Device and method for updating code

• US 20020002703A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Buhler, Peter, Eirich, Thomas, Baentsch, Michael, Hoering, Frank, Weigold, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method for a software provider to enable a software-acquiring entity to arrive from an existent first signed piece of code at a second signed piece of code. Both pieces of code were generated at the software provider by use of a first software archive generator under use of generation instructions. The software provider provides to the software-acquiring entity a difference code that comprises the steps necessary to arrive from the first signed piece of code at the second signed piece of code. The difference code is combinable at the software-acquiring entity with the first signed piece of code by a second software archive generator to generate the second signed piece of code. The second software archive generator is therefor to be fed with those generation instructions that were used by the first software archive generator for the generation of both pieces of code.

Claims

1. Method for a software provider (25) of enabling a software-acquiring entity (20) to arrive from an existent first signed piece of code (11) at a second signed piece of code (12, 13), both pieces of code (11, 12, 13) having been generated by use of a first software archive generator (2) under use of generation instructions (8), comprising the step of providing to said software-acquiring entity (20) a difference code (4, 5) comprising the steps necessary to arrive from said first signed piece of code (11) at said second signed piece of code (12, 13), which difference code (4, 5) is usable at said software-acquiring entity (20) to be combined with said first signed piece of code (11) by a second software archive generator (7) to generate said second signed piece of code (12, 13), whereby said second software archive generator (7) is to be fed with those generation instructions (8) that were used by said first software archive generator (2) for the generation of both pieces of code (11, 12, 13).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the generation instructions (8) are provided to the software-acquiring entity (20) by the software provider (25), preferably together with the second software archive generator (7).

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the pieces of code (11, 12, 13) are signed using a private key (14).

4. Method according to claims 1, wherein the signed pieces of code (11, 12, 13) are stored in a storage unit (1) at the software provider (25).

5. Method according to claims 1, wherein the difference code (4, 5) is created, preferably by the first software archive generator (2), while said first software archive generator (2) generates the second signed piece of code (12, 13).

6. Method according to claims 1, wherein for more than two pieces of code (11, 12, 3) being stored, the difference code (4, 5) is generated only between a subset of said pieces of code (11, 12, 13).

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein for arriving from the first piece of code (11) to the second piece of code (13) several difference codes (4, 5) are required, these difference codes (4, 5) are merged to a single difference code to be provided to the software-acquiring entity (20).

8. Method according to claims 1, wherein the first and second piece of code (11, 12, 13) are identified at the software provider (25) by deriving a corresponding identifier from a request (16) received from the software-acquiring entity (20).

13. Computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to claim 1.

9. Method for a software-acquiring entity (20) of arriving from an existent first signed piece of code (11) at a second signed piece of code (12, 13), both pieces of code (11, 12, 13) having been generated at a software provider (25) by use of a first software archive generator (2) under use of generation instructions (8), comprising the steps of

sending acode amendment request (16) to said software provider (25) for the delivery of a difference code (4, 5) which comprises the steps necessary to arrive from said first signed piece of code (11) at said second signed piece of code (12, 13),

receiving said difference code (4, 5),

combining said difference code (4, 5) with said first signed piece of code (11) by use of a second software archive generator (7), thereby generating said second signed piece of code (12, 13), whereby said second software archive generator (7) is fed with those generation instructions (8) that were used by said first software archive generator (2) for the generation of both pieces of code (11, 12, 13).

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the generation instructions (8) are received from the software provider (25), preferably together with the second software archive generator(7).

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein the pieces of code (11, 12, 13) are signed by use of a private key (14) and the signature (Sig 11, Sig 12, Sig 13) is verifiable by use of a corresponding public key (15).

12. Method according to claims 9, wherein the first and second piece of code (11, 12, 13) are identified by the software-acquiring entity (20) by giving a corresponding identifier in the code amendment request (16).

14. Computer program product according to claim 12, comprising the program co de means stored on a computer-readable medium.

15. Code amendment enabler enabling a software-acquiring entity (20) to arrive from an existent first signed piece of code (11) at a second signed piece of code (12, 13), both pieces of code (11, 12, 13) having been generated by use of a first software archive generator (2) under use of generation instructions (8), comprising

a difference code generator (10) for generating a difference code (4, 5) that comprises the steps necessary to arrive from said first signed piece of code (11) at said second signed piece of code (12, 13), which difference code (4, 5) is usable at said software-acquiring entity (20) to be combined with said first signed piece of code (11) by a second software archive generator (7) to generate said second signed piece of code (12, 13), whereby said second software archive generator (7) is fed with the generation instructions (8),

an output unit (3) for providing to said software-acquiring entity (20) said difference code (4, 5).

16. Code amendment enabler according to claim 15, further comprising an input unit (24) for receiving from said software-acquiring entity (20) a code amendment request (16) for the delivery of said difference code (4, 5).

17. Code amendment enabler according to claim 15, further comprising a first software archive generator (2) for generating said pieces of code (11, 12, 13) under use of generation instructions (8).

18. Code amendment device for arriving from an existent first signed piece of code (11) at a second signed piece of code (12, 13), both pieces of code (11, 12, 13) having been generated at a software provider (25) by use of a first software archive generator (2) under use of generation instructions (8), comprising

a second software archive generator (7) for combining a received difference code (4, 5) with said first signed piece of code (11), thereby generating said second signed piece of code (12, 13), whereby said second software archive generator (7) is to be fed with those generation instructions (8) that were used by said first software archive generator (2) for the generation of both pieces of code (11, 12, 13)

19. Code amendment device according to claim 18, further comprising an input/output unit (6) for sending a code amendment request (16) to said software provider (25) and for receiving said difference code (4, 5).