System and method for retrieving and updating configuration parameter values for application programs in a computer network

Claims

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A configuration parameter value access system for use in connection with a computer system, the configuration parameter value access system performing an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the configuration parameter value access system comprising:

A. a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. a file identifier generator configured to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and, if so, to generate a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. a configuration parameter access module configured to perform an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

2. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which said configuration file path list comprises a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the file identifier generator being configured to iteratively use one of the entries in the series to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until it determines that a file having the filename exists along the path.

3. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 2 in which the file identifier generator is configured to use a default path after using all of the entries in the configuration file path list.

4. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is a retrieval operation, the configuration parameter access module being configured to, during a retrieval operation, retrieve a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

5. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access module being configured to retrieve the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

6. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 5 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access module being configured to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

7. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access module being configured to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

8. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 4 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access module being configured to use a Windows "Get Private Profile" function in retrieving the parameter value.

9. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is an update operation, the configuration parameter access module being configured to, during an update operation, update a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier.

10. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which the configuration parameter access module is configured to create a file along a default path in which it updates the parameter value if the file identifier generator determines that the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

11. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access module being configured to update the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

12. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 11 in which the configuration parameter access module is configured to create section and parameter if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

13. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 9 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access module being configured to use a Windows "Write Private Profile" function in updating the parameter value.

14. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1 in which the configuration file path list includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each class list defining one or more said paths, each configuration parameter access request identifying a path class, the file identifier generator being configured to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by one of said configuration file path class lists as identified by said configuration parameter access request and if so generating a file identifier identifying the file.

15. A configuration parameter value access system as defined in claim 1, the computer system connected in a network including a plurality of computer systems including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, at least one computer system being configured to retrieve the configuration file path list from said server computer system.

16. A method of operating a computer system to perform an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

A. providing a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. determining whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and if so generating a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. performing an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 in which at least one said configuration file path class list comprises a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the entries in the series being iteratively used to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until a determination is made that a file having the filename exists along the path.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, in which a default path is further used in determining whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request, after all of the entries in the configuration file path list have been used.

19. A method as defined in claim 16, in which one types of access operation is a retrieval operation, during which a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier is retrieved from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

20. A method as defined in claim 19 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the parameter value being retrieved for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the default value being provided to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

22. A method as defined in claim 19 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the default value being provided to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

23. A method as defined in claim 19 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the Windows "Get Private Profile" function being used in retrieving the parameter value.

24. A method as defined in claim 16 in which the one type of access operation is an update operation during which a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier is updated in the file identified by the file identifier.

25. A method as defined in claim 24 in which a file is created along a default path including the updated parameter value if the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

26. A method as defined in claim 24 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the parameter value being updated for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

27. A method as defined in claim 26 in which section and parameter are created in the file if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

28. A method as defined in claim 24 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, a Windows "Write Private Profile" function being used in updating the parameter value.

29. A method as defined in claim 16 in which the paths identified by the configuration file path class lists can be updated by a system administrator.

30. A method as defined in claim 16, the computer system connected in a network including a plurality of computer systems including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, the configuration file path list being retrieved by at least one computer system from said server computer system.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer system usable medium having computer system readable code embodied therein to enable the computer system to perform an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an application program, the configuration parameter defining an operational characteristic for said application program, the configuration parameter access request including a filename and a parameter identifier, the computer program product comprising:

A. configuration file path list program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate a configuration file path list defining one or more paths in a storage subsystem;

B. file identifier generator program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list and, if so, to generate a file identifier identifying the file; and

C. configuration parameter access program code devices configured to cause the computer system to perform an access operation in connection with the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier.

32. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which said configuration file path list program code devices are configured to cause the computer system to generate the configuration file path list as a series of entries, each entry defining a path, the file identifier generator program code devices being configured to enable the computer to iteratively use one of the entries in the series to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the entry until it determines that a file having the filename exists along the path.

33. A computer program product as defined in claim 32 in which the file identifier generator program code devices are further configured to cause the computer system to use a default path after using all of the entries in the configuration file path list.

34. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which one type of access operation performed by the computer system under control of the configuration parameter access program code devices is a retrieval operation, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system, during a retrieval operation, to retrieve a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier for transfer to the application program.

35. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to retrieve the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

36. A computer program product as defined in claim 35 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

37. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which the configuration parameter access request further includes a default value, the configuration parameter access program code devices further being configured to enable the computer system to provide the default value to the application program as the parameter value if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

38. A computer program product as defined in claim 34 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to use a Windows "Get Private Profile" function in enabling the computer system to retrieve the parameter value.

39. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which one type of access operation performed by the configuration parameter access module is an update operation, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to, during an update operation, update a parameter value associated with a parameter identified by the parameter identifier from the file identified by the file identifier.

40. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which the configuration parameter access program code devices are configured to enable the computer system to create a file along a default path in which it updates the parameter value if the file identifier generator program code devices enable the computer system to determine that the storage subsystem does not contain a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by the configuration file path list.

41. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which the file comprises a plurality of sections each having a section name, each section having a plurality of parameters each having a parameter value, the configuration parameter access request further including a section identifier, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable the computer system to update the parameter value for the parameter of the section whose section name corresponds to the section identifier.

42. A computer program product as defined in claim 40 in which the configuration parameter access program code devices are configured to enable said computer system to create a section and parameter if the file identified by the file identifier does not have a section having a section name corresponding to the section identifier or a configuration parameter corresponding to the parameter identifier.

43. A computer program product as defined in claim 39 in which said computer system uses the Microsoft Windows operating system program, the configuration parameter access program code devices being configured to enable said computer system to use a Windows "Write Private Profile" function in updating the parameter value.

44. A computer program product as defined in claim 31 in which the configuration file path list includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each class list defining one or more said paths, each configuration parameter access request identifying a path class, the file identifier generator program code devices being configured to enable said computer system to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file having a name corresponding to the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by one of said configuration file path class lists as identified by said configuration parameter access request and if so generate a file identifier identifying the file.

45. A computer program product as defined in claim 31, the computer system connected in a network including at least one server computer system including a data store for storing the configuration file path list, the computer program product being configured to enable the computer system to retrieve the configuration file path list from said server computer system .

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of networked digital computer systems, in which a number of individual computer systems are interconnected by a network over which they can share information. The invention more particularly provides a system and method for retrieving and updating configuration parameter values for application programs from specific files, whose locations may be controlled by, for example, a system administrator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In modern "enterprise" digital data processing systems, that is, computer systems for use in an office environment in a company, a number of personal computers, workstations, and other devices such as mass storage subsystems, network printers and interfaces to the public telephony system, are typically interconnected in a computer network. The personal computers and workstations are used by individual users to perform processing in connection with data and programs that may be stored in the network mass storage subsystems. In such an arrangement, the personal computers/workstations, operating as clients, download the data and programs from the network mass storage subsystems for process. In addition, the personal computers or workstations will enable processed data to be uploaded to the network mass storage subsystems for storage, to a network printer for printing, to the telephony interface for transmission over the public telephony system, or the like. In such an arrangement, the network mass storage subsystems, network printers and telephony interface operate as servers, since they are available to service requests from all of the clients in the network. By organizing the network in such a manner, the servers are readily available for use by all of the personal computers/workstations in the network. Such a network may be spread over a fairly wide area, with the personal computers/workstations are interconnected by communication links such as electrical wires or optic fibers.

Users of personal computers and workstations can often modify and adjust certain operational characteristics, or "configurations," according to their individual needs and tastes, including, for example, the default positions, colors and organizations of windows of particular applications programs, an applications program's default working directory (that is, the directory in which data will be stored), the particular indicia which will be displayed to the user, such as the names of fonts, and text items to be used in menus, lists or dialog boxes, as well as such settings for communications devices or communications sessions. When the personal computers and workstations are connected in a network, it is often desirable to have certain of these operational characteristics be controlled on a user-by-user basis or on a computer-by-computer basis, whereas other characteristics should be uniform over the entire network. For example, a user may wish to control such characteristics as the default positions, colors and organizations of windows of particular applications programs based on his or her personal tastes. Similarly, a system administrator may wish to control such characteristics as the settings for communications devices or communications sessions on a computer-by-computer basis based on the computer's particular hardware configuration. On the other hand, a system administrator may wish to control such characteristics as names of fonts, and text items to be used in menus, lists or dialog boxes on a network basis, so that these items will be uniform across the network.

Configuration information is typically stored in a number of files, which the operating system programs and application programs may use during initialization and thereafter to control their operational characteristics. For example, in one popular operating system program, namely, the Microsoft Windows operating system program, particularly Version 3.1, configuration information is typically stored in certain initialization files.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a new and improved system and method for controlling the retrieval and updating of configuration parameters which control operational characteristics of computer systems and the programs processed thereby in a computer network, based on selected characteristic classifications for the various operational characteristics. For example, certain characteristics may be classified as controllable on a user-by-user basis, whereas others may be classified controllable on a computer-by-computer basis or a network-wide basis. The system and method control the retrieval and updating of the configuration information by controlling, on a class-by-class basis, the locations of files which contain configuration information defining the respective characteristics, from which a computer system will retrieve the configuration information or in which the computer system will store updated configuration information.

In brief summary, the invention provides a configuration parameter value access system used in connection with a computer system performs an access operation in connection with a configuration parameter in response to a configuration parameter access request from an applications program. Each configuration parameter access request includes a parameter class identifier, a filename and a parameter identifier. The configuration parameter value access system includes a plurality of configuration file path class lists, each of which has at least one entry, each entry defining a storage subsystem path in the computer system's storage subsystem. A file identifier generator tests successive entries of the configuration file path class list identified by the parameter class identifier to determine whether the storage subsystem contains a file which has the filename provided in the configuration parameter access request along a path defined by an entry. If so, a configuration parameter access module performs an access operation to retrieve or update the configuration parameter identified by the parameter identifier provided in the configuration parameter access request in the file identified by the file identifier generator. If the access operation is a retrieval operation, to retrieve the value of the configuration parameter, the configuration parameter value access system will retrieve the value of the parameter, if any, in the file identified by the file identifier generator. If the access operation is an update operation, to update the value of the configuration parameter, the configuration parameter value access system will update the value of the parameter in the file identified by the file identifier generator, or create the file if no file currently exists. The paths listed in the various configuration parameter class lists can be controlled by a system administrator on a class-by-class basis, which enables the system administrator to control the locations of the configuration parameter files from which the configuration parameters will be obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer network including a configuration parameter value retrieval and update system constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram depicting data structures which are useful in understanding the configuration parameter value retrieval and update system depicted in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3A through 7B are a flowcharts depicting operations performed by the configuration parameter value retrieval and update system described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer network including a configuration parameter value retrieval and update system for enabling application programs to obtain initialization and configuration information from specific files in a computer network, constructed in accordance with the invention. With reference to FIG. 1, computer network 10 includes a plurality of computers 12(1) through 12(N) (generally identified by reference numeral 12(n)) and 16 which are interconnected by a communication link 14. As is conventional, at least some of the computers 12(n) are in the form of personal computers or computer workstations, each of which includes a system unit, a video display unit and operator input devices such as a keyboard and mouse. The computer 16 also includes a system unit, and may also include a video display unit and operator input devices. The computers 12(n) and 16 are of the conventional stored-program computer architecture. A system unit generally includes processing, memory, mass storage devices such as disk and/or tape storage elements and other elements (not separately shown), including network interface devices 18(n), 20 for interfacing the computer to the co