Updating Electronic Devices Using a Push Model

Abstract

Automatically updating electronic devices using a push model. A set of electronic devices may be selected for an update. A first plurality of devices of the set of devices for which the update is valid may be determined in accordance with a set of rules, e.g., safety check rules or business rules, where the determining is based on stored configuration information for each of the devices. Current configuration information and accessibility information may be received for each of the first plurality of devices, and based on the received current configuration information and accessibility information and the stored configuration information, a second plurality of devices of the set of devices for which the update is valid may be determined, where the second plurality is a subset of the first plurality. The update may be applied automatically to at least some of the second plurality of devices.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium that stores program instructions executable to perform:
 selecting a set of target devices for an update;   determining a first plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid in accordance with a set of rules, wherein said determining is based on stored configuration information for each of the target devices;   receiving current configuration information and accessibility information for each of the first plurality of target devices; and   determining, based on the received current configuration information, the accessibility information, and the stored configuration information, a second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid, wherein the second plurality is a subset of the first plurality.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the set of rules comprises at least one of:
 a set of safety check rules; or   a set of business rules.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein said determining the second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices is further based on the set of rules. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:
 automatically applying the update to each of at least some of the second plurality of target devices.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid comprises determining compatibility of the update with one or more of:
 hardware of each target device;   software of each target device; or   configuration information of each target device.   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 5 , wherein said determining compatibility of the update is based at least partly on one or more of:
 version of software for each target device; or   version of configuration information for each target device.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the rules apply to multiple different device types or models. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices comprises determining at least one target device for which the update is not valid, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:
 receiving, to the GUI, user input manually overriding said determining the at least one target device; and   including the at least one target device in the first plurality of target devices in response to said receiving user input.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices comprises determining at least one target device for which the update is valid, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:
 receiving, to the GUI, user input manually overriding said determining the at least one target device; and   excluding the at least one target device from the first plurality of target devices in response to said receiving user input.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is configured to perform one or more of:
 receiving, to the GUI, user input indicating the set of target devices for the update, wherein said selecting is performed in response to said indicating; or   receiving, to the GUI, user input modifying the rules.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the current configuration for each target device is received from one or more of:
 the target device;   cloud storage; or   a storage device.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 1 , wherein the update comprises one or more of:
 firmware modification;   firmware configuration modification;   software modification;   software configuration modification;   at least one parameter modification; or   at least one parameter configuration modification.   
     
     
         13 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 a computing device performing:
 selecting a set of target devices for an update; 
 determining a first plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid in accordance with a set of rules, wherein said determining is based on stored configuration information for each of the target devices; 
 receiving current configuration information and accessibility information for each of the first plurality of target devices; and 
 determining, based on the received current configuration information, the accessibility information, and the stored configuration information, a second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid, wherein the second plurality is a subset of the first plurality. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the set of rules comprises at least one of:
 a set of safety check rules; or   a set of business rules.   
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein said determining the second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices is further based on the set of rules. 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 automatically applying the update to each of the second plurality of target devices.   
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid comprises determining compatibility of the update with one or more of:
 hardware of each target device;   software of each target device; or   configuration information of each target device.   
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein said determining compatibility of the update is based at least partly on one or more of:
 version of software for each target device; or   version of configuration information for each target device.   
     
     
         19 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the rules apply to multiple different device types or models. 
     
     
         20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices comprises determining at least one target device for which the update is not valid, the method further comprising:
 presenting a graphical user interface (GUI);   receiving, to the GUI, user input manually overriding said determining the at least one target device; and   including the at least one target device in the first plurality of target devices in response to said receiving user input.   
     
     
         21 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein said determining the first plurality of target devices comprises determining at least one target device for which the update is valid, the method further comprising:
 presenting a graphical user interface (GUI);   receiving, to the GUI, user input manually overriding said determining the at least one target device; and   excluding the at least one target device from the first plurality of target devices in response to said receiving user input.   
     
     
         22 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 presenting a graphical user interface (GUI);   receiving, to the GUI, user input indicating the set of target devices for the update, wherein said selecting is performed in response to said indicating; or   receiving, to the GUI, user input modifying the rules.   
     
     
         23 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the current configuration for each target device is received from one or more of:
 the target device;   cloud storage; or   a storage device.   
     
     
         24 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the update comprises one or more of:
 firmware modification;   firmware configuration modification;   software modification;   software configuration modification;   at least one parameter modification; or   at least one parameter configuration modification.   
     
     
         25 . A system for updating devices using a push model, the system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to:
 select a set of target devices for an update; 
 determine a first plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid in accordance with a set of rules, wherein said determining is based on stored configuration information for each of the target devices; 
 receive current configuration information and accessibility information for each of the first plurality of target devices; and 
 determine, based on the received current configuration information, the accessibility information, and the stored configuration information, a second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices for which the update is valid, wherein the second plurality is a subset of the first plurality. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the set of rules comprises at least one of:
 a set of safety check rules; or   a set of business rules.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said determining the second plurality of target devices of the set of target devices is further based on the set of rules. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to:
 automatically apply the update to each of the second plurality of target devices.