Network distributed system for updating locally secured objects in client machines

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, further for performing a second operation on a second object in said first computer system by a second process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said second operation on said second object, wherein said intermediary process has sufficient permission to perform said second operation on said second object; further comprising the step of said second process communicating a second request to said intermediary process to perform said second operation on said second object; and said intermediary process performing said second operation on said second object in response to said second request.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein said first operation comprises a member of the group consisting of adding data to said first object, deleting data from said first object, modifying data in said first object, deleting said first object, renaming said first object, and changing properties of said first object.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein said first object comprises a member of the group consisting of a file, a directory, a registry, a registry entry, and a node in a registry.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein said intermediary process comprises a service.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6, wherein said intermediary process comprises a service running with administrator permissions.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 6, wherein said operating system is a WindowsNT® operating system, and wherein said first object comprises a member of the group consisting of a WindowsNT® registry, a WindowsNT® registry entry and a node in a WindowsNT® registry.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of said agent process unsuccessfully attempting to perform said first operation on said registry in response to said command and prior to said step of communicating a request to said intermediary service.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 10, wherein said intermediary service runs with administrator permissions.

Claim 15

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a first object in a first computer system by a first process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object, for use with a second computer system, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said second computer system for issuing a command to said first computer system which includes performing said first operation on said first object; means in said first process in response to said command for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 16

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a first object in a first computer system by a first process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object, for use with a second computer system, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said second computer system for issuing a command to said first computer system which includes performing said first operation on said first object; means in said first process in response to said command for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12, further for performing a second operation on a second object in said first computer system by a second process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said second operation on said second object, wherein said intermediary process has sufficient permission to perform said second operation on said second object; further comprising means in said second process for communicating a second request to said intermediary process to perform said second operation on said second object; and means in said intermediary process for performing said second operation on said second object in response to said second request.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first operation comprises a member of the group consisting of adding data to said first object, deleting data from said first object, modifying data in said first object, deleting said first object, renaming said first object, and changing properties of said first object.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first object comprises a member of the group consisting of a file, a directory, a registry, a registry entry, and a node in a registry.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said intermediary process comprises a service.

Claim 21

Apparatus for performing a first operation of a first type on a first object in a first computer system by a first process, said first computer system running an operating system which assigns access control restrictions to objects in said first computer system and through such access control restrictions prevents operations of said first type from being performed on said first object except by processes having predetermined access control permissions, said first process lacking said predetermined access control permissions, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having at least said predetermined access control permissions; means in said first process for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 22

Apparatus for performing a first operation of a first type on a first object in a first computer system by a first process, said first computer system running an operating system which assigns access control restrictions to objects in said first computer system and through such access control restrictions prevents operations of said first type from being performed on said first object except by processes having predetermined access control permissions, said first process lacking said predetermined access control permissions, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having at least said predetermined access control permissions; means in said first process for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said intermediary process comprises a service running with administrator permissions.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said operating system is a WindowsNT® operating system, and wherein said first object comprises a member of the group consisting of a WindowsNT® registry, a WindowsNT® registry entry and a node in a WindowsNT® registry.

Claim 25

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a WindowsNT® registry in a first computer system running a WindowsNT® operating system, by an agent process of an administration computer system, said agent process running on said first computer system and lacking sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said WindowsNT® registry, comprising: means for starting an intermediary service on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said registry; means in said agent process for receiving a command from said administration computer system which includes performing said first operation on said registry; means in said agent process for, in response to said command, communicating a request to said intermediary service to perform said first operation on said registry; and means in said intermediary service performing said first operation on said registry in response to said request.

Claim 26

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a WindowsNT® registry in a first computer system running a WindowsNT® operating system, by an agent process of an administration computer system, said agent process running on said first computer system and lacking sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said WindowsNT® registry, comprising: means for starting an intermediary service on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said registry; means in said agent process for receiving a command from said administration computer system which includes performing said first operation on said registry; means in said agent process for, in response to said command, communicating a request to said intermediary service to perform said first operation on said registry; and means in said intermediary service performing said first operation on said registry in response to said request.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising means in said agent process for attempting to perform said first operation on said registry in response to said command, said means for attempting operating prior to said means for communicating a request to said intermediary service.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said intermediary service runs with administrator permissions.

Claim 31

A method according to claim 23, wherein said step of starting an intermediary process precedes said step of said first process unsuccessfully attempting to perform said first operation.

Claim 32

A method according to claim 23, wherein said step of starting an intermediary process precedes said step of said second computer system issuing a command.

Claim 33

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a first object in a first computer system by a first process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object, for use with a second computer system, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said second computer system for issuing a command to said first computer system which includes performing said first operation on said first object; means in said first process for attempting to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said first process in response to said command for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object, wherein said means in said first process for communicating a first request to said intermediary process operates in response to failure of an attempt by said means for attempting; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 34

Apparatus for performing a first operation on a first object in a first computer system by a first process which lacks sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object, for use with a second computer system, comprising: means for starting an intermediary process on said first computer, said intermediary process having sufficient permission to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said second computer system for issuing a command to said first computer system which includes performing said first operation on said first object; means in said first process for attempting to perform said first operation on said first object; means in said first process in response to said command for communicating a first request to said intermediary process to perform said first operation on said first object, wherein said means in said first process for communicating a first request to said intermediary process operates in response to failure of an attempt by said means for attempting; and means in said intermediary process for performing said first operation on said first object in response to said first request.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said means for starting an intermediary process operates before said means in said second computer system for issuing a command to said first computer system does so.