AU2007231888B2 - Workstation deployment - Google Patents

Abstract

5 Deployment of a workstation includes receiving data related to the computing environment of workstations, organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data, and producing a deployment schedule based on the groups. COMPUTER - 8 24 DEPLOYMENT DATABASE PROCESS DEPLOYMENT 20 26 SCHEDULE ENVIRONMENT WORKSTATION WORKSTATION COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTING COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT '14 14 ENVIRONMENT

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT DIVISIONAL APPLICANT: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES GMBH Invention Title: WORKSTATION DEPLOYMENT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: Workstation Deployment This Application is a continuation of Application Ser. No. 10/139,759, entitled "Workstation Deployment," filed on May 6, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated 5 herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to workstation deployment, such as, for example, a deployment of software onto one or more workstations distributed across an enterprise. 10 BACKGROUND A typical enterprise may have a large number of computer workstations distributed over wide geographic areas spanning across different cities or countries. Each of the workstations can be configured with a computing environment 15 that may include different and often incompatible hardware components and software components such as different operating systems or application programs. The computing environment may have to be upgraded or replaced with a new computing environment because the current computing environment may have 20 become obsolete.

To deploy a new computing environment onto one or more workstations distributed across an enterprise often requires overcoming a large number of logistical problems. Factors such as the number and type of 5 workstations in the enterprise must be considered. Moreover, it may be difficult to gather and analyze information related to the computing environment of all the workstations in an enterprise. 10 SUMMARY In one aspect of the invention, a method includes receiving data related to computing environments of a plurality of workstations and organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one 15 selectable common attribute among the received data. A time frame is defined, using the data, during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the 20 workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment. A deployment schedule is produced, the deployment schedule including at least one of the groups and defining a time frame during which the 25 workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment. In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus includes a processor coupled to a memory. The processor is configured to receive data related to a 30 computing environment including a plurality of workstations and organize the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data. The processor is also configured to define, using the data, a time frame 2 during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of 5 one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment, and 2a produce a deployment schedule comprising at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule defining a time frame during which the workstations organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive a 5 deployment. In another aspect of the invention, a method includes receiving data related to receiving data related to the computing environment of workstations at a server and organizing the workstations into 10 groups associated with the workstations based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data. A time frame is defined, using the data, during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new 15 computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment. A deployment schedule is automatically produced including at least one of the groups, the 20 deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment. In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus 25 includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive data related to the computing environment of workstations and organize the workstations into groups associated with the workstations based on at least one selectable 30 common attribute among the data. Additionally, the processor is configured to define, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, 3 based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment and automatically produce a deployment schedule including 5 at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment. In various implementations, one or more of the 10 following advantages may be provided. The deployment process can produce a deployment schedule for a large number of workstations distributed over wide geographic areas that may span across different cities or countries. The deployment process can gather and 15 analyze information related to the computing environment of these disparate workstations. The deployment process can test and monitor the process of verifying whether the new operating system that is to be deployed on the workstation functions properly with 20 the application programs on the workstations. As a result, an enterprise with a large number of workstations can receive a new computing environment that can include a new operating system and application programs that properly operate with the 25 new operating system. The deployment process may help improve the workflow associated with the process of deploying workstations. The process centralizes the deployment activities by having business departments identify the 30 time frame in which the 3a deployment schedule is to be executed. The progress of the deployment activities can be monitored automatically by a single centralized database. The deployment schedule can provide the members of a deployment team a list of the users, 5 type of hardware, software, or specific configuration each workstation is to receive. As a result, the process can be performed in a timely manner by improving the coordination of the efforts of administrative personnel responsible for deploying the new computing environments. 10 DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a workstation deployment system. FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a server computer according to an example implementation. 15 FIG. 3A is a diagram of data related to the deployment schedule according to an example implementation. FIG. 3B is a diagram of data related to the new computing environment according to an example implementation. FIG. 4 is a flow chart according to an example 20 implementation. Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a workstation deployment system 10 according to an example implementation. The deployment system 10 includes one or more workstation 5 computers 12 wherein each workstation is configured to operate according to a computing environment 14. The computing environment 14 can include information such as the organizational entity associated with the user of the workstation, the geographic location of the workstation, the 10 hardware or software components residing or executing on the workstation, or other information. The software components can include an operating system, device drivers, application programs, or other software components. The workstation computers 12 communicate with a server computer 22 over a 15 network 16 such as a wired or wireless network. The server computer 22 includes a deployment process 24 that gathers and analyzes information related to the computing environment 14 of each of the workstations 12. The deployment process 24 produces a deployment schedule 20 that is based on 20 the computing environment 14 of each of the workstations. The deployment schedule is maintained in a database 18. The deployment process 24 creates a new computing environment 26 for the workstations 12. The new computing environment 26 can 5 include software components such as a new operating system, application programs, device drivers, or other software components. The deployment process 24 and deployment schedule 20 facilitates the deployment of the new computing environment 5 26 onto the workstations 12. FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a server computer 22 according to an example implementation. The server computer 22 can be implemented as a single server computer that includes a computer bus 30 connecting a central 10 processing unit (CPU) 32 to memory 36. The CPU 32 is capable of executing programs 38 residing in memory 36 and processing data stored in memory. The programs 38 can include an operating system such as Microsoft Windows 2000 server, device drivers for handling low-level aspects of hardware components, 15 application programs such as Microsoft Office, or other programs. The CPU 32 can include and Intel Pentium processor or other processor. The memory 36 can be a combination of read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM) , static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), or other memory. 20 The memory 36 also includes the deployment process 24 which can be implemented as a set of software instructions adapted to gather and analyze data such as the computing environment 14 from the workstations 12 and produce the 6 deployment schedule 20. The deployment process 24 uses a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow the display or update of the deployment schedule 20. The deployment process 24 is also responsible for providing the new computing environment 5 26 that the workstations are to receive according to the deployment schedule 20. The new computing environment 26 is stored in memory 36 but can be stored in the database 18 or some other storage resource on another computer. The deployment process 24, the deployment schedule 20, and the new 10 computing environment 26 is described in further detail below. An input/output (I/O) controller 34 is used to couple the server computer 22 to hardware and software components such as the database 18, the network 16, a display device 28, an input device 29, or other components. The database 18 can be used 15 to store data related to the execution of the programs 38 including data related to execution of the deployment process 24 such as the deployment schedule 20. The database 18 can be implemented using a database management program such as Microsoft SQL 2000, Oracle, Sybase, or other database 20 management program. The display device 28 can include a computer display capable of displaying data related to the execution of programs on the server computer 22. For example, the display 7 device can display data associated with the deployment schedule 20 during the execution of the deployment process 24. The input device 28 can include a pointing device such as a mouse, track ball, light pen, touch sensitive display, or 5 other type of peripheral device and may be used in combination with a keyboard to input data into the programs 38 executing on the server computer 22. The I/O controller 34 can include hardware and software components for connecting the server computer 22 to the 10 network 16. The server computer 24 is capable of communicating over a wired or wireless network such as, for example, a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Ethernet, the Internet, or other network. In the above discussion, the workstations 12 have been described as 15 computers having computing environments 14 that are typically operated by users in an enterprise. However, any computer, such as one of the workstations 14, can be configured as an administrative computer to access the server computer 22 for the purpose of executing the deployment process 24, producing 20 the deployment schedule 20, and providing the workstations 12 with a new computing environment 26. FIG. 3A is a diagram of data related to a deployment schedule 20 according to an example implementation. The 8 deployment process 24 produces the deployment schedule 20 based on data related to the computing environment 14 of the workstations 12. The deployment schedule 20 includes an entry 62 for each user or workstation 12. Each workstation entry 62 5 includes a user field 50 identifying the workstation with attributes such as the name of the user of the workstation 14, a computer identification number of the workstation, and/or some other unique identifier. The workstation entry 62 also includes a computing 10 environment section 52 that has a hardware (H/W) field 52a, a software (S/W) field 52b, a department field 52c, and a region field 52d. The data in the computing environment section 52 is based on the computing environment 14 gathered from the computer workstations 12. The H/W field 52a can contain data 15 related to the type of hardware the workstation contains such as the type and amount of storage, the type and amount of memory, the type of graphical display, the type of network card, or other type of hardware related data. The S/W field 52b contains data related to software 20 executing or residing on the computer workstation 12. Such data can include the type of operating system, device drivers, application programs, or other data. The department field 52c contains data identifying an organizational entity associated 9 with the workstation. An example of such data includes a department within an enterprise such as an accounting department, a legal department, marketing department, or other data. The geographical location, such as a city or country, 5 of the location of the workstation 12 is represented by data in the region field 52d. The time to deploy field 54 indicates date and time information related to when the workstation 12 is to receive the new computing environment 26. The time to deploy field 54 10 can be used by the deployment process to determine when an alert should be sent to the user of the workstation 12 indicating the time frame when the workstation is to receive the new computing environment 26. The status field 56 represents the status of the deployment process such as data 15 indicating whether the workstation 14 has received the new computing environment 26. The application to deploy field 58 includes data indicating the names and status of the application programs that each of workstations 12 is to receive. 20 The deployment process 24 can produce the deployment schedule 20 by organizing each entry 62 into groups of workstations 60 based on a selectable common attribute among the data in each entry 62. For example, the workstations can 10 be organized according to the type of hardware residing on the workstation represented by the H/W field 52a. Likewise, the software residing on the workstation represented by the S/W field 52b can be used to organize the workstations. Moreover, 5 other fields can be used to organize the groups of workstations 60. FIG. 3B is a diagram of data related to the new computing environment 26 according to an example implementation. The new computing environment 26 that the workstations 12 are to 10 receive is represented by a data structure having a new operating system field 26a, application programs field 26b, and a device drivers 26c field. In one embodiment, the new operating system 26a field can refer to an operating system such as Microsoft Windows XP, the application program field 15 26b can refer to an application program such as Adobe Acrobat, and the device driver 26c field can refer to a device driver such as a network card driver. The deployment schedule 20 keeps track of these software components indicated in the new computing environment 26, but the actual software components 20 may be stored in the memory 36 of the server computer 22, in a separate portion of the server computer 22, or on a separate computer. 11 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the deployment process according to an example implementation. The server computer 22 receives 70 data related to the computing environment 14 of the workstations 12. As described above, each user or 5 workstation 12 is assigned an entry 62 in the deployment schedule 20 and each entry is stored in the database 18. The data for each entry 62 in the computing environment section 52 can be obtained by a combination of inventory tools such as SMS provided by Microsoft. The data also can be imported from 10 other source of data such as contact management programs, electronic mail (E-mail) programs, or other sources of user data. By gathering this information in a single location such as the database 18, problems can be identified before the 15 workstations receive the new computing environment 26. For example, the information can reveal whether a particular application program residing on the workstation 12 is compatible with the new operating system that is part of the new computing environment 26. In addition, the information 20 can reveal whether the current hardware on the workstation 12 is adequate for the new operating system that the workstation is to receive. 12 As mentioned above, the S/W field 52b can contain the names of application programs residing on the workstation 12. The deployment process 24 is able to map the names of the application programs containing "exe" extensions into a 5 generic program name for ease of processing. This mapping process allows software administration personnel to quickly verify the names of the application programs using a single name rather then to have to search through a list of application programs containing numerous "exe" extensions. 10 The time to deploy field 54 can be set to a time frame indicating a time and date when each of the workstations 12 is to receive the new computing environment 26. The time frame can be based on factors such as the availability of the workstation 12, the amount of data traffic experienced by the 15 network 16 during a particular time frame, the availability of the application programs that comprise the new computing environment 26, or other factors. The status field 56 can be set to a value indicating whether the workstation 12 has received the new computing environment 26. 20 The application to deploy field 58 can be set to a value to indicate the name and status of each if the application programs that comprise the new computing environment 26. Executing the deployment schedule 20 involves deploying a new 13 computing environment 26 that can include a new operating system and one or more application programs. Before the deployment schedule 20 can be executed, the deployment process 24 verifies whether the application programs can properly 5 operate with the new operating system. Such a verification process includes installing the new operating system and one or more application programs on a test workstation and testing whether the application program properly operates under the new operating system. Once the operation of the application 10 program has been verified, the value of the application to deploy field 58 can be updated to indicate the application program is ready for deployment. Once the data related to the computing environment 14 has been received from the workstations 12, the server computer 22 15 organizes 72 the workstations into groups 60 based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data. The common attribute can be selected based on factors such as the number of geographic locations and number of workstations at each location, the number of departments and the number of 20 workstations assigned to each department, the type of hardware and software installed on the workstations, or other factors. Moreover, each group 60 can be further subdivided into one or more sub-groups. For example, the workstations 12 can be 14 grouped into regions based on the region field 52d and that group can be further subdivided into a sub-group that includes the type of hardware components installed on each the workstations based on the data in the H/W field 52a. 5 Once the workstations 12 have been organized, the server computer 22 produces 74 a deployment schedule 20 based on the results of organizing the workstations. The deployment process 24 analyses the deployment schedule 20 and determines whether the workstations 12 indicated in the deployment 10 schedule are prepared to receive the new computing environment 26. For example, the application to deploy field 58 is examined to determine whether the application program listed in the field has been verified and is ready to be deployed to the workstation 12. If the deployment schedule 12 indicates 15 that the application program has been verified, then a message, such as an E-mail, can be sent notifying the user of the workstation of the time frame in which the workstation is to receive a new computing environment 26. The deployment process 24 provides 76 a new computing 20 environment 26 to the workstations 12 according to the deployment schedule 20. The deployment schedule 20 can be viewed and updated by system administrative personnel using the GUI 42 portion of the deployment process 24. The 15 deployment schedule 20 is updated during the process of deploying the computing environment 26 to the workstation 14. For example, the status field 56 associated with a workstation can be updated to indicate whether the workstation has 5 received a new computing environment 26. As mentioned above, the new computing environment 26 can include a new operating system and application programs that have been verified to function properly with the new operating system. The actual operating system and application program 10 that comprises the new computing environment 26 can be maintained by a separate program on the server computer 22, on a separate computer, or a distributed among a combination of computers. In one embodiment, when it is time for the workstation 12 to receive the new computing environment 26, 15 the deployment process 24 can send a signal to a separate process that is responsible for sending the software components that comprised the new computing environment 26 to the workstation 12. The separate process can respond by sending the software components comprising the new computing 20 environment 26 to the workstation 12 indicated in the signal. The deployment process 22 also can handle post deployment functions once the workstations 12 have received the new computing environment 12. For example, workstations 12 may be 16 geographically located close to each other and may include configuration information that enables them to share a common resource such as a printer. The deployment process 24 can restore the configuration 5 information after the workstation has received the new computing environment 26 so that the workstation can continue using the shared resource as it had done before the new computing environment. Likewise, other configuration information such as account numbers, 10 password access, shared storage resources such as a hardrive, or other configuration information can be restored so that the deployment and operation of a new computing environment 26 on the workstation appears seamless to the user of the workstation. 15 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form or suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia. 20 Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of 25 integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without 30 departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the deployment process 20 can produce a deployment schedule that is distributed among one or more databases. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. 17

Claims (44)

1. A computer-implemented method including: receiving data related to computing environments 5 of a plurality of workstations; organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data; defining, using the data, a time frame during 10 which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing 15 environment; and producing a deployment schedule including at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at 20 least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic 25 location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

3. A method according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the common attribute among the received data 30 includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations. 18

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, further including maintaining the deployment schedule on a database.

5 5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule. 10

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, further including providing a new computing environment to the workstations.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the new 15 computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers.

8. An apparatus including: 20 a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, where in the processor is configured to perform operations including: receiving data related to a computing environment 25 including a plurality of workstations; organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data; defining, using the data, a time frame during 30 which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more 19 application programs that make up the new computing environment; and producing a deployment schedule including at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule 5 including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the 10 data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations. 15

10. An apparatus according to either claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the common attribute among the received data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or 20 software residing on the workstations.

11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further including a database to maintain the deployment schedule. 25

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule. 30

13. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the deployment includes a new computing environment to the workstations. 20

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers. 5

15. A computer-implemented method including: receiving data related to the computing environment of workstations at a server; organizing the workstations into groups 10 associated with the workstations based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data; defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of 15 a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and automatically producing a deployment schedule 20 including at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment. 25

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware of 30 software residing on the workstations.

17. A method according to either claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the common attribute among the data includes at least one of an organizational entity 21 associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations. 5

18. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, further including maintaining the deployment schedule on a database.

19. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, 10 wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program that is included in a new computing environment.

20. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, 15 wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating a time period in which each of the workstations is to receive a program.

21. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, 20 further including a deployment of a new computing environment to the workstations.

22. An apparatus including: a memory; and 25 a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: receive data related to the computing environment of workstations; organize workstations into groups associated with 30 the workstations based on at least one selectable common attribute among the data; define, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new 22 computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; and 5 automatically produce a deployment schedule including at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the 10 deployment.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic 15 location on the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

24. An apparatus according to either claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the common attribute among the data 20 includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

25 25. An apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 24, further including a database to maintain the deployment schedule.

26. An apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 30 25, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program that is included in a computing environment. 23

27. An apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 26, the processor furthered configured to provide a new computing environment to the workstations. 5

28. An apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the new computing environment included at least one of a operating system, application program, or device drivers. 10

29. An apparatus including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to access a system that is adapted to perform 10 operations including: 15 receiving data related to a computing environment including a plurality of workstations; organizing the workstations into groups based on at least one selectable common attribute among the received data; 20 defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more 25 application programs that make up the new computing environment; and producing a deployment schedule including at least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during 30 which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the common attribute among the data includes at least one 24 of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location. of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations. 5

31. An apparatus according to either claim 29 or claim 30, wherein the deployment schedule is maintained on a database. 10

32. An apparatus according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule. 15

33. An apparatus according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein a graphical user interface is used for displaying or updating the deployment schedule.

34. An apparatus according to any one of claims 29 to 20 33, wherein the deployment includes a new computing environment to the workstations, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers. 25

35. A system including: a plurality of workstations each having a computing environment; and a server computer coupled to the plurality of 30 workstations over a network, wherein the server computer is configured to perform operations including: 25 receiving from the workstations data related to the respective computing environments of the workstations; organizing the workstations into groups based on 5 at least one selectable common attribute among the received data; defining, using the data, a time frame during which the workstations that are organized to the at least one of the groups are to receive a deployment of 10 a new computing environment, based on an availability of the workstations or an availability of one or more application programs that make up the new computing environment; producing a deployment schedule including at 15 least one of the groups, the deployment schedule including an entry indicating the time frame during which the workstations that are organized into the at least one of the groups are to receive the deployment; and 20 causing a new computing environment to be provided o at least one of the workstations.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein the data includes at least one of an organizational entity 25 associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations.

37. A system according to either claim 35 or claim 30 36, wherein the common attribute among the received data includes at least one of an organizational entity associated with the workstations, a geographic location of the workstations, or the hardware or software residing on the workstations. 26

38. A system according to any one of claims 35 to 37, further including a database to maintain the deployment schedule. 5

39. A system according to any one of claims 35 to 38, wherein the deployment schedule includes an entry indicating availability of a program to be used in producing the deployment schedule. 10

40. A system according to any one of claims 35 to 39, the server computer further including a graphical user interface for displaying or updating the deployment schedule. 15

41. A system according to any one of claims 35 to 40, wherein the new computing environment includes at least one of an operating system, application program, or device drivers. 20

42. A method according to either claim 1 or claim 15 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures.

43. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8, 22 25 or 29 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures.

44. A system according to claim 35 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the 30 accompanying figures. 27