Granular client inventory management with conflict resolution

US9143407B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · US

Inventors

• Chuanbo Zhang · Shanghai, CN
• Jerry Liu · San Jose, US
• Jie Du · Shanghai, CN
• Huajun Luo · Shanghai, CN
• Yumin Guo · Shanghai, CN
• XueYin Jiang · Shanghai, CN
• ZhongGang Li · Shanghai, CN
• Haibing Wang · Dongguan, CN
• Jie Liu · Houston, US
• Shakir Hussain Basheer · Redmond, US
• Yue Chen · Bellevue, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 2, 2011
• Grant date: Sep 22, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 24, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L41/12
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Granular inventory management with conflict resolution at a target is provided. A client receives inventory management requests, as default settings and/or from a server. Each request includes action instance(s), which have an action key, action type, action detail(s), a precedence, and a sequence number. The client identifies a conflict if two instances have the same action type but incompatible detail(s). The client resolves the conflict, based on precedence and sometimes also on sequence numbers. The client performs the resulting action instance(s), and results are sent back for inclusion in an inventory report. Action details may specify a schedule for recurring actions. A precedence may be specified by an administrator or be built-in. Default and other requests may be defined by viewing inventory classes in a graphical user interface, entering an action based on inventory class(es), and entering target device group selection(s). Inventory classes may be captured from a live system.