Configuring computer network operations based upon a sequence of interactive user entries into a network server computer with a one time entry of data commonly required by multiple clients

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a solution to the above problems by providing a network of a server and plurality of client computers for small businesses which is easy to install, configure and operate and still provides all of the users in the business with the same transparent access to all of their allocated software resources through the same graphical user interface irrespective of which one the of the client computers in the network they may sign onto.
The present invention comprises means for storing on the server computer the operating systems and the application programs to be used on said client computers together with means for interactively prompting for the one time input of data required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of said plurality of client computers, and means responsive to the logon of one of said plurality of users on one of said client computers for distributing to said logged on client computer the operating system and application programs allocated for use by said user through substantially the same graphical user interface irrespective of which client computer the user signs onto.
Since the client computers have little or no storage facilities, there are means in the server computer for storing and tracking the above prompted for data entries.
The tracking is preferably done in the registry of the operating system which has been loaded on the server and then allocated to the client computers as needed by logged on users.
The operating system is preferably a windows type of operating system such as Windows '95.
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and the tracking is done in the registry.
The registry, in addition to the entries common to all users and client computers, will also contain data entries made in the customization of graphical user interfaces of respective users as described in the above-referenced copending patent application, "A Network With Storage of All Client Computer Programs in a Server Computer Having Customized Client Graphical User Interfaces With Maximum Sharing of Stored Portions of Interfaces Common to Multiple Clients", Rodriguez, Ser