Integrated system and method for the management of a complete end-to-end software delivery process

• US 20030046681A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barturen, Maria-Jose Arbulu, Gonzalez, Ignacio Fernandez, Fernandez, Mariano Diez, Garijo, Elisa Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A software delivery process including sub-processes of configuration management and version control, change and problem management, building, packaging, and distribution and installation. The process is implemented by an integrated management system that includes a configuration management sub-system, a change and problem management sub-system, a building sub-system, a packaging sub-system, a distribution sub-system, and a tracking sub-system. The subsystems are integrated in order to manage the software along its whole life cycle, from development to installation in production. The tracking sub-system captures and integrates information about the status of the delivery from the other sub-systems along all steps of the process.

Claims

1. An integrated data processing system for managing a process of delivery of software products to target software product execution units in a network environment, comprising:

a central repository for storing software components of at least one software product;

a first sub-system for identifying within the central repository software components of a software product to be delivered;

a second sub-system for creating at least one software product package from the identified software components identified by the first sub-system, and

a third sub-system for distributing the at least one software product package created by the second sub-system to the target software product execution units.

2. The integrated data processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a software package distribution repository for storing the at least one software product package created by the second sub-system from the identified software components.

3. The integrated data processing system according to claim 1, in which the third sub-system distributes the at least one software product package to target software product execution units belonging to at least one environment according to at least one role assigned to the at least one software product package by the second sub-system.

4. The integrated data processing system according to claim 1, in which the first sub-system manages a storage in the central repository of the software components of the software product to be delivered.

5. The integrated data processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth sub-system for performing a building process of software code components among the identified software components of the software product to be delivered, the fourth sub-system storing a result of the building process in the central repository.

6. The integrated data processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth sub-system for managing a process of applying changes to an already delivered software product.

7. The integrated system according to claim 1, further comprising a sixth sub-system for recording information provided by at least one of the first through fifth sub-systems of the integrated data processing system during delivery of the software product.

8. A method for delivering software products to target software product execution units in a network environment, comprising the steps of:

storing software components of at least one software product in a central repository;

identifying software components of a software product to be delivered among the software components stored in the central repository;

creating at least one software product package that includes at least one of the identified software components;

distributing the software product package to the target software product execution units and installing the software product package thereon.

9. The method according to claim 8, in which the step of creating at least one software product package includes assigning to the at least one software product package an indication of role for identifying the target software product execution units to which the software product is to be distributed, and distributing the at least one software product package according to the indication of role.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of storing the at least one software product package in a software distribution repository.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of building identified source code components of the software product to be delivered stored in the central repository, and storing the result of the building in the central repository.