Abstract:
Installing a network component or service on a computer includes automatically loading the network component or service on the computer in response to a process-initiating event and automatically binding existing network adapters to the network component or service.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    This invention relates to installation of network components or services.  
           [0002]    Vendors supply network components or services with INF (information) files which contain, for example, information describing names of required network components or services, driver files, dependencies and registry updates to be performed. For example, Microsoft provides INF files for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).  
           [0003]    Software applications may need a particular network component or service to be installed on a computer. Currently, if the particular network component or service is not installed on the computer, an administrator may manually install it. The administrator may do this by selecting the “Network” applet in the control panel of the computer. This typically launches an installation wizard that leads the administrator through a number of steps to install the desired network component or service on the computer. Then, the network administrator typically reboots the computer.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 illustrates a computer system.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computer system  22  that includes computers  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k  connected through network adapters  16   a ,  16   b  . . .  16   k  to a computer network  10 . The network adapters  16   a ,  16   b  . . .  16   k  are cards installed in the computers  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k  to enable the computers to communicate with the computer network  10 . The computers  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k  run operating systems  24   a ,  24   b  . . .  24   k , for example, Windows NT 4.0™. The operating systems  24   a ,  24   b  . . .  24   k  include binding engines  26   a ,  26   b  . . .  26   k . The binding engines review network components and services installed in a computer. They identify which components or services are new and make the necessary registry entries to bind the network interface cards  16   a ,  16   b  . . .  16   k  to the new components or services.  
         [0007]    A disk drive  18   a  is connected to one of the computers  12   a . A shared network storage location  20  is part of the computer network  10  and can be accessed by any one of the attached computers  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k . Several network components or services  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k , also are connected to the computer network  10 . The network components or services  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k  are typically stored on memory storage devices  13   a ,  13   b  . . .  13   k . Alternately, the network components or services  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k  may be stored on other network memory storage devices, including memory storage devices in computers  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k  or on other computer system  22  components. Examples of network components or services  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k  include NetBEUI protocol, network monitor agent services, and TCP/IP. Each network component or service  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k  has a specific INF file  15   a ,  15   b  . . .  15   k  associated with it.  
         [0008]    Some computer applications require that specific network components or services be installed on a computer  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   k  in order to run effectively. Computer programs include specification of information (INF) files  15   a ,  15   b  . . .  15   k  with their software detailing the various network components and services  14   a ,  14   b  . . .  14   k  needed by the program to run properly. Each INF file  15   a ,  15   b  . . .  15   k  also contains information regarding driver files, dependencies, and registry updates to be performed.  
         [0009]    For example, assume that the computer  12   a  runs the operating system Windows NT 4.0™, and that a software program, for example, Intel&#39;s Netport Express™ software is to be installed from a disk  28  (e.g. a compact disk) to a computer  12   a . An automatic installation agent  29  is included on the disk. A network administrator would insert the disk into the disk drive  18   a . The network administrator would then start the software program startup process. This software program startup process is represented by the box labeled initiation  30  in the flowchart of FIG. 2.  
         [0010]    Initiation  30  represents an action that triggers the routine of FIG. 2 and can be accomplished in several other ways. For example, the network administrator can install the automatic installation agent and the necessary files (e.g. INF files) at the shared network storage location  20  and setup a shortcut to the shared network storage location  20 . Network users then can initiate  30  the routine of FIG. 2 by selecting a shortcut icon on their desktop computers  12   a  . . .  12   k . According to another technique, the network administrator can configure the automatic installation agent with the necessary files (e.g., INF files  15   a ,  15   b  . . .  15   k ) so that the routine of FIG. 2 is automatically initiated  30  when a user logs onto the network. Other initiation techniques are also possible.  
         [0011]    Following initiation  30 , the software program specifies  32  the information (INF) file  15   a , as well as the name of the network component or service  14   a  that is to be installed to the installation agent  29 . The installation agent  29  determines  34  whether the INF file is valid. For example, in a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0™ environment, the installation agent  29  uses a well-known application program interface (API) method to determine whether the INF file is valid for use in a Windows NT 4.0™ environment. The installation agent  29  also checks that the network component or service  14   a to be installed at the computer  12   a  is available in the computer system  22 . If the installation agent determines that a particular INF file  15   a  is not valid, it stops  36  the installation process. If the installation agent  29  determines that an INF file is valid, it continues with the installation process.  
         [0012]    Following successful validation of the INF file, the installation agent invokes  38  the operating system program setup function to install the network component or service  14   a , using the INF file as the parameter and specifying the name of the network component or service  14   a  to be installed. The operating system  24   a  then installs  40  the network component or service  14   a  to the computer  12   a . Windows NT 4.0™, for example, accomplishes that by using a “setup.exe” executable file. This executable file is located in the “System32” folder of the computer  12   a.    
         [0013]    Once the new network component or service  14   a  is installed on the computer  12   a , the installation agent  29  starts  42  the operating system  24   a  binding engine  26   a . The binding engine  26   a  reviews  44  all the network components and services installed on the computer  12   a . Next, the binding engine  26   a  identifies  46  the newly added component or service  14   a  and makes the necessary registry entries to bind  48  the symbolic addresses in the variables and instructions of the network component or service  14   a  to the real system addresses of the network adapter card  16   a . Finally, the installation agent  29  reboots  50  the computer  12   a . This allows the computer system changes to become effective.  
         [0014]    The foregoing techniques may be incorporated into any product software setup program (e.g., a software setup program written with InstallShield™ or Wise™) that installs network components. Additionally, the techniques may be used as a mass deployment mechanism for a network component or service. A mass deployment mechanism is used to automatically install a network component or service on a large group of computers attached to a network. Also, the techniques described herein may be adapted for use with operating systems other than Microsoft Windows NT 4.0™. Various features of the system may be implemented with hardware, software or with a combination of hardware and software. For example, some aspects of the system can be implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers. Each program can be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. Furthermore, each such computer program can be stored on a storage medium, such as read-only-memory (ROM) readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer, for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium is read by the computer to perform the functions described above. The techniques provide a faster and more efficient way to install network components and services and minimizes network administrator effort during the installation process.  
         [0015]    Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.