Abstract:
A managed services platform. An applications management server is provided for managing relationships with application service providers and others over a wide area network such as the Internet. The applications management server interfaces with a master database server and the servers of one or more application service providers, or other entities, to facilitate selection and deselection of applications, services, and capabilities that may be available for use by the information technology network of a company.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to software management systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for selecting, ordering, installing, managing, updating, and if necessary, uninstalling software applications provided to an entity by one or more application service providers (ASPs) or other sources. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Recently, substantial attention has been directed to the field of software management tools. One reason for this is that many vendors or purveyors of software now distribute their products directly to customers via wide area networks such as the Internet. Such vendors often are referred to as “Application Service Providers” or “ASPs.” Generally, businesses use ASPs as a means for outsourcing information technology (IT) functions to specialists. Moreover, rather than purchasing expensive software, high-powered computers, high-end telecommunications equipment, and the like, companies often now choose to rent or lease applications from ASPs, and they often access or use selected applications through the Internet. While this model allows companies to achieve significant savings from a hardware and software purchasing and maintenance perspective, the model may introduce significant management issues, where for example, multiple ASPs provide applications to a single entity. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, it is believed that businesses may find systems, methods, and applications for managing ASP relationships to be quite useful. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In one particularly innovative aspect, the present invention is directed to systems and methods for enabling a company to manage its relationships with one or more ASPs, or other software sources. In one presently preferred embodiment, an applications management server may be deployed within a company and used to interface with a master database server and the servers of one or more ASPs. The interface preferably occurs via the Internet, thus enabling a personal computer, web computer, or other network appliance coupled to the management server to interact with the master database server and the servers of the ASPs. 
         [0005]    For example, using a browser application provided on a personal computer, it is possible interact with the management server and query the master database server to identify those applications, services, and subscriptions that are available, as well as those which are currently being utilized within a company. Further, through the use of an appropriate graphic user interface (GUI) a user of the browser may add selected applications, functions, or capabilities to the company network, and the user may remove applications, functions, or capabilities that are no longer needed by the company. The result of these actions may be communicated, for example, through the Internet to the master database server, and the master database server may thereafter interact with any relevant ASP servers to enable or disable selected applications, functions, or features. In addition, the master database server may provide electronic messages to any personnel having responsibility for tasks necessary to carry out a transaction or complete an action. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide improved systems, methods, and applications for managing ASP relationships over a wide area network, such as the Internet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Various objects and advantages and a more complete understanding of the present invention are apparent and more readily appreciated by reference to the following Detailed Description and to the appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a system for managing ASP and other relationships over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in accordance with a preferred form of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the components of a software subscription management module in accordance with a preferred form of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a graphic user interface (GUI) used in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4(   a )- 4 ( d ) comprise a series of screen images that may be used by a GUI in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one presently preferred form, a system  10  for managing ASP and other relationships over a wide area network  16 , such as the Internet, may comprise an applications management server  12 , a personal computer, web computer, or other network appliance  14 , a wide area network  16 , a master database server  18 , and a plurality of ASP servers  20 ( a ) and  20 ( b ). The applications management server  12  and the master database server  18  may be implemented using standard PC compatible hardware including, for example, a 400 MHz CELERON® processor manufactured by Intel Corporation. However, in one presently preferred form, the master database server  18  comprises a 733 MHz PENTIUM® processor manufactured by Intel Corp., 512 MB of RAM (or other suitable memory), and AMI Megaraid SCSI RAID hardware configured to make three 9G disks look like one 18G disk in RAIDS mode. The applications management server  12  preferably comprises a 500 MHz CELERON® processor manufactured by Intel Corp., 64 MB of RAM (or other suitable memory), and a 10.2 GB hard disk drive. 
         [0013]    The applications management server  12  and master database server  18  may be coupled to the Internet  16  via dial up, ISDN, DSL, or any other protocol that supports TCP/IP. The master database server  18  also may employ database management software available from any of a number of vendors including Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., and Sleepy Cat, Inc. 
         [0014]    The applications management server  12  may be deployed within a company and used to interface with the master database server  18  and the servers of one or more ASPs  20 ( a ) and  20 ( b ). The interface preferably occurs via the Internet  16 , thus enabling a personal computer, web computer, or other network appliance  14  coupled to the applications management server  12  to interact with the master database server  18  and the servers of the ASPs  20 ( a ) and  20 ( b ). 
         [0015]    For example, using a browser application (not shown) provided on the personal computer  14 , it is possible to interact with the applications management server  12  and query the master database server  18  to identify those applications, services, and subscriptions that are available, as well as those which are currently being utilized within a company. Further, through the use of an appropriate graphic user interface (GUI), a user of the browser (not shown) may add selected applications, functions, or capabilities to the company network, and the user may remove applications, functions, or capabilities that are no longer needed by the company. The result of these actions may be communicated, for example, through the Internet  16  to the master database server  18 , and the master database server  18  may thereafter interact with any relevant ASP servers  20 ( a ) and  20 ( b ) to enable or disable selected applications, functions, or capabilities. In addition, the master database server  18  may provide electronic messages to any personnel  22  having responsibility for tasks necessary to carry out a transaction or complete an action. 
         [0016]    In one presently preferred embodiment, a software subscription management module  50 , shown in  FIG. 2 , will be configured on the applications management server  12 , and the software subscription management module  50  may comprise a graphic user interface (GUI) submodule  52  and a backend support submodule  54 . As will be described in more detail below, using a typical browser application, such as Microsoft Explorer® or Netscape Navigator®, the user (not shown) of the personal computer  14  may access the GUI submodule  52  provided on the applications management server  12 , and by interfacing with the GUI, may view a list of applications, services, or capabilities that are provided on a network (not shown) of a company, as well as, a list of applications, services, or capabilities that are available for use by the network. The user also may access historical data relevant to the network using the GUI. 
         [0017]    In a preferred form, all queries issued by the applications management server  12  are in the form of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests and include a unique ID for the management applications server as part of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that other communications protocols, such as file transfer protocol (FTP) or hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), also may be used for queries issued by the applications management server  12 . 
         [0018]    Turning now to a description of the GUI, the GUI  100 , shown in  FIG. 3 , preferably includes a subscription management item  102  and, if desired, a subscriptions history item  104 . The subscription management item  102  may be used to retrieve a display of all applications, services, and capabilities that are available to the network, together with a plurality of “subscribe” and “unsubscribe” buttons  106 ( a ) and ( b ) for enabling a user to select one or more offerings for use by the system. The subscriptions history item  104  may be used to display, for example, a chronological history of those offerings that have been utilized by the network in the past. 
         [0019]    Using the GUI  100 , a system administrator  14  can retrieve a list  107  of available applications or services, and using the displayed list, the administrator  14  can select desired items to be installed on the applications management server  12 , or other servers (not shown), within a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). The administrator also may view a history of all applications or services that have been selected for use within network over a prescribed period of time. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the GUI  100  issues back-end commands that will cause any necessary HTTP requests to be generated, and information returned from the applications management server  12  or the master database server  18  will be parsed, formatted, and sent to a standard output. The GUI  100  may then read in the output from the back-end process and display the information to the administrator  14  along with any necessary interactive items, such as the subscribe and unsubscribe buttons  108 ( a ) and ( b ) described above. 
         [0021]    Preferably, whenever a list  107  of available services or applications is presented to an administrator, the list  107  will include all available applications or services, and the administrator  14  will be allowed to select services or applications for subscription or cancellation. The history item  104  may be used to display a chronological history of selected services or applications. 
         [0022]    Turning now to  FIGS. 4(   a )-( d ), in accordance with another preferred form of the present invention the GUI  100  may include a series of screen images that include a field  111  denoting the number of application licenses  110  that may be required for a given enterprise and a list of services or applications  107  that are available to the enterprise. If it is desired to change the number of licenses required by the enterprise, a user of the system may simply click on a change button  112  to access, for example, a pulldown menu (not shown) offering different licensing levels. The user also may initiate a subscription sequence by clicking on a subscribe button  106 ( a ) provided adjacent one of the application listings. Following initiation of the subscription sequence, the user may be presented with another screen  103 , which includes a download now button  114  for initializing an application download sequence and an unsubscribe button  106 ( b ) adjacent the selected application. If the user clicks on the download now button  114  an application download sequence will be initiated, and the user may be presented with a new screen  105  including an install now button  116 . By clicking on the install now button, the user may cause the selected application to be installed on the applications management server  12  or, if desired, on another server (not shown) included within the users LAN. Lastly, one the selected application has been installed, the user may be presented with a screen  109  that includes a check icon  118  adjacent the service that has been selected and installed upon the user&#39;s network. 
         [0023]    Table 1, below, provides an exemplary representation of the components comprising the subscriptions management item  102  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), wherein “xxx” comprises the name of the service or application that will be subscribed to or unsubscribed from. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Form Field 
                 Form Field 
                   
                 Appears in 
               
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Corresponding ti.conf Variable 
                 Form 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 subscribe_xxx 
                 Submit button 
                 SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES 
                 SnapIn.php 
               
               
                 unsubscribe_xxx 
                 Submit button 
                 SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES 
                 SnapIn.php 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0024]    Turning now to a description of the backend support module  54  and related system programs, the backend support module  54  employs several scripts and routines described below to enable selection or deselection of services or applications in response to instructions received from the GUI  100 . 
         [0025]    In one preferred embodiment, a sysSubscriptionQuery routine, comprising a perl script, is used to create http queries for Peabody Software service APIs using inputs to the script and two ti.conf variables. A returned value from the query is sent to the standard output (not shown) of the GUI  100 . 
         [0026]    A sysSubscriptionQuery: System Calling routine passes an API name as a first parameter and, if necessary, a service identifier as a second parameter. Thus, the call does not require a service identifier. An exemplary call for a service listing may read as follows: /use/local/ti/bin/sysSubscriptionQuery GetServices. Whereas, a call to subscribe to a particular service requires an identification of the service to be subscribed to and may read as follows: /use/local/ti/bin/sysSubscriptionQuery Subscribe  100 . 
         [0027]    A sysSubscriptionQuery: System Operation routine enables the hostname of a server (not shown) to query and the path to an API script to be pulled from the ti.conf variable SUBSCRIPTION_QUERY_HOST_PATH. The API passed to this program is used as part of the name of the script to call on the server (not shown). The query to the script preferably comprises a DeviceKey, stored in SERIAL_NUMBER, and optionally a ServiceID, e.g., the name of the service to be subscribed to. Preferably, a HTTP::Request object is created with a GET method, and an LWP::UserAgent request is made using the HTTP::Request object. The response to the request is stored in a HTTP::Response object. If the request is successful the content of the response is sent to the standard output (not shown) of the GUI  100 . Otherwise, an error is printed as a HTML document. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some circumstances the Response object may be parsed and formatted prior to being printed to the standard output (not shown). 
         [0028]    In one preferred form, a SusUnsubscribe script uninstalls any RedHat Package Managers (RPMs) associated with a service being unsubscribed, and a SetServiceDisabled request is sent to the subscription server. In addition, a susUnsubscribe:System Calling script is called with the name of the service to unsubscribe. The script may read as follows: /use/local/ti/bin/sysUnsubscripe  100 . 
         [0029]    A susUnsubscribe:System Operation script may be used to check a repository directory in /usrlocal/redphish/snapin for a directory that matches a servicename. If there is no matching service name, then an error is reported, and the service is not unsubscribed. If the directory exists, a rpm -e command may be issued against each rpm in the directory. After the packages are uninstalled the directory and the files within are deleted. 
         [0030]    A sysUpdateSubscriptions script may be used to check for a SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES array in ti.conf and for each service listed may download the relevant files and install them on the applications management server  12 . 
         [0031]    To perform service installations, a sysUpdateSubscriptons: System Operation routine is preferably utilized. Thus, for each service listed in SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES a GetServiceLocation query is made to the subscription server. The information returned from the server is used to transfer (via ftp) the RPMs to a Peabody system. Once all of the RPMs for a service have been downloaded they may be installed with the following command: rpm -U*.rpm. If any of the RPM packages fail to load, then none of them will be loaded. When a loading failure occurs, two additional loading attempts will be made to download and install the relevant files, before a given loading process will be abandoned, and installation of the next service will be initiated. If all the packages install then the service name will be removed from the SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES array. 
         [0032]    Table 2, below, sets forth a preferred set of data structures that may be used in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Statement format with default values (if any) and description 
               
               
                 STATEMENT=&lt;arg1&gt;m&lt;arg2&gt;m &lt;arg3&gt;,?,&lt;argN&gt; 
               
               
                 Where &lt;arg1&gt;is?. 
               
               
                 SUBSCRIPTION_QUERY_HOST_PATH=&lt;URL&gt; 
               
               
                 Where &lt;URL&gt;is the hostname and path to the script that process the queries. This is set the 
               
               
                 first time the subscription software is run. 
               
               
                 Default: blank 
               
               
                 SUBSCRIPTION_ID=&lt;ID&gt; 
               
               
                 Where &lt;ID&gt;is the numerical id of the machine. This is set when the subscription software is 
               
               
                 used for the first time. 
               
               
                 Defaults: blank 
               
               
                 SUBSCRIPTION_ADD_SERVICES=&lt;service id&gt; 
               
               
                 This array is used to store the services selected from the GUI that need to be installed  
               
               
                 during the next update. 
               
               
                 SUBSCRIPTION_INTERVAL=&lt;number of days&gt; 
               
               
                 The number of days between updates. 
               
               
                 Default: blank 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0033]    In one presently preferred form, the backend support module utilizes a HTTP API for Software Subscriptions Management. Each API call preferably is in the form of a HTTP query with parameters passed as key-value pairs, and each response preferably is a list of key-value pairs in plain text form. The API call preferably has one of the two following formats:
   http://&lt;host&gt;/&lt;path&gt;/&lt;API&gt;/.cgi?DeviceID=&lt;DeviceID&gt;[&amp;ServiceID=&lt;Number&gt;
 
or
   http://&lt;host&gt;/&lt;path&gt;/&lt;GetServiceLocation.cgi?ServiceID=&lt;Number&gt;
 
where: &lt;host&gt; identifies the software subscription server, and the host&#39;s name is stored in SOFTWARE_UPDATE_HOST; &lt;DeviceID&gt; is a unique number identifying the machine and may be the serial number of, for example, the applications management server  12  or the MAC address of the Ethernet card of the server  12  that is coupled to the Internet; and &lt;Number&gt; is the numeric identifier of the requested service. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the &lt;DEVICE_ID&gt; also may be a series of numbers followed by a checksum, as would be the case with a typical InstaGate machine of the type that is well known in the art.
   
 
         [0036]    As an example, the request set forth below could represent a Subscribe request from a machine with an Ethernet hardware address of 00:AO:CC:69:55:B2 for service 1040—a tax software package. In the example, the subscription server is located at subscriptions.esoft.com, the scripts are in cgi.bin, and the software is located on blades.esoft.com in the directory /home/software/tax. In addition, the software is accessible with the password sn2gg13. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Request: 
               
               
                 http://subscriptions.esoft.com/cgi- 
               
               
                 bin/Subscribe.cgi?DeviceID+00A0CC6955B2&amp;ServiceID=1040 
               
               
                 Result: 
               
               
                  Result: 1 
               
               
                 Request: 
               
               
                 http://subscriptions.esoft.com/cgi-bin/GetServiceLocation?ServiceID=1040 
               
               
                  Result: 
               
               
                   Hostname:blades.esoft.com 
               
               
                   Path:tax 
               
               
                   Username:softname 
               
               
                   Password:sn2gg13 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0037]    As explained above, in a preferred form a GetServices request will retrieve a list of available services that can be subscribed to by a requesting machine, and it will indicate which services are already subscribed to. The parameters and return values used in accordance with a GetServices request may comprise those set forth in Tables 3(a) and 3(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetServices: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex Number 
                 Composed of the digits of 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the MAC address of eht1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetServices: Return Values 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 a unique identifier for the service 
               
               
                 ServiceTitle 
                 String 
                 a brief title for the service 
               
               
                 ServiceDesc 
                 String 
                 a brief description of the service 
               
               
                 ServiceFee 
                 String 
                 How much the service will cost. 
               
               
                 Subscribed 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 for subscribed, 0 for not 
               
               
                   
                   
                 subscribed 
               
               
                 StartDate 
                 mm/dd/yy 
                 Date subscription started if already 
               
               
                   
                   
                 subscribed. 
               
               
                 Enabled 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 for enabled, 0 for 
               
               
                   
                   
                 disabled 
               
               
                 CoreService 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 indicates the service is a 
               
               
                   
                   
                 core service. If Enabled is 0 for a core 
               
               
                   
                   
                 service then disable the system. 
               
               
                 Available 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 indicates the service is 
               
               
                   
                   
                 available if it is a 0 then the installed service 
               
               
                   
                   
                 must be disabled. This record is optional. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0038]    The parameters and return values used with a Subscribe request are set forth in Tables 4(a) and 4(b), and the parameters and return values used within an Unsubscribe request are set forth in Tables 5(a) and 5(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Subscribe: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex Number 
                 Composed of the digits of the MAC 
               
               
                   
                   
                 address of eth1 
               
               
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 A unique identifier for service 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Subscribe: Return Values 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Result 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 if successfully 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 subscribed, 0 otherwise 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Unsubscribe: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex Number 
                 composed of the digits of the MAC 
               
               
                   
                   
                 address of eth1 
               
               
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 a unique identifier for the service 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Unsubscribe: Return Values 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Result 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value - 1 successfully 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 unsubscribed, 0 otherwise 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0039]    The parameters and return values used with a GetContactInfo request are set forth in Tables 6(a) and 6(b), below. However, when a subscription server is successfully contacted, “NextDay” and “Time” fields stored within the memory (not shown) of the subscriptions management server  12  preferably will dictate when to contact the server again. If the applications management server  12  fails to contact a server at a specified time, then the applications management server  12  preferably will attempt to establish contact three additional times over the course of the next fifteen minutes, e.g., once every 5 minutes. If all three retries fail, the device should give up and try again in the number of days specified in an “Interval” field, but at the same designated “Time”. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 6(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetContactInfro: Prameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex 
                 Composed of the digits of the MAC 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Number 
                 address of eth1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 6(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetContactInfo: Return values 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 NextDay 
                 mm/dd/yyyy 
                 The next day to contact the back office 
               
               
                 Time 
                 hh:ss 
                 The time of day (in 24 hour time) to 
               
               
                   
                   
                 query the back office 
               
               
                 Interval 
                 Number 
                 The frequency in days to query the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 back office 
               
               
                 URLBase 
                 String 
                 The URL to be used for the next 
               
               
                   
                   
                 update/verification. The URL 
               
               
                   
                   
                 contains the protocol, host, and path 
               
               
                   
                   
                 up to the beginning of the API portion. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0040]    The parameters and return values used with a SetService Enabled request are set forth in Tables 7(a) and 7(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 7(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 SetServiceEnabled: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex 
                 Composed of the digits of the MAC 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Number 
                 address of eth1 
               
               
                   
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 A unique identifier for the service 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 7(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 SetServiceEnabled: Return Values 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Result 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value 1 if set enabled 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 successfully, 0 otherwise 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0041]    The parameters and return values used with a SetServiceDisabled request are set forth in Tables 8(a) and 8(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 8(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 SetServiceDisabled: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex 
                 composed of the digits of the MAC 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Number 
                 address of eth1 
               
               
                   
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 a unique identifier for the service 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 8(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 SetServiceDisabled: Return Values 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Result 
                 Number 
                 Boolean value 1 if set disabled 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 successfully, 0 otherwise 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0042]    The parameters and return values used with a GetServiceLocation request are set forth in Tables 9(a) and 9(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 9(a) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetServiceLocation: Parameters 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 ServiceID 
                 Number 
                 a unique identifier for the service 
               
               
                   
                 DeviceKey 
                 Hex 
                 The unique identifier for the machine. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Number 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 9(b) 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 GetServiceLocation: Return Value 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Name 
                 Type 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Hostname 
                 String 
                 Name identifier for the service 
               
               
                 Path 
                 String 
                 Path from login directory to software 
               
               
                 Username 
                 String 
                 Username to use to log in with 
               
               
                 Password string 
                 String 
                 Password for the Username 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0043]    In another aspect, the GUI  100  (or system front end) may use the support files listed in Table 10(a), below, and the backend support module may use the support files listed in Table 10(b), below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 10(a) 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 /Path/Filename 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Ti/_Support/Snapin.php 
                 This script displays the available service and 
               
               
                   
                 its current state. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 10(b) 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 /Path/Filename 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 /sysUnsubscribe 
                 Script that unsubscribes to the specified service 
               
               
                 sysSubscriptionQuery 
                 Creates the URI for the query, issues the query 
               
               
                   
                 and sends the results back. 
               
               
                 SysUpdateSubscritions 
                 Script that downloads and installs subscribed 
               
               
                   
                 software 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0044]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in addition to the systems and methodologies descrided herein, the present invention is directed to the computer software applications, programs, protocols, routines, and instructions (collectively “computer programming instructions”) that are used to implement the above-described features and functions. Computer programming instructions preferably are stored within memory of the system, and may be received or transmitted via a communications interface. When executed by a processor (not shown) of the applications management server  12  or database management server  18 , the programming instructions will enable the system  10  to perform various methods and processes in accordance with the present invention and, therefore, represent controllers of the system  10  and, potentially, any ASP servers  20 ( a ) and  20 ( b ) that may be included within the system  10 . 
         [0045]    In this document, the term “computer program product” is used to refer to any media that may be used to provide programming instructions or data to the system  10 , or to any server or processor within the system  10 , through for example, the Internet. Examples of such media include any memory products used by or within the system  10 , any storage drives or devices (whether fixed or removable) used by or within the system  10 , and any signals that may be transmitted to, from, or within the system  10 . 
         [0046]    Because the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention should encompass all modifications, alternatives, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.