Direct build assistance

• US 10,114,627 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bergen, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Mongbao
• Application Number:
  US14/706,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

A tool for installing and configuring a software development environment with an embedded help feature is provided. The help feature may provide a user (e.g., developer) with technical assistance to resolve problems that occur when building software. In one example, the system may include a configuration tool that includes a help feature and installs and configures one or more software programs to build software. The software programs may include, for example, operating systems, source code editors, debuggers, software build tools or any component of a software development environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

modifying, by a hardware processor, a configuration of a client machine to enable a software build, the configuration comprising a software build tool and a cryptographic element of a support user account, wherein the modifying the configuration of the client machine comprises installing, within an operating system on the client machine, the software build tool and the cryptographic element;

activating, by the hardware processor, a help feature of the client machine responsive to encountering an error in the configuration of the client machine;

in response to activating the help feature;

transmitting, by the hardware processor, a request for assistance to a remote assistance machine, the request including a description of the error; and

enabling, by the hardware processor, the cryptographic element of the support user account by configuring the client machine to accept a connection from the remote assistance machine using the cryptographic element of the support user account;

receiving, by the hardware processor, from the remote assistance machine, computer instructions to resolve the error, the computer instructions being encrypted using the cryptographic element associated with the support user account on the client machine; and

updating, by the hardware processor, the configuration of the client machine by executing the computer instructions to resolve the error and enable a successful software build.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the error in the configuration causes the software build to fail.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the description of the error is included within a forum visible to multiple software developers within an organization.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic element on the client machine corresponds to a personalized encryption key for a support user logged into the remote assistance machine.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the configuration of the client machine further comprises installing the operating system, a source code editor and a debugger on the client machine.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein activating a help feature comprises selecting a help button or executing a help command using a command line interface.

7. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to said memory, said hardware processor configured to;

modify a configuration of a client machine to enable a software build, the configuration comprising a software build tool and a cryptographic element of a support user account, wherein to modify the configuration of the client machine comprises to install, within an operating system on the client machine, the software build tool and the cryptographic element;

activate a help feature of the client machine responsive to encountering an error in the configuration of the client machine;

in response to activation of the help feature;

transmit a request for assistance to a remote assistance machine, the request including a description of the error; and

enable the cryptographic element of the support user account through the configuration of the client machine to accept a connection from the remote assistance machine using the cryptographic element of the support user account;

receive computer instructions from the remote assistance machine to resolve the error, the computer instructions being encrypted through use of the cryptographic element associated with the support user account on the client machine; and

update the configuration of the client machine through execution of the computer instructions to resolve the error and enable a successful software build.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the error in the configuration causes the software build to fail.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the description of the error is included within a forum visible to multiple software developers within an organization.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the cryptographic element on the client machine corresponds to a personalized encryption key for a support user logged into the remote assistance machine.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein to modify the configuration of the client machine further comprises the hardware processor to install the operating system, a source code editor and a debugger on the client machine.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein to activate a help feature comprises a selection of a help button or execution of a help command using a command line interface.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium programmed to include instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform a plurality of operations comprising:

modifying, by the hardware processor, a configuration of a client machine to enable a software build, the configuration comprising a software build tool and a cryptographic element of a support user account, wherein the modifying the configuration of the client machine comprises installing, within an operating system on the client machine, the software build tool and the cryptographic element;

activating, by the hardware processor, a help feature of the client machine responsive to encountering an error in the configuration of the client machine;

in response to activating the help feature;

transmitting, by the hardware processor, a request for assistance to a remote assistance machine, the request including a description of the error; and

enabling, by the hardware processor, the cryptographic element of the support user account by configuring the client machine to accept a connection from the remote assistance machine using the cryptographic element of the support user account;

receiving, by the hardware processor, from the remote assistance machine, first computer instructions to resolve the error, the first computer instructions being encrypted using the cryptographic element associated with the support user account on the client machine; and

updating, by the hardware processor, the configuration of the client machine by executing the first computer instructions to resolve the error and enable a successful software build.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the error in the configuration causes the software build to fail.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the description of the error is included within a forum visible to multiple software developers within an organization.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the cryptographic element on the client machine corresponds to a personalized encryption key for a support user logged into the remote assistance machine.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein modifying the configuration of the client machine further comprises installing the operating system, a source code editor and a debugger on the client machine.