Continuous publication of application to remote computing devices

• US 10,296,317 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Joshi, Madhur, Hoyer, Crystal, Cox, David, Shaikh, Mohammed Parvez, Repperger, Emily B., Jagadeesan, Yamini, Aslam, Muhammad Bilal, Allington, Clea, Galatzer, Yishai
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kepnang, Gilles R
• Application Number:
  US12/972,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: 707 10, 709207, 717105, 717168, 717171-173, 717175, 717178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A particular method includes storing a manifest file and a parameters file at a data store. The manifest file and the parameters file are associated with a software deployment package. An application associated with the software deployment package is published to a first remote computing device and to a second remote computing device. The method includes receiving first parameter values from the first remote computing device and receiving second parameter values from the second remote computing device. The first parameter values are stored in a first region of the data store that is specific to the first computing device. The second parameter values are stored in a second region of the data store that is specific to the second computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an application to be installed in a remote computing device;

receiving and storing a manifest file and a parameters file associated with the application, as a record in a data store, wherein the manifest file identifies components of the application and the parameters file identifies configuration settings of the application;

publishing the application to the remote computing device by transmitting the components of the application identified by the manifest file to be installed on the remote computing device based on the configuration settings in the parameter file;

receiving parameter values from the remote computing device, the parameter values (i) being received from a user at the remote computing device during an initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and (ii) identifying destination-dependent configuration settings related to configuration of the initial installation of the application at the remote computing device;

storing, by a host computing device, the received parameter values in the data store as a sub-record that is specific to the remote computing device;

detecting a change in the application, the change including an update to a database used by the application, an addition of a new database, or a modification of source code of the application;

generating, by the host computing device, a pre-configured application by configuring the application with the detected change based on the parameter values received from the user at the remote computing device during the initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and stored as the sub-record in the data store and specific to the remote computing device, prior to re-publishing the application to the remote computing device; and

re-publishing the application with the detected change to the remote computing device by transmitting the generated pre-configured application to the remote computing device without prompting the user for the destination-dependent configuration settings related to installation of the application at the remote computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the detected change in the application, automatically updating at least one of the manifest file or the parameters file at the data store in response to the change.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein re-publishing the application includes re-publishing the application to the remote computing device without prompting a user of the remote computing device for the parameter values identifying destination-dependent configuration settings for installing the republished application at the remote computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the application from an application source; and

installing the application at a computing device configured to publish the application to the remote computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data store is located at the computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data store is remote to the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data store is accessible by the remote computing device via an application programming interface (API).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the parameter values from the remote computing device includes receiving the parameter values provided by a user of the remote computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components include one or more source code files associated with the application, one or more database identifiers of one or more databases associated with the application, one or more access control lists (ACLs) associated with the application, an application provider to transfer application files to a publishing destination, a database provider to transfer database content to the publishing destination, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter values include at least one of a key, a database location, or an application path.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters file is useable to generate, at a user interface of the remote computing device, a prompt for the parameter values and to transmit received parameter values to the data store.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the components of the application identified by the manifest file to a plurality of remote computing devices including the remote computing device; and

configuring the transmitted components of the application based on one or more of the parameters file and stored parameter values at the data store that are specific to each of the plurality of remote computing devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the manifest file and the parameters file are each represented in extensible markup language (XML).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises an Internet information services (IIS) web application.

15. A computer-readable storage device, that is not a signal, comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive an application to be installed in a remote computing device;

receive and storing a manifest file and a parameters file associated with the application, as a record in a data store, wherein the manifest file identifies components of the application and the parameters file identifies configuration settings of the application;

publish the application to the remote computing device by transmitting the components of the application identified by the manifest file to be installed on the remote computing device based on the configuration settings in the parameter file;

receive parameter values from the remote computing device, the parameter values (i) being received from a user at the remote computing device during an initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and (ii) identifying destination-dependent configuration settings related to configuration of the initial installation of the application at the remote computing device;

store, by a host computing device, the received parameter values in the data store as a sub-record that is specific to the remote computing device;

detect a change in the application, the change including an update to a database used by the application, an addition of a new database, or a modification of source code of the application;

generate, by the host computing device, a pre-configured application by configuring the application with the detected change based on the parameter values received from the user at the remote computing device during the initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and stored as the sub-record in the data store and specific to the remote computing device, prior to re-publishing the application to the remote computing device; and

re-publish the application with the detected change to the remote computing device by transmitting the generated pre-configured application to the remote computing device without prompting the user for the destination-dependent configuration settings related to installation of the application at the remote computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, not being the signal, wherein:

the one or more destination-dependent configuration settings include one or more of an application path, a database server, a database name, a database password, a data provider, or a data connection string applicable to installing the application on the destination computing device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, not being the signal, wherein the one or more destination-dependent configuration settings includes at least one of a key, a database location, or an application path.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive an application to be installed in a remote computing device;

receive and storing a manifest file and a parameters file associated with the application, as a record in a data store, wherein the manifest file identifies components of the application and the parameters file identifies configuration settings of the application;

publish the application to the remote computing device by transmitting the components of the application identified by the manifest file to be installed on the remote computing device based on the configuration settings in the parameter file;

receive parameter values from the remote computing device, the parameter values (i) being received from a user at the remote computing device during an initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and (ii) identifying destination-dependent configuration settings related to configuration of the initial installation of the application at the remote computing device;

store, by a host computing device, the received parameter values in the data store as a sub-record that is specific to the remote computing device;

detect a change in the application, the change including an update to a database used by the application, an addition of a new database, or a modification of source code of the application;

generate, by the host computing device, a pre-configured application by configuring the application with the detected change based on the parameter values received from the user at the remote computing device during the initial installation of the application on the remote computing device and stored as the sub-record in the data store and specific to the remote computing device, prior to re-publishing the application to the remote computing device; and

re-publish the application with the detected change to the remote computing device by transmitting the generated pre-configured application to the remote computing device without prompting the user for the destination-dependent configuration settings related to installation of the application at the remote computing device.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the one or more destination-dependent configuration settings include at least one of a key, a database location, or an application path.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the stored parameter values are encrypted.