client / server / screensaver: how to do a small-scale SETI at home project

[christian]

Hi there.

The headline basically is what i'm trying to do. Unfortunatelly I
didn't manage to get hands on much informations about the topic.
Here's what I try to implement using Python 2.1:

a) create a client script, executed under any WIN-env. every time the
screensaver kicks in
b) this scrip should connect via ftp to the server in our local
intranet
c) download some small data packages and start a given simulation tool
d) once it's done with it, it should post the results back to the
server...

Well, that's it. Anyone aware of tutorials on any related topic ?!?!
I'm pretty new to Python but I figure it shouldn't be to hard, since
it's basically only basic file transfer stuff and security of the
transfer isn't the problem 'cause it's an intranet-transfer...
But I have no clue how to get this screensaver thing to execute and my
skript. It would also be nice, if the existing saver would just be
updated to execute the skript and no new screensaver has to be
installed (some people looooove their screensaver ;-)).

Thanx for any hint,
christian