Evolving streaming installation of software applications

• US 10,055,212 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Snider, Joshua Merrill, Payzer, Gershom L., Pick, Christopher Ian, Ward, Jonathan MacNeill, Arnquist, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US15/249,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20180060053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

High-performance streaming installation of software applications can be achieved by pre-fetching chunks of application files. Pre-fetching can be directed by a recipe file that can handle a wide variety of application behaviors. If a missing chunk is encountered during execution of the application, a cache miss record can be created and forwarded to a telemetry server. Cache miss records can be aggregated to generate a revised recipe file so that future installations of the application avoid the missing chunk scenario. Using the revised recipe file can cause fewer interruptions, result in less delay and otherwise improve performance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

from a plurality of client devices installing an executable application available for installation and comprising a plurality of application chunks via a recipe file indicative of a nonlinear ordering of the application chunks, receiving application chunk access information, wherein the application chunk access information comprises indication of at least one application chunk requested during execution of the executable application but not resident at a reporting client device;

aggregating the application chunk access information, wherein aggregating the application chunk access information comprises identifying a particular application chunk as to be pre-fetched;

based on the application chunk access information from the plurality of client devices, generating a revised recipe file, wherein generating the revised recipe file comprises specifying that the particular application chunk is to be pre-fetched; and

publishing the revised recipe file for consumption by future client devices installing the executable application;

wherein;

the application chunk access information comprises a cache miss context; and

generating the revised recipe file comprises incorporating the cache miss context into the revised recipe file.

2. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed cause a computing system to perform the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

generating the revised recipe file comprises incorporating a plurality of alternative path templates into the revised recipe file, wherein the alternative path templates are associated with respective alternative paths indicating application file chunks to be pre-fetched.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the cache miss context comprises an elapsed time parameter for a particular application chunk; and

generating the revised recipe file comprises altering the recipe file to request the particular application chunk before an elapsed time indicated by the elapsed time parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

aggregating elapsed time parameters across a plurality of the client devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the cache miss context comprises an application chunk request history before a particular application chunk, wherein the request history indicates application chunk requests by an executing instance of the application; and

generating the revised recipe file comprises altering the recipe file to request the particular application chunk responsive to determining that an application chunk in the request history is requested by another executing instance of the application.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

aggregating chunk request histories across a plurality of client devices.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a branch condition within the application chunk access information from the plurality of client devices; and

responsive to identifying the branch condition, adding a branch condition to the recipe file.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the client devices comprises an operating system comprising a file service configured to receive a file read request from an executing instance of the executable application, determine a file chunk associated with the file read request, determine whether the file chunk is locally resident, and request the file chunk from a remote location when not locally resident.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the file service is further configured to generate a cache miss record for the file chunk.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the file service is configured to communicate a delay condition to the executable application.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the operating system is configured to employ a delay accommodating operating system affordance in response to determining that the file chunk is not locally resident.

13. A computing system comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

a plurality of application file chunks of an executable application available for installation by a plurality of requesting client devices;

a recipe file comprising a nonlinear ordering of the application file chunks;

an application installation service configured to receive a request for an application file chunk from a requesting client device and responsive to the request, send the application file chunk to the requesting client device; and

a cache miss telemetry server configured to receive a report that an application file chunk associated with a chunk identifier resulted in a cache miss and generate a revised recipe file based on the chunk identifier of the report;

wherein;

the report further indicates a context in which the cache miss occurred; and

the context is integrated into the revised recipe file.

14. The computing system of claim 13 wherein:

the context comprises a time elapsed parameter.

15. The computing system of claim 13 wherein:

the revised recipe file comprises a plurality of alternative application file chunk paths.

16. The computing system of claim 13 wherein:

the context comprises an application file chunk request history.

17. The computing system of claim 13 wherein:

the revised recipe file comprises an application file path template comprising an application file chunk identifier of a precursor application file chunk identified as present in a plurality of chunk request histories before the cache miss resulted; and

the revised recipe file comprises an alternative application file chunk path comprising an application file chunk identifier of an application file chunk causing the cache miss;

whereby the recipe file causes pre-fetching of the application file chunk causing the cache miss responsive to determining that the precursor application file chunk is requested by a client device employing the recipe file.

18. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed cause a computing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a plurality of cache miss records from a plurality of client devices installing an executable application, wherein the cache miss records indicate a local chunk request history before a cache miss responsible for a cache miss record and further indicate a context in which the cache miss occurred;

aggregating the plurality of cache miss records, wherein aggregating comprises identifying a troublesome application file chunk and a distinguishing common application file chunk in local chunk request histories associated with the troublesome application file chunk;

generating an alternative path template comprising a chunk identifier of the distinguishing common application file chunk;

generating an application file chunk path comprising a chunk identifier of the troublesome application file chunk; and

incorporating the alternative path template and the application file chunk path into a revised recipe file, wherein the application file chunk path is activated for pre-fetching when a match is detected between the alternative path template and a local chunk request history, and the context in which the cache miss occurred is integrated into the revised recipe file.