Methods, systems and computer program products for distribution of application programs to a target station on a network | Patent Number 07069293

Methods, systems and computer program products for management of application programs on a network including a server supporting client stations are provided. The server provides applications on-demand to a user logging in to a client supported by the server. Mobility is provided to the user and hardware portability is provided by establishing a user desktop interface responsive to a login request which presents to the user a desktop screen through a web browser interface which accesses and downloads selected application programs from the server responsive to a request from the user on the user desktop screen at the client. The application program is then provided from the server and executed at the client. The application program may further be customized to conform to the user's preferences and may also provide for license use management by determining license availability before initiating execution of the application program. Finally, software distribution and installation may be provided from a single network management server.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/211,528 filed Dec. 14, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,466. This application is related to the following application filed concurrently herewith: METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR MANAGEMENT OF CONFIGURABLE APPLICATION PROGRAMS ON A NETWORK. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/072,597 filed May 5, 1998 and entitled: Client-Server System for Maintaining a user Desktop Consistent with Server Application User Access Permissions which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to network management in general and in particular to application program management on a computer network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditional mainframe computer configurations provided for user interface to the computer through computer terminals which were directly connected by wires to ports of the mainframe computer. As computing technology has evolved, processing power has typically evolved from a central processing center with a number of relatively low-processing power terminals to a distributed environment of networked processors. Examples of this shift in processing include local or wide area computer networks which interconnect individual work stations where each workstation has substantial independent processing capabilities. This shift may be further seen in the popularity of the Internet which interconnects many processors and networks of processors through devices such as, for example, routers. This type of network environment is often referred to as a client-server environment with client stations coupled to and supported by a server station.

In the modern distributed processing computer environment, control over software, such as application programs, is more difficult than where a mainframe operated by an administrator is used, particularly for large organizations with numerous client stations and servers distributed widely geographically and utilized by a large number of users. Furthermore, individual users may move from location to location and need to access the network from different client stations at different times. The networked environment increases the challenges for a network administrator in maintaining proper licenses for existing software and deploying new or updated applications programs across the network.

One approach to reducing software distribution and control problems is to use an application server in which the application programs are installed and maintained on a centralized server which supports a plurality of client stations (sometimes referred to as a client/server application as contrasted to a desktop application). In addition, the Systems Management Server (SMS) program from Microsoft Corporation provides an ability to transmit an application program from a server to a number of clients. The SMS system typically allows installation of programs and associated icons at client stations for SMS-enabled applications. A customized install generally must be created by a system administrator for each different version to be installed. Furthermore, once installed at a client, a user must typically use that specific client station. The application generally cannot be automatically deleted from the client station's desktop or automatically upgraded the next time the user starts the application. Similarly, the Tivoli Management Environment (TME) 10â„¢ system from Tivoli Systems, Inc. provides a software distribution feature which may be used to transmit a file package to client and server stations on a network from a central Tivoliâ„¢ server.

A further complication in network systems is that, typically, these systems include combinations of network applications and native applications as well as combinations of different connection types and hardware devices. As used herein “native applications†refers to applications which are installed locally on a workstation such that characteristics associated with the native application are stored on the workstation. The combinations of network connections, differing hardware, native applications and network applications makes portability of preferences or operating environment characteristics which provide consistency from workstation to workstation difficult. Furthermore, differences in hardware or connections may create inefficiencies as users move from workstation to workstation. For example, a user may, in a first session, access the network utilizing a high speed connection and a workstation with a high resolution color monitor to execute an application and then, in a later session, access the network to execute the same application from a mobile computer with a monochrome display and a low speed modem connection to the network. Thus, session content, such as color display data or preferences associated with the application, which may have been appropriate for the first session may be inappropriate or inefficient in a later session.

Efforts to address mobility of users in a network have included efforts to provide preference mobility such as, for example, Novell's Z.E.N.works™, Microsoft's “Zero Administration†initiative for Windows® and International Business Machines Corporation's (IBM's) Workspace On Demand™. However, these solutions each typically require pre-installation of software at the workstation to support their services. For example, Novell's Z.E.N. and IBM's Workspace On Demand utilize a designer-supplied support layer in the operating system to enable their services. In addition to modifying the workstations operating system at startup to setup tasks to customize the user's environment, the Microsoft Zero Administration solution is typically limited to a homogeneous (Windows® only) environment where the workstation and the server are utilizing the same operating system.

Another approach to centralized management is the traditional mainframe model, such as with the IBM 3270 system, or an X Windows environment. However, in each of these approaches, the client device is treated as a dumb terminal with execution of the applications occurring at the server rather than the client. Accordingly, the communication between the server and the client is typically presenting characters for a display screen of the client and/or receiving key strokes from the client. Windows Zero Administration, as described above, is client rather than user oriented and installs applications on client stations which does not fully support roaming by users. The JAVA™ environment utilized on the Internet for web applications provides an ability for hardware independent application development but fails to provide an integrated framework for presenting multiple independent applications to a user. While various web applications, such as the Netscape Mission Control desktop, do allow personalizing of a specific application display by a user, this capability is generally not managed across applications for a user. Furthermore, it typically associates personalized screen information with an Internet address (and sometimes a “cookie†installed at the client) which is associated with a client device rather than a user, therefore limiting its ability to support roaming by users.

Each of these “mobility†systems typically do not address the full range of complications which may arise in a heterogeneous network utilizing differing devices and connections. The system typically will not present application choices associated with the user and for which the user is authorized but instead present information associated with the particular client workstation. Users would typically have to manually define session characteristics at each differing workstation they used in the network or maintain local characteristic definitions which may be inappropriate for particular applications a user is executing and may substantially reduced the administrative convenience of a centrally controlled network. Thus, these various approaches fail to provide a seamless integration of application access and session characteristics across heterogeneous networks. Such solutions may, at most, reduce network administration only after initial installation on each workstation. In addition, control over access by users is difficult to accomplish in a mobile environment.

Furthermore, these various approaches have, at most, only limited capabilities to provide a uniform framework for deployment of new or updated application programs from different software designers. To the extent software distribution capabilities from a central location are provided, such as with the TME 10â„¢ system, they typically require various steps in the installation process to occur at different locations rather than allowing the entire process to be controlled from a single point for an entire managed network environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods, systems and computer program products for centralized management of application programs on a computer network.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such methods, systems and computer program products that are user based across various hardware interface devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such methods, systems and computer program products that provide for software deployment from a central administrative server location across a plurality of client stations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such methods, systems and computer program products that can accommodate various types of hardware operating under different operating systems across client stations.

These and other objects are provided, according to the present invention, by providing methods, systems and computer program products for management of application programs on a network including a server supporting client stations. The server provides applications on-demand to a user logging in to a client supported by the server. Mobility is provided to the user and hardware portability is provided by establishing a user desktop interface responsive to a login request which presents to the user a desktop screen through a web browser interface. The desktop accesses and downloads selected application programs from the server responsive to a request from the user, such as the selection of an icon associated with the application program which is displayed on the user desktop screen at the client. The application program is then provided from the server and executed at the client. The application program may further be customized to conform to the user's preferences and may also provide for license use management by determining license availability before initiating execution of the application program. Accordingly, applications are provided on-demand to users independent of the device used to access the server.

Centralized control of software distribution is also provided for a network management server managed computer network such as a Tivoliâ„¢ environment. Application programs are distributed as file packages (packets) to on-demand servers. A profile manager import call is included in the distributed file packet along with an import text file containing the data required to properly install and register the application program on the on-demand server and make it available to authorized users. Settable on-demand server identifier fields are included to allow a plurality of on-demand servers to receive a common file packet and properly install and register the program for use locally.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for management of application programs on a network including a server and a client is provided. A plurality of application programs are installed at the server. The plurality of application programs may be installed on a network drive accessible to the server. A login request initiating a session is received from a user through an application executing at the client. A user desktop interface is then established at the client associated with the user responsive to the login request from the user. The desktop interface includes a plurality of display regions associated with a set of the plurality of application programs installed at the server for which the user is authorized. The server receives a selection of one of the plurality of application programs from the user desktop interface and provides an instance of the selected one of the plurality of application programs to the client for execution responsive to the selection.

In a further embodiment, application management information for the plurality of applications is maintained at the server and a plurality of display regions associated with a set of the plurality of application programs for which the user is authorized is included responsive to the application management information. In a further embodiment of the present invention, application launcher programs associated with each of the set of the plurality of application programs for which the user is authorized are distributed to the client and selections of programs are received from one of the application launcher programs which is associated with the selected one of the plurality of application programs. The application launcher programs may be provided as JAVAâ„¢ applets and the user desktop interface may be provided as a web browser The application management information may include configurable user preference information for the plurality of application programs and a set of the configurable user preference information associated with the user and the selected one of the plurality of application programs may be provided to the client for use in executing the instance of the application program. The set of the configurable user preference information may include both user preferences configurable by the user and user preferences not configurable by the user which are configurable by an administrator. The user preference information may be updated responsive to updates from the user and the administrator respectively.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the user desktop interface is configured at the server responsive to an identifier of the user associated with the login request so as to provide a configured user desktop interface. The configured user desktop interface is then provided to the client for display. The user desktop may be configured not to include display regions associated with any of the plurality of application programs installed at the server for which the user is not authorized.

In another aspect of the present invention, a license availability is determined for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user. License availability for the user desktop application itself may also be determined. An unavailability indication is provided to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user. The license availability may be determined by the one of the application launcher programs associated with the selected one of the plurality of application programs which may obtain the license availability from a license management server. The license management server may run on the same machine as the on demand application server.

In a further aspect of the present invention, event logging information is received at the server from the instance of the selected one of the plurality of application programs. The server provides the received event logging information to a network management server associated with the server. In addition, event logging information may be provided to the user desktop application.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, methods are provided for distribution of application programs to a target station on a network from a centralized network management server coupled to the network. The application program to be distributed is provided to the systems (network) management server and a source directory and a target directory for distribution of the application program are specified. A file packet associated with the application program is prepared including a segment configured to initiate registration operations for the application program at the target station. The file packet is then distributed to the target station or stations. In one embodiment, the network management server is a Tivoliâ„¢ server. The segment configured to initiate registration operations may include an import data file and a call to an import program executing on the target station.

In one embodiment of the software distribution aspect of the present invention, the application program is provided as a JAVAâ„¢ applet and is registered based on a Universal Resource Locator (URL) address accessible to a browser application. The segment configured to initiate registration operations includes a variable field into which the target station inserts its identification during registration operations. The file packet may be distributed to a plurality of target stations each having an identification which may be inserted into the variable field at the target station.

While the invention has been described above primarily with respect to the method aspects of the invention, both systems and computer program products are also provided.

Accordingly, the present invention provides for management of application programs in a network environment from a central location while allowing for user preferences to be maintained independent of hardware location of the user along with centralized distribution of new and/or updated application programs. This provides for reduced costs and increased uniformity in deploying software in a network environment. It further provides an essentially hardware transparent ability for an individual user to interface to an on-demand server supported client station while maintaining the user's personal preferences for each application program.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as methods, systems or computer program products. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

FIG. 1

FIG. 1

System 10, as illustrated in

FIG. 1

As will be described further herein with reference to the flowcharts, Tivoli™ server 20 provides a means for software distribution and management in computer network system 10. Furthermore, on-demand servers 22, 22′ each provide an application management system for managing configurable application programs using both user and administrative preferences for various application programs. More particularly, as described in the embodiments herein, on-demand servers 22, 22′ are configured to operate within the eNetwork™ environment available from International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). As will be further discussed herein, the present invention provides for an integration of an on-demand server as described herein in the IBM eNetwork™ environment with the TME 10™ system to provide for centralized control of software applications including the capability for supporting separate user and administration preference parameters. However, while the present invention may be implemented in the Tivoli™ environment, it is also suitable for use with other network management environments. Configurable preference management (and license use management) operations suitable for use with the present invention are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,529 entitled Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Management of Configurable Application Programs on a network, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 2

FIG. 2

FIG. 2

Client management server capabilities may be further broken down within client management server 204. For example, client management server 204, may be implemented in a JAVAâ„¢ environment with various applets or servlets where the term servlets generally refers to server-side JAVAâ„¢ programs each of which provides a particular function. For example, an application server servlet may control user application access through client management server 204 by receiving requests from web server 206. Various additional servlets could support controlling access to database 208, providing centralized preference management, centralized license use management and error logging and tracing.

User console 202 provides an end user client desktop. As will be described further herein, the desktop provides a task bar (to switch between active applications) and a launch panel with icons for the applications that the user is authorized to access. Pursuant to the control of client management server 204, the user desktop automatically provides icons for those applications that the user is authorized to use including automatically adding icons for new applications that the user is authorized to access when the new applications become available without any action required on the part of the end user.

Administrator console 200 provides a modified desktop interface for an administrator authorized user. The administrator desktop is preferably provided by a configuration management servlet which allows a user with administrative authority to modify system parameters and settings. Functions typically provided through the administrator console 200 could include adding or modifying users, user groups, software, customizing applications for users or groups, and granting or denying application access to certain users or groups.

Independent software designers provide various applications configured to benefit from the capabilities of server system 22. A software designer may utilize a particular version of server system 22 which includes a tool kit of functions for establishing preference management, license use management and error logging and tracing aspects unique to the specific application being provided by the software designer. The software designer utilizes the tool kit of functions in developing one or more JAVAâ„¢-based web applications (such as a word processor, emulator, calendar program, etc.) where the on-demand server tool kit functions expand the application's capabilities by allowing implementation of centralized preference storage and retrieval, centralized license tracking, and centralized error and event reporting, and centralized distribution for a particular application. For each application, the software designer preferably produces both an end-user application, used by typical end-users, and an administrative or configuration application, used only by administrators. The configuration application allows configuration of preferences that end-users will not be allowed to modify. The software designer also preferably provides a set of default preferences for each application so that the application is usable with or without any customization by administrators or end users.

A customer utilizing the server system 22 of the present invention may then purchase applications from software designers who have provided on-demand server capabilities in their applications. As will be further described with reference to the flowcharts, an administrator then defines users and groups of users that will have access to the applications installed on the server and installs the software defining it to the database 208 on server system 22. The administrator may also then perform any desired customization of preferences (using the configuration management application) for global defaults, specific groups, or specific users. The administrator further then may authorize certain groups or users to access the application. The database is updated so that when individual users next bring up their end-user client desktop, they will be provided an icon that may be used to launch the new application.

The application may also be provided the capability to retrieve its preferences (such as default fonts, target systems, screen colors, etc.) from the server database 208, register licenses through client management server 204 and log any error events through client management server 204. The administrator further can change preferences, monitor or enforce license usage, and diagnose errors for any user from the configuration management application executing on any support or client workstation such as console 200.

Administrator console 200 in the illustrated embodiment utilizes a JAVAâ„¢ capable browser, or desktop, for the user interface to interact with client management server 204. The configuration framework for the system, enabled by a JAVAâ„¢ applet, identifies manageable components, preferably utilizing a graphical tree representation of users/groups, application and machines. The administrator console 200 enables the definition and administration of users, groups of users, applications and machines. Once defined, users may be granted access to applications and the applications may be customized for user preferences, group preferences, and system-wide default preferences. Similarly, machine configurations may be defined for network computers and managed personal computers or other devices communicating over the network served by server system 22.

User console 202 provides client access services which provide an interface to request execution of instances of an application on console 202 whether it is a full function personal computing device or a network computer. Network computers functioning as user console 202 are initialized by configuring network access and then downloading a small kernel to initialize the operating environment of the network computer 202. The network computer machine environment is then further customized based on device configuration information provided by a client access services function. In a JAVA™ environment, the client access services function is preferably provided by a browser application presenting a user desktop window. The applications (and associated application launchers) are also provided as applets. It is further to be understood that, in the JAVA™ environment, currently available web browser applications are known to those of skill in the art which provide a user interface and allow hardware independent communication such as that currently specified by Internet protocols. Thus, the application launcher programs may be applets which display the icon which are associated with a web browser Universal Resource Locator (URL) which points to the location of the applet to be executed. Upon selection of the icon displayed by the application launcher, the selected application is “launched†by requesting the URL of the application from the on-demand server. Such requests may be made utilizing conventional Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communications or other suitable protocols.

For both network computers or managed personal computers, once the machine environment is initialized, the user may log on to the network client management environment provided by server system 22 for authentication. User authentication allows the selection of the appropriate context (individual, group, default) for the desktop to be provided to console 202. For example, icon displays may be selected for inclusion in the desktop based on whether a particular user is an authorized user for the associated applications. In addition, any specific user preferences for the desktop interface (to the network management environment of the present invention) may be applied.

Referring now to

FIG. 3

FIG. 3

FIG. 3

As shown in

FIG. 3

FIG. 3

The configuration management component supports the configuration framework on the administration console 200 as well. This console provides a common, centralized user interface on which configuration management tasks for services for the particular server system 22 occur. When access to configuration management is provided through a JAVAâ„¢-enabled web browser, access to multiple servers is possible from a single administration station 200. The configuration framework 224 preferably minimizes the costs of administering services by maximizing the simplicity and consistency of the specific configuration tasks. The primary user of this component is typically the system administrator or others with administrator authority.

User authorization 212 provides control over which applications may be accessed by a particular user or group. User authorization component 212 preferably provides security by authenticating users securely rather than transmitting plain text passwords. Furthermore, client software may be provided with the ability to verify the integrity of applets delivered from the server to insure that they are free of viruses and have not been modified during delivery. Access to various application applets may be controlled, consistent with the permissions granted by administrators, using the configuration framework interface 224 at the administration console 200. Access to the server system 22 through configuration framework 224 may be limited to administrator authority users.

Hardware inventory component 214 provides for modification of applications as necessary to adapt to the type of hardware and/or operating system from which a user is requesting execution of an instance of an application (i.e. device specific characteristics). System management component 218 provides similar capabilities at a network management level. System management component 218 may further be provided to allow Tivoliâ„¢ ready system administration by acting as an agent to extend Tivoliâ„¢ management and control to clients supported by server system 22. As will be described further herein, integration may provide for software distribution, event logging support, remote operation and distributed monitoring through a network management server 20. Examples of systems utilizing operating environment information to establish preferences or modify content are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,675 entitled Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Management of Preferences in a Heterogeneous Computing Environment, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,527 entitled Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Policy Based Network Control of Characteristics of User Sessions, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Finally, license management component 216 may be utilized to monitor the usage of applications executing as JAVAâ„¢ applets to insure that the usage is within specified guidelines. The license management component 216 may be provided as a JAVAâ„¢ bean which provides status information to a license management JAVAâ„¢ servlet. The servlet then sends the appropriate management information to a license management server which may be integrated within server system 22 or maintained in a separate device. The license management component 216 thereby provides a convenient tool for tracking the usage of specified applications.

As also shown in

FIG. 3

Operations of the present invention will now be described with respect to the flowcharts of

FIGS. 4 through 9C

Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart illustrations support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Referring now to

FIG. 4

In one embodiment of the present invention, the operations at block 234 are preceded by a user opening a browser at the client station and entering a designated URL associated with establishing a user desktop interface. The appropriate URL may be saved by the browser application using various techniques known to those of skill in the art. An application launcher associated with the user desktop interface is then downloaded to the client station and executed by the browser. The user desktop interface application launcher then obtains the user identification and password, either from a memory location or by prompting the user. Only a portion of the user desktop interface application launcher code need be initially downloaded sufficient to obtain the user information with additional associated code downloaded subsequently during establishment of the user desktop interface at the client.

If a user identification and password information is contained in the request at block 234, user login operations are executed including bringing up a user desktop and establishing the user's credentials and application access authorization, based, for example, on stored ID and password information (block 236). Additional session information may be determined from the login operations such as configuration information related to the hardware and operating system in use for the session. Finally, if it is determined that the request has been received from an already logged in user at block 238 requesting execution of an application (as opposed to initial setup of a user desktop interface) application access management operations are executed to bring up an instance of the managed application for the user (block 240).

Referring now to

FIG. 5

Log in operations from block 236 of

FIG. 4

FIG. 6

On receipt of a request to initiate an instance of a desktop application, the server system 22 first confirms that identification and password information is available (i.e., that the user successfully previously logged on and provided the appropriate information previously or included the information in the request). If the appropriate identification is not available, server system 22 obtains an identification and password from the user for use in establishing the authorization credentials of the user (block 262). Alternatively, in another embodiment, the application launcher code at the client may only communicate a request if a user identification and password have been successfully obtained, thereby not requiring the operations of block 262. At block 264, the server system 22 checks the user's credentials to see if the user is authorized to bring up the user desktop interface application, preferably using the same authorization and checking procedures as used by any other managed application as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,529.

If the user is not authorized at block 264, an error message is displayed and processing stops (block 266). If the user is authorized, server system 22 processes a license request to determine if a license is available for the desktop application (block 268). If no license is available at block 268, an error message is displayed and processing stops (block 266). If a license is available, the server system 22 displays the desktop framework 226 (

FIG. 3

While, as described above, operations were identified as being performed at server system 22, it is to be understand that functions may be divided differently between server and client according to the teachings of the present invention. For example, the user desktop interface application launcher at the client may, responsive to the request to initiate a session, be provided the desktop application program code and the appropriate code to obtain preferences and license availability information. The operations as described for

FIG. 6

As used herein, the term “application program†generally refers to the code associated with the underlying program functions, for example, Lotus Notes or a terminal emulator program. However, it is to be understood that the application program will preferably be included as part of the application launcher which will further include the code associated with managing usage of the application program on a network according to the teachings of the present invention. Further it is to be understood that, as used herein, the term “application launcher program†may refer to the entire program provided by a software vendor or to merely a portion thereof distibuted to a client to perform particular operations. For example, the application launcher program distributed to initially populate the user desktop preferably does not include the code associated with the underlying application program and obtaining preferences which may only be distributed to the client later when execution of the application program is requested. The application launcher program distributed to populate the user desktop may only include a URL and an associated ICON and, possibly, code to allow obtaining of user identification and password information. Memory usage on the client stations may thereby be limited.

It is to be understood that, while the discussion herein is generally provided with reference to a single application program, the present invention is directed to management of a plurality of application programs available on a network including a server and a client. Accordingly, the plurality of application programs is installed and accessible at the server system 22. A user desktop interface is then established at the client which is associated with the requesting user responsive to a login request from the user. The desktop interface includes a plurality of display regions, such as icons, associated with a set of the plurality of application programs installed at server system 22 for which the user is authorized. The determination of which of the plurality of applications a user is authorized for may be based upon application management information for the plurality of applications maintained at server system 22.

Desktop display operations may be coordinated between system server 22 and client station 202. The user desktop interface is preferably configured at the server system 22 responsive to an identifier of the user associated with the login request so as to provide a configured user desktop interface. It is this configured user desktop interface which is directed to a requesting user and presented in a form appropriate for display by the client station 202 from which the user is accessing the server system 22. Furthermore, as the desktop application itself may be provided as an application launcher applet like any other application using the methods of the present invention, the desktop itself may also be configured to include user preference characteristics unique to the user where it is desired to have user configurable characteristics for the desktop interface.

Preferably, access control to applications is provided by not including display regions associated with any of a plurality of application programs installed at the server system 22 for which the user is not authorized. In other words, a user logging in to system server 22 will be provided a user desktop for display which only includes icons for those applications for which the user is authorized. This same configuration grouping may be provided regardless of the client station 202 on which the user is accessing the system.

Referring now to

FIG. 7

FIG. 4

FIG. 3

At block 284, the server system 22 checks the credentials of the user to determine if the user is authorized to access the requested application. If the user is not authorized for the particular application an error message is displayed and an error code is returned to the application (block 286). Optionally, the application program may be configured to allow it to proceed with executing an instance of the application but the application will typically not be authorized to use system level services of the system server 22 (such as error logging, retrieval of user preferences or requesting a license) where the database 208 indicates to the server system 22 that the identified user is not authorized to use the application. In other words, client management server 204 may be configured, based upon the properties provided by a software designer for a particular managed application, to initiate execution of an instance of an application by a non-authorized user while otherwise denying access to the application management capabilities supported by client management server 204.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the application launchers for individual application programs are preferrably distributed when the user desktop is initiated (populated) and may only contain code required to obtain user preferences and/or license information and the application program's executable code from the server on-demand (i.e., when execution is requested by a user). This minimizes the memory required at clients 24, 24′, 26, 26′. Alternatively, the application launcher may contain, at the client, all the executable code comprising the application program itself before execution is requested. As the application program supported by server system 22 may be executable via a variety of users concurrently, server system 22 provides an instance of the selected one of the plurality of application programs to populate the application launcher to client station 202 for execution responsive to a selection of the application program from the user. Alternatively, while it is not a preferred approach, the application program code itself may be included in the application launcher at the time the user desktop interface is populated allowing an instance of the application program to be executed with less communication traffic between the network and the server associated with the request to initiate an instance of the application program.

Preferably, the application launcher program, as described above, is distributed for each authorized application program to the client station 202 at the time of establishment of the user desktop interface without including all of the executable code of each application as part of the application launchers at the time of distribution. The application launcher applet then detects selection by the user of the application program's associated icon from the user desktop interface at client station 202 and requests an instance of the selected one of the plurality of application programs associated with the icon from server system 22. The application launcher program then populates client station 202 with the instance of the selected application program for execution. Preferably, the appropriate configurable user preference information for the selected application program is also obtained from the server system 22 for use in executing the instance of the application program at the client station 202.

The user preference information is provided to client station 202 from server system 22 for use in executing an instance of the application at the client station 202. The configurable user preference information maintained by server system 22 may include both user preferences configurable by the user and those not configurable by the user which are instead configurable by an administrator. The user preferences may further be updated responsive to changes from the user or administrator. Configurable preference management operations suitable for use with the present invention are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/211,529.

If the requesting user is an authorized user for the requested application, the server system 22 accepts a license request from the application (block 288). If no licenses are available, the system may be configured to provide an error message display and stop processing (block 286). The error message may take the form of an unavailability indication provided to client station 202 if the license availability information obtained from a license management server, which may be system server 22 or other another server on the network, indicates no licenses are available for the requesting user. If a license is available, an instance of the requested application is executed and error and trace logging operations are enabled to receive error and trace log entries if they are sent from the application (block 290). Server system 22, as described previously, may be configured to operate in a Tivoliâ„¢ environment and forward error and trace log entries to the Tivoliâ„¢ enterprise management system 20.

As will be understood from the above description, the present invention allows development and deployment of managed applications which are deployed to servers rather than to individual clients. Furthermore, the applications are defined and access is controlled centrally which provides control over various versions of software so that the latest software may always be served on-demand to the end-users. Furthermore, users and user groups may be managed centrally allowing users to roam from client station to client station whi