Method and system for automatically transitioning of configuration settings among computer systems

Abstract

A method and system for automatically transiting configuration settings among computer systems. Multiple configuration settings comprising a computer “personality” are located on a source computing system using multiple transition rules from a personality object. The computer personality includes customization choices, data files, electronic mail, system preferences, application customization choices, the network environment, browser information, etc. The configuration settings are extracted from multiple locations on the source computing system. The multiple extracted configuration settings are stored in a pre-determined transition format. The multiple extracted configuration settings are manipulated. A transition package is created from the multiple manipulated configuration settings. The transition package includes the multiple manipulated configuration settings. The transition package is sent to a target computing system. The transition package is infused on the target computing system to automatically transition configuration settings from the source computing system to the target computing system. The method and system may vastly reduce transition, configuration and deployment times for service providers, corporations, and end-users when a new computing system is deployed.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
   
   
       37 . A method for preparing configuration settings of a source computing system for transitioning for use by a target computing system, the method comprising:
 providing information about configuration settings of the source computing system, the information identifying locations of configuration settings;   displaying an indication of the configuration settings that can be extracted from the source computing system;   receiving a selection of configuration settings to be extracted from the source computing system for use by the target computing system;   extracting the selected configuration settings from the locations of the source computing system indicated by the information;   manipulating at least one of the extracted configuration settings from a location and a format used on the source computing system to a location and a format used on the target computing system; and   storing the extracted configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration settings on a storage device, wherein the stored configuration settings can be used by the target computing system to control its operation.   
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  including installing the stored configuration settings on the target computing system. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the installing is performed under control of an installation application. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the installation application is received from the source computing system. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include browser configuration settings. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include browser favorites. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include cookies. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include registry settings. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include an electronic mail folder. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the electronic mail folder is an inbox folder. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the extracted configuration settings include electronic mail addresses. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the storage device includes an installation application. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48  wherein the target computing system receives and executes the installation application. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 48  wherein the installation application installs the configuration settings on the target computing system. 
   
   
       51 . A method for transitioning configuration settings of a source computing system to a target computing system, the source computing system having a first operating system and the target computing system having a second operating system, wherein the second operating system is different from the first operating system, the method comprising:
 providing a storage device having configuration settings extracted from the source computing system, wherein at least one of the extracted configuration settings is manipulated from a source value and a source format of the first operating system to a target value and a target format of the second operating system;   retrieving the configuration settings from the storage device; and   applying the retrieved configuration settings to the target computing system to control the operation of the target computing system.   
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51  including at the source computing system, providing information about configuration settings of the source computing system, the information identifying locations of configuration settings;
 receiving from a user a selection of configuration settings;   extracting the selected configuration settings from the locations of the source computing system indicated by the information;   manipulating at least one of the extracted configuration settings from a source value and a source format of the first operating system to a target value and a target format of the second operating system, wherein at least the target format is different from the source format; and   storing the extracted configuration settings on the storage device.   
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 51  wherein applying the retrieved configuration settings to the target computing system includes storing the retrieved configuration settings on the target computing system. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 51  wherein applying the retrieved configuration settings to the target computing system includes an installation application, the installation application is stored on the storage device. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include browser configuration settings. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include registry settings. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include browser bookmarks. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include cookies. 
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include an electronic mail folder. 
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the electronic mail folder is an inbox folder. 
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the extracted configuration settings include electronic mail addresses. 
   
   
       62 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a source computing device and a target computing device to transition configuration settings of the source computing device to the target computing device by a method comprising:
 providing configuration information about configuration settings of the source computing device, the configuration information identifying locations of configuration settings;   providing a selection of configuration settings to be extracted from the source computing device;   extracting the selected configuration settings from the locations of the source computing device indicated by the configuration information;   manipulating at least one of the extracted configuration settings from a first name and a first value used on the source computing system to a second name and a second value used on the target computing system, wherein at least the second value is different from the first value;   storing the extracted configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration settings on a storage device;   receiving a selection of the stored configuration settings;   applying the selection of stored configuration settings to the target computing device.   
   
   
       63 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 62  wherein the extracted configuration settings include registry settings. 
   
   
       64 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 62  wherein the extracted configuration settings include cookies. 
   
   
       65 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 62  wherein the extracted configuration settings are selected from the group consisting of an electronic mail folder and electronic mail addresses. 
   
   
       66 . A method for manipulating a personality of a target computing system based on a personality of the source computing system, the source computing system having a first version of a program and the target computing system having a second version of the program, wherein the second version is different from the first version, the method comprising:
 providing a selection of configuration settings, wherein the configuration settings are part of the personality of the source computing system, wherein the configuration settings comprise at least one configuration setting of the first version of the program;   extracting the selected configuration settings from the source computing system;   manipulating the at least one extracted program configuration settings from a format used by the first version of the program on the source computing system to a format used by the second version of the program on the target computing system;   storing the extracted configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration settings on a storage device; and   applying the stored configuration settings to the target computing system so that the personality of the target computing system can be manipulated based on the configuration settings stored on the storage device.   
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein the personality of the source computing system includes at least one personality object. 
   
   
       68 . The method of  claim 67  wherein the at least one personality object includes configuration settings for a program. 
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 66  wherein applying the stored configuration settings to the target computing system includes storing the configuration settings stored on the storage device on the target computing system. 
   
   
       70 . The method of  claim 69  wherein an installation application stores the configuration settings stored on the storage device on the target computing system. 
   
   
       71 . A system for manipulating a personality of a target computing system based on a personality of the source computing system, comprising:
 means for presenting to a user the personality of the source computing system, the personality of the source computing system including configuration settings;   means for receiving a selection of the configuration settings;   means for storing the selected configuration settings on a storage device;   means for manipulating at least one of the selected configuration settings from a location and a value used on the source computing system to a location and a value used on the target computing system; and   means for applying the selected configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration setting to the target computing system so that the personality of the target computing system can be manipulated based on the personality of the source computing system.   
   
   
       72 . The system of  claim 71  wherein the personality of the source computing system includes at least one personality object. 
   
   
       73 . The system of  claim 72  wherein the at least one personality object includes configuration settings for a program. 
   
   
       74 . The system of  claim 71  wherein the means for applying the selected configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration setting to the target computing system includes means for storing the selected configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration setting on the target computing system. 
   
   
       75 . The system of  claim 74  wherein an installation application stores the selected configuration settings and the at least one manipulated configuration setting on the target computing system.