Method for automation of software upgrade

• US 20030093688A1
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Helgesen, Jan Ingvard, Donati, Stefano Angelo
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1316 Service observation, testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for automation of software upgrade of network elements in data and communication networks. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an upgrade of network elements in a communication system is controlled from one certain workstation. Before the actual activation of the new software of the network elements takes place, the hardware configuration (5) is validated ensuring that the new software is loadable in the hardware. The software configuration is then also validated ensuring that the new software and the existing software are compatible. A health check is then executed investigating whether the status of the network elements is as required. Then, the certain workstation from which the upgrade is controlled is assigned exclusive network administration access to the network elements. Assuming that the above mentioned is carried through successfully, the actual activation of the new software is executed. Thereafter, the exclusive access which was assigned to the workstation is released, and before cleaning up and terminating, post validation and post health checks are executed.

Claims

1. Method for installation of new software or upgrade of existing software by new software in workstations or network elements in a distributed data or telecommunication system,

characterized by an automated process (3), controlled by a certain workstation (1), including the following sequential steps:

validation of hardware configuration (5) of said workstations or network elements (2), where said validation is performed to assure that said new software is loadable in said hardware configuration, finishing said process (3) if the validation (5) is not carried through successfully,

first validation of software configuration (5) of said workstations or network elements (2) prior to activation of new software, where said validation is performed to assure that said new software and said existing software are compatible, finishing said process (3) if the validation (5) is not carried through successfully,

first condition check (6) of said workstations or network elements (2) prior to activation of new software, including necessary checks and measurements to ensure that status is as required for the upgrade process (3), finishing said process (3) if the condition check (6) not is carried through successfully,

carrying out actions providing the certain workstation with exclusive network management access to said workstations or network elements (2),

activating new software (9) on said workstations or network elements, returning an OK value if carried through successfully and a NOK value if not.

releasing the exclusive network management access of said certain workstation

second validation (10) of software configuration of said workstations or network elements (2) after activation of new software, where said validation is performed to assure that said new software correctly has been installed, returning an OK value if carried through successfully and a NOK value if not

second condition check (11) of said workstations or network elements (2) after activation of new software, including necessary checks and measurements to ensure that status is as desired in a normal state,

cleaning up (13) temporary files that may have been temporary stored during installation or upgrade.

2. Method as defined in claim 1, characterized in an additional step (4) prior to the step concerning validation of hardware configuration (5), where said new software which is to be installed or used for updating is transferred from said remote workstation (1) to the workstations or network elements (2) of the distributed data communication system.

3. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in an additional step (7) prior to the step concerning actions required to obtain exclusive network management access and after the step concerning condition check (6), where backup of said existing software and configuration data are accomplished and stored either on the network elements/workstations or on the remote workstation (1).

4. Method as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in an additional step (8) prior to the step concerning release of the obtained exclusive network management access and after the step concerning actions required to obtain exclusive network management access, where required data conversion including recalculation of values and introduction of new parameters in the existing software is accomplished.

5. Method as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step concerning the second condition check (11) includes checking the current load, the alarms, or any logged records pending for each of the workstations or network elements (2) in the distributed data or telecommunication system.

6. Method as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in an additional step (12) prior to the step concerning upcleaning (13) initiated only by a NOK value from the step concerning activation of the new software (9) or from the step concerning second validation (10) of software configuration, where the process (3) is rolled back, which includes undoing all changes to the network elements (2) or the workstations up to this point in the process (3).