Patent ID: 7107330

Claim:
A method in a data processing system including a server computer system coupled to a plurality of heterogeneous client computer systems via a network for automatically installing a device driver on said plurality of heterogeneous client computer systems, wherein each of said heterogeneous client computer systems executes a different one of a plurality of operating systems, said method comprising the steps of: selecting a device driver to be installed; specifying said plurality of heterogeneous client computer systems to receive said device driver; storing a plurality of different versions of said device driver in said server computer system, wherein each one of said plurality of different versions is executable by only a different one of said plurality of operating systems; gathering, by said server computer system, a network address of each one of said plurality of client computer systems; determining, by said server computer system, one of said plurality of operating systems being executed by each one of said plurality of client computer systems; creating, in said server computer system, a file including a plurality of entries, each one of said plurality of entries specifying a different one of said plurality of client computer systems, one of said plurality of different operating systems determined for said one of said plurality of client computer systems, and said network address determined for said one of said plurality of client computer systems; and distributing, by said server computer system, said plurality of versions of said device driver to said plurality of client computer system utilizing said file by; getting an entry from said file; creating an install directory on said one of said plurality of client computer systems that is specified in said entry; determining an operating system listed in said entry; selecting one of said plurality of different versions of said device driver that is executable by said determined one of said plurality of different operating systems; executing a remote copy command to copy said selected one of said plurality of different versions of said device driver to said install directory created on said one of said plurality of client computer systems that is specified by said entry, said remote copy command utilizing said network address that is specified in said entry; causing, by said server computer system said one of said plurality of client computer systems that is specified by said entry to execute an install command to install said selected one of said plurality of different versions of said device driver; repeating said step of distributing said plurality of versions for each one of said plurality of entries of said file.