Management of a device connected to a remote computer using the remote computer to effect management actions

Abstract

The invention facilitates remote management of a computer via a network. Remote management of a device connected to a managed computer can be effected by using the managed computer as a proxy for conducting a management action regarding the connected device on behalf of a remote computer management server.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which are encoded one or more computer programs for execution by a processor for performing:
 receiving at a managed computer a request from a remote computer management server to perform a management action regarding the managed computer and a device connected to the managed computer;   communicating between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer, to perform by the managed computer a new function related to the management action, wherein the new function was not previously enabled to be performed by at least one of: the device and the managed computer, and transmitting from the remote computer management server to the managed computer an update to an agent application operating on the managed computer, the update allowing the new function to be executed by the managed computer;   loading software onto the managed computer used for effecting management of the managed computer by the remote computer management server to afford facilitating the execution of primitive functions to be executed by the managed computer without the need for a user logon or a polling of the remote computer management server to identify actions to be undertaken by the software on the managed computer;   communicating from the managed computer to the remote computer management server a result of the performance of the new function related to the management action regarding the device connected to the managed computer;   effecting performance by the managed computer of an operation or operations that effect performance of the management action regarding the managed computer; and   communicating from the managed computer to the remote computer management server a result of the performance of the management action regarding the managed computer.   
     
     
         2 . A non-transitory computer readable medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform receiving at the managed computer a request from the remote computer management server to determine whether a device is connected to the managed computer. 
     
     
         3 . A non-transitory computer readable medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform communicating from the managed computer to the remote computer management server an identity of a device connected to the managed computer. 
     
     
         4 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the request to perform a management action regarding the device connected to the managed computer includes an identification of a communication protocol in accordance with which communication between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer is to be formatted; and   instructions and/or data for communicating between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer comprise instructions and/or data for communicating in accordance with the identified communications protocol.   
     
     
         5 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 4 , wherein the communication between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer is formatted in accordance with an SNMP protocol. 
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 4 , wherein the communication between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer is formatted in accordance with a DMI/WMI protocol. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 4 , wherein the communication between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer is formatted in accordance with an ARP protocol. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device is connected to the managed computer via a local area network. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the remote computer management server cannot communicate directly with the device connected to the managed computer. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a switch. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a router. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a printer. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a scanner. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a keyboard. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is a display monitor. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in  claim 1 , wherein the device connected to the managed computer is another computer. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 receiving at a managed computer a request directly from a remote computer management server to perform a management action regarding the managed computer and a device connected to the managed computer;   communicating between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer, wherein the managed computer and the remote computer management server are directly connected, to perform by the managed computer a new function related to the management action, wherein the new function was not previously enabled to be performed by the device and/or the managed computer;   transmitting from the remote computer management server to the managed server an update to an agent application operating on the managed computer, the update including at least one dynamic link library (DLL) that when executed by the agent application allows the new function to be executed by the managed computer;   loading software onto the managed computer used for effecting management of the managed computer by the remote computer management server affording facilitating the execution of primitive functions to be executed by the managed computer without the need for a user logon;   communicating directly from the managed computer to the remote computer management server a result of the performance of the new function related to the management action regarding the device connected to the managed computer;   effecting performance by the managed computer of an operation or operations that effect performance of the management action regarding the managed computer; and   communicating from the managed computer to the remote computer management server a result of the performance of the management action regarding the managed computer.   
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 a managed computer configured to receive a direct request from a remote computer management server to perform a management action regarding the managed computer and a device connected to the managed computer;   a transceiver configured to communicate between the managed computer and the device connected to the managed computer, wherein the managed computer and the remote computer management server are directly connected, to perform by the managed computer a new function related to the management action, wherein the new function was not previously enabled to be performed by the device and/or the managed computer, and transmit from the remote computer management server to the managed computer an update to an agent application operating on the managed computer, the update including at least one dynamic link library (DLL) that when executed by the agent application allows the new function to be executed by the managed computer;   a memory configured to load software onto the managed computer used for effecting management of the managed computer by the remote computer management server to afford facilitating the execution of primitive functions to be executed by the managed computer without the need for a user logon;   a transmitter configured to communicate from the managed computer directly to the remote computer management server:   a result of the performance of the new function related to the management action regarding the device connected to the managed computer;   an operation or operations that effect performance of the management action regarding the managed computer; and   a result of the performance of the management action regarding the managed computer.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the memory is configured to load software onto the managed computer used for effecting management of the managed computer by the remote computer management server to afford facilitating the execution of primitive functions to be executed by the managed computer without the remote computer management server being polled to identify actions to be undertaken by the software on the managed computer.