ocx object control format, or a Java class file. The code signing method assures the recipient of the identity of the publisher as the source of file (i.e., its authenticity) and that the file has not been modified after being transmitted by the publisher (i.e., the integrity of the file). As a result, the code signing method allows an executable file to be transmitted over open computer networks like the Internet with increased certainty in the identity of the source of the file and minimized risk of contracting a computer virus or other malicious executable computer files.

Code certification for network transmission

A method and system for authenticating access to heterogeneous computing services is provided. In a preferred embodiment, logon providers are configured into the computer system, which provide secure access to their services by requiring authentication of user identification information using a logon mechanism. According to this embodiment, a user designates a primary logon provider to provide an initial logon user interface. The user enters identification information when this user interface is displayed, for example a user name, a password and a domain. The computer system executes a logon sequence, which first invokes the primary logon provider to collect identification information and to authenticate the user for access to services provided by the primary logon provider. The system then authenticates the collected identification information to provide the user access to operating system computer services. If the system logon authentication procedure is not successful, then the logon sequence displays its own user interface to collect additional identification information. The logon sequence then invokes the logon routines of other logon providers to enable them to authenticate already collected identification information without displaying additional user interfaces. A preferred embodiment enables the system logon sequence to use authentication information stored on a network to authenticate the user for access to local computing services. Also, logon providers can be provided for drivers other than network drivers when a logon mechanism is required to access their computing services. Further, using a primary logon provider, the initial logon user interface displayed to collect identification information can be replaced.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Robert M Price