Patent ID: 7552474
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting the presence of an installation on a data processing system, comprising: providing a signature that comprises m files having paths associated therewith, respectively; determining a number n files on the data processing system that match files in the signature; determining a files found ratio given by n/m; determining if the files found ratio is greater than a files found threshold; applying a transformation to the signature by replacing at least a portion of at least one of the paths with a new path, wherein applying the transformation comprises: determining a distance between the n files on the data processing system and the m signature files, the distance corresponding to a sum of a number of path segments associated with the m signature files that cannot be matched to a corresponding path segment associated with files on the data processing system; and determining if the installation is present on the data processing system based on the files found ratio and the distance, wherein determining if the installation is present comprises: wherein determining the distance and determining if the installation is present are performed if the files found ratio is greater than the files found threshold; repeating selecting the transformation and determining the distance between the n files on the data processing system and the m signature files using the selected transformation for each one of the m signature files; applying a transformation to the signature that is associated with the smallest distance; wherein if one of the m signature files matches a plurality of files on the data processing system, then the distance between the one of the m signature files and the plurality of matching files on the data processing system is a smallest distance between the one of the m signatures files and any one of the plurality of matching files on the data processing system; wherein determining the number n files on the data processing system that match files in the signature comprises: wherein the installation comprises one or more of a software program, a firmware program, a documentation file, a printer font, and/or a web file.