Method and apparatus for restoring computer resources

Abstract

A method for restoring resources on a computer is provided. The method includes providing a configuration database including resource information, receiving a restoration request including a computer identifier associated with the computer, accessing the configuration database based on the computer identifier to identify a restorable resource associated with the computer, and providing the restorable resource to the computer. A computer system includes a computer and a configuration manager. The computer has a plurality of installed resources. The configuration manager is coupled to the computer and adapted to store a configuration database including resource information associated with the computer, receive a restoration request from the computer including a computer identifier associated with the computer, access the configuration database to identify a restorable resource based on the computer identifier associated with the computer, and provide the restorable resource to the computer.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method for restoring resources on a computer, comprising: 
 providing a configuration database including resource information;    receiving a restoration request including a computer identifier associated with the computer;    accessing the configuration database based on the computer identifier to identify a restorable resource associated with the computer; and    providing the restorable resource to the computer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising installing the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the restorable resource to the computer includes providing the restorable resource to a server connected to the computer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising accessing the computer through the server to install the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the restorable resource to the computer includes providing an address for the restorable address.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the restoration request.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the restorable resource comprises providing an encrypted restorable resource.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the encrypted restorable resource is encrypted with a private key, the method further comprising providing a public key corresponding to the private key to the computer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 decrypting the encrypted restorable resource using the public key; and    installing the restorable resource on the computer.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encrypting the restorable resource with a public key associated with the computer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 decrypting the encrypted restorable resource using a private key corresponding to the public key; and    installing the restorable resource on the computer.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising registering a plurality of installed resources associated with the computer in the configuration database.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein registering the plurality of installed resources includes providing a resource name and a computer identifier associated with the computer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein registering the plurality of installed resources includes providing the resource name and computer identifier in an encrypted file.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising billing a user based on the restoration request.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising billing a user based on the plurality of installed resources registered.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the configuration database includes providing a configuration database having resource identifying information, resource version information, and resource location information.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the restorable resource comprises: 
 sharing a secret key with the computer;    encrypting a random number with the secret key;    generating a session key based on the secret key and the encrypted random number; and    providing the restorable resource using the session key.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising; 
 registering a set of installed resources for a plurality of computers;    billing a user at a first rate for installed resources that are unique to one of the computers; and    billing the user at a second rate, different than the first rate, for installed resources that are common to at least two of the computers.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein registering the plurality of installed resources includes at least one of providing an address for the installed resource and storing the installed resource, and the method further comprises billing a user at a first rate for installed resources that registered by providing the address for the installed resource, and billing the user at a second rate, different than the first rate, for installed resources that are registered by storing the installed resource.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 identifying an available upgrade for the restorable resource; and    offering the upgrade of the restorable resource in lieu of the restorable resource.    
     
     
         22 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a computer having a plurality of installed resources; and    a configuration manager coupled to the computer and adapted to store a configuration database including resource information associated with the computer, receive a restoration request from the computer including a computer identifier associated with the computer, access the configuration database to identify a restorable resource based on the computer identifier associated with the computer, and provide the restorable resource to the computer.    
     
     
         23 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the computer is adapted to install the restorable resource.  
     
     
         24 . The computer system of  claim 22 , further comprising a server coupled to the computer and adapted to receive the restorable resource and install the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         25 . The computer system of  claim 22 , further comprising a server coupled to the computer, the configuration manager being housed on the server.  
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to provide the restorable resource to the computer by providing an address for the restorable address.  
     
     
         27 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to authenticate the restoration request.  
     
     
         28 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to provide an encrypted restorable resource.  
     
     
         29 . The computer system of  claim 28 , wherein the encrypted restorable resource is encrypted with a private key, and the configuration manager is adapted to provide a public key corresponding to the private key to the computer.  
     
     
         30 . The computer system of  claim 29 , wherein the computer is adapted to decrypt the encrypted restorable resource using the public key and install the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         31 . The computer system of  claim 24 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to provide an encrypted restorable resource to the server, the encrypted restorable resource is encrypted with a private key, and the configuration manager is adapted to provide a public key corresponding to the private key to the server.  
     
     
         32 . The computer system of  claim 31 , wherein the server is adapted to decrypt the encrypted restorable resource using the public key and install the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         33 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to encrypt the restorable resource with a public key associated with the computer.  
     
     
         34 . The computer system of  claim 33 , wherein the computer is adapted to decrypt the encrypted restorable resource using a private key corresponding to the public key and install the restorable resource.  
     
     
         35 . The computer system of  claim 24 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to encrypt the restorable resource with a public key associated with the computer, and the server is adapted to decrypt the encrypted restorable resource using a private key corresponding to the public key and install the restorable resource on the computer.  
     
     
         36 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the computer is adapted to register a plurality of installed resources associated with the computer in the configuration database.  
     
     
         37 . The computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the computer is adapted to register the plurality of installed resources by providing a resource name and a computer identifier associated with the computer.  
     
     
         38 . The computer system of  claim 37 , wherein the computer is adapted to provide the resource name and computer identifier in an encrypted file.  
     
     
         39 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to store billing information based on the restoration request.  
     
     
         40 . The computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to store billing information based on the plurality of installed resources registered.  
     
     
         41 . The computer system of  claim 40 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to store billing information based on the plurality of installed resources registered.  
     
     
         42 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration database includes resource identifying information, resource version information, and resource location information.  
     
     
         43 . The computer system of  claim 22 , further comprising a plurality of computers, each having installed resources registered in the configuration database, and wherein the configuration manager is adapted to generate billing information using a first rate for installed resources that are unique to one of the computers, and generate billing information using second rate, different than the first rate, for installed resources that are common to at least two of the computers.  
     
     
         44 . The computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to provide the restorable resource by performing at least one of providing an address for the installed resource and providing a previously stored installed resource, and the method further comprises generating billing information using a first rate for installed resources that registered by providing the address for the installed resource, and generating billing information using a second rate, different than the first rate, for installed resources that are registered by storing the installed resource.  
     
     
         45 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to share a secret key with the computer, encrypt a random number with the secret key, generate a session key based on the secret key and the encrypted random number, and provide the restorable resource using the session key.  
     
     
         46 . The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to identify an available upgrade for the restorable resource and offer the upgrade of the restorable resource in lieu of the restorable resource.  
     
     
         47 . A program storage device, comprising: 
 a configuration database including resource information;    program instructions, that when executed by a processing device perform a method for restoring a resource on a computer, the method comprising: 
 receiving a restoration request including a computer identifier associated with the computer;  
 accessing the configuration database based on the computer identifier to identify a restorable resource associated with the computer; and  
 providing the restorable resource to the computer.  
   
     
     
         48 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein providing the restorable resource to the computer in the method includes providing the restorable resource to a server connected to the computer.  
     
     
         49 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein providing the restorable resource to the computer in the method includes providing an address for the restorable address.  
     
     
         50 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises authenticating the restoration request.  
     
     
         51 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein providing the restorable resource in the method comprises providing an encrypted restorable resource.  
     
     
         52 . The program storage device of  claim 51 , wherein the encrypted restorable resource is encrypted with a private key, and the method further comprises providing a public key corresponding to the private key to the computer.  
     
     
         53 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises encrypting the restorable resource with a public key associated with the computer.  
     
     
         54 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises generating billing information based on the restoration request.  
     
     
         55 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises generating billing information based on the resource information in the configuration database.  
     
     
         56 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the configuration database includes resource identifying information, resource version information, and resource location information.  
     
     
         57 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the configuration database includes information related to installed resources on a plurality of computers, and the method further comprises: 
 generating billing information using a first rate for installed resources that are unique to one of the computers; and    generating billing information using a second rate, different than the first rate, for installed resources that are common to at least two of the computers.    
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein providing the restorable resource in the method comprises at least one of providing an address for the restorable resource and providing a previously stored copy of the restorable resource, and the method further comprises generating billing information using a first rate for providing the address for the restorable resource, and generating billing information at a second rate, different than the first rate, for providing the previously stored copy of the restorable resource.  
     
     
         59 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein providing the restorable resource in the method comprises: 
 sharing a secret key with the computer;    generating a session key based on the secret key and a random number; and    providing the restorable resource using the session key.    
     
     
         60 . The program storage device of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 identifying an available upgrade for the restorable resource; and    offering the upgrade of the restorable resource in lieu of the restorable resource.    
     
     
         61 . A system for updating a computer system having a plurality of installed resources, comprising a configuration manager adapted to store a configuration database including resource information associated with the computer, receive a restoration request from the computer including a computer identifier associated with the computer, access the configuration database to identify a restorable resource based on the computer identifier associated with the computer, and provide the restorable resource to the computer.  
     
     
         62 . The computer system of  claim 61 , wherein the configuration manager is adapted to provide an address for the restorable address to the computer.  
     
     
         63 . The computer system of  claim 61 , wherein the configuration database includes resource identifying information, resource version information, and resource location information.  
     
     
         64 . A computer system for restoring resources on a computer, comprising: 
 means for storing resource information;    means for receiving a restoration request including a computer identifier associated with the computer;    means for accessing the resource information based on the computer identifier to identify a restorable resources associated with the computer; and    means for providing the restorable resource to the computer.