Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Ryan M Burkhardt

Jason L Cohen

Tom G Yaryan

Raj Jhanwar

Bruce L Green

David J D'Souza

Donald McNamara

Seung-Yup Chai

Seetharaman Harikrishnnan

Vijayachandran Jayaseelan

David L Johnson

Seetharaman Harikrishnan

Nicholas R Legget

Stephen Lodwick

David Steeves

Krishna C Vitaldevara

Gregory D Hartrell

Wesley G Miller

Luke Abrams

Sanjay G Shenoy

Aby John

Richard Bond

Vijesh Shetty

In one embodiment, a cloud service interfaceor a device interfacemay filter messages in a message synchronization between a message service account and a cloud service account. A cloud service interfaceor a device interfacemay associate a message service accounton a user messaging devicewith a cloud service account. The cloud service interfaceor a device interfacemay execute a message synchronization between the cloud service accountand the message service account. The cloud service interfaceor a device interfacemay apply a message filter to the message synchronization.

Safety protocols for messaging service-enabled cloud services

Key exchanges between peer-to-peer devices can be vulnerable to man in the middle attacks. Verification of the key exchanges can be made on a channel, network and/or device different from the channel, network and/or device used for the key exchange to determine whether the key exchange was secure. Verification of the key exchange can also be made through an established and trusted device and/or entity. If the key exchange was secure, the parties to a communication utilizing the key(s) exchanged can be notified, if desired. If the key exchange was not secure, the parties can be notified and the communication can be selectively disconnected.

Key exchange verification

Controlling access to functionality within an installed software product. The invention includes an authorization module that dynamically references authorization information when specific functionality is requested by a requesting entity such as a user or an application program to determine if the requested functionality is authorized to be executed. Further, the invention dynamically provides an opportunity to the requesting entity to purchase unauthorized functionality. In this manner, functionality within the software product may be enabled or disabled at any time (e.g., during installation, post-installation, and re-installation).

Selectively authorizing software functionality after installation of the software

Software programs, such as an operating system or other application programs, are automatically customized to a specific user(s) based on data corresponding to the specific user(s) that is maintained in a user information store. In one embodiment, the information store is a unified store that is accessible by multiple programs including the operating system. Thus, new information or information changes can be made available to multiple programs by the user adding (or changing) the information only once. In another embodiment, the operating system image to be installed on a computer is pre-populated with user-specific information at the factory. The user-specific information can be integrated into the operating system at the factory or alternatively upon an initial boot of the computer by the user.

Automatic computer program customization based on a user information store

An image server store having a combined image including a first image of a first software combined with other images of other software such that any one or more of the images can be restored from the combined image, and methods relating thereto. The method of making the combined image comprises creating a first image from a first software, creating a second image from the second software, and combining the first image and the second image into the combined image on the server store. Each image includes first descriptive data (metadata) corresponding to descriptive data of its software and includes file data corresponding to file data of its software.

Image server store system and method using combined image views

A software tool and method in which a source image is split into and spans across two or more image pieces having a data structure which fits onto a computer readable medium having an available storage capacity which is smaller than the size of the source image. Also, software tool and method which combines two or more image pieces of a source image on a destination medium into a re-combined image having a data structure corresponding to the source image.

System and method for splitting an image across multiple computer readable media

Updating component-based software product with files stored in a service package. The service package also includes a plurality of instruction sets each corresponding to a state or operating context of a component in the software product. A component installer determines the state of the component and applies the instruction set corresponding to the determined state to install the files.

Servicing a component-based software product throughout the software product lifecycle

Distributing software image creation and configuration among a plurality of client computers. Server computers define jobs related to software image creation. Each of the client computers communicates with the servers to identify, accept, and complete jobs. The server and client computers maintain data structures indicating job availability and status. In the distributed build environment, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system builders may easily modify, create, and image software in the factory to dramatically reduce resource consumption and time.

Software image creation in a distributed build environment

A system and method for identifying dependencies of a software program installed on a host computer prior to duplication of the software program from the host computer to a destination computer and for adapting the identified dependencies to the destination computer after duplication. An installed software program can be copied from a host computer to a destination computer without breaking portions of the image that rely on data unique to the computer context in which the software program is installed. Data structures store functionality exposed by a software program during installation of the software program that captures machine-specific data before duplication so that such machine-specific data can be restored properly after the duplication. Software of the invention processes the information in the data structures before and after the duplication process to identify and adapt, respectively, the dependencies.

Application imaging infrastructure

A componentized operating system is separated into multiple different components. In certain embodiments, a bill of materials (BOM) identifies at least one component that is installed (or is to be installed) for an operating system image on a computer. Each component includes one or more files and has a corresponding manifest that identifies which other components (if any) the component is dependent on. During an installation or upgrading process, the manifest for a component can be accessed to determine which additional components (if any) are to be installed even if they are not explicitly identified in the BOM.

Componentized operating system

A system and method for manipulation of offline software. A software driver executing on a computer accesses and modifies target software while the target software is in an offline state. The software driver allows installation and configuration of an operating system and/or associated application programs to the target software when an operating system associated with the target software is not executing.

System and method for manipulating offline software

A first image of a first software which can be combined with other images of other software such that any one or more of the images can be restored from the combined image, and methods relating thereto. The method of making the combined image comprises creating a first image from a first software, creating a second image from the second software, and combining the first image and the second image into the combined image. Each image includes first descriptive data (metadata) corresponding to descriptive data of its software and includes file data corresponding to file data of its software.

Combined image views and method of creating images

A system and method of creating and employing an operating system (OS) image having selected functionality. A user, such as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of personal computers (PCs) or an information technology professional, selects a set of OS components from a plurality of OS components available in an installation OS image. The selected set of OS components is installed as the OS image on a computer readable medium such as a CD-ROM. The OS image includes a script for interacting with the OS image to perform functions desired by a user, such as booting a destination computer and installing a reference OS image or recovering the destination computer from a failed installation of the reference OS image.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Ryan M Burkhardt