Method, apparatus, and program for synchronous remote builds

• US 20030177473A1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Banerjee, Mahadev, Orlowski, Timothy S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A client/server application is provided for performing synchronous builds on a server. The client, running on a development platform, communicates with the server and, together, they complete a build transaction. In a build transaction, the client transfers all the resources that are needed for the build to the server. The server completes the build and returns any resulting output resources to the client. The end user invokes the client for each build transaction and such calls may be embedded in a script facilitating automation of the overall build process.

Claims

1. A method, in a client, for performing a remote build on a server, comprising:

sending a build request to a server, wherein the build request specifies a build script file; and

upon completion of the build, automatically receiving a build result from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the build script file to the server in response to a request for the build script file being received from the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the build script file is stored at the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the build request specifies at least one input file or dependent file, the method further comprising sending the at least one input file or dependent file to the server in response to a request for the at least one input file or dependent file being received from the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the build request specifies a success condition and a success return code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the build result indicates whether the build is successful based on the success condition and the success return code.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to a successful build, requesting at least one output file from the server; and

receiving the at least one output file from the server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed by a make utility based on a makefile script, and wherein the make utility assembles a program using the at least one output file based on the makefile script.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a make utility based on a makefile script.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the build request specifies a user identification and a password, the method further comprising:

authenticating with the server using the user identification and the password.

11. A method, in a server, for performing a synchronous build, comprising:

receiving a build request from a client, wherein the build request specifies a build script file;

performing the build according to the build script file; and

upon completion of the build, automatically sending a build result to the client.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving a build request from a client comprises:

listening to a communication port for a build request; and

receiving the build request through the communication port.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the build script file resides on the client, the method further comprising:

requesting the build script file from the client; and

receiving the build script file from the client.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the build script file resides on the server.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the build request specifies at least one input file or dependent file, the method further comprising:

requesting the at least one input file or dependent file from the client; and

receiving the at least one input file or dependent file from the client

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the build request specifies a success condition and a success return code.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the build result based on the success condition and the success return code.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, if the build is successful, the step of performing the build comprises generating at least one output file.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

in response to a request for the at least one output file being received from the client, sending the at least one output file to the client.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the build request specifies at least one build parameter and wherein the step of performing the build comprises passing the at least one build parameter to the build script.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the build request specifies a user identification and a password, the method further comprising:

authenticating the client using the user identification and the password.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of performing the build comprises invoking a build program in accordance with the build script.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the build program comprises a compiler.

24. An apparatus, in a client, for performing a remote build on a server, comprising:

sending means for sending a build request to a server, wherein the build request specifies a build script file; and

receipt means for automatically receiving a build result from the server upon completion of the build.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising means for sending the build script file to the server in response to a request for the build script file being received from the server.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the build script file is stored at the server.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the build request specifies at least one input file or dependent file, the apparatus further comprising means for sending the at least one input file or dependent file to the server in response to a request for the at least one input file or dependent file being received from the server.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the build request specifies a success condition and a success return code.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the build result indicates whether the build is successful based on the success condition and the success return code.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for requesting at least one output file from the server in response to a successful build; and

means for receiving the at least one output file from the server.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a make utility that assembles a program using the at least one output file based on a makefile script.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus comprises a make utility.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the build request specifies a user identification and a password, the apparatus further comprising:

means for authenticating with the server using the user identification and the password.

34. An apparatus, in a server, for performing a synchronous build, comprising:

first receipt means for receiving a build request from a client, wherein the build request specifies a build script file;

build means for performing the build according to the build script file; and

sending means for automatically sending a build result to the client upon completion of the build.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first receipt means comprises:

means for listening to a communication port for a build request; and

means for receiving the build request through the communication port.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build script file resides on the client, the apparatus further comprising:

means for requesting the build script file from the client; and

means for receiving the build script file from the client.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build script file resides on the server.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build request specifies at least one input file or dependent file, the apparatus further comprising:

means for requesting the at least one input file or dependent file from the client; and

means for receiving the at least one input file or dependent file from the client.

39. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build request specifies a success condition and a success return code.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for generating the build result based on the success condition and the success return code.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the build means comprises means for generating at least one output file, if the build is successful.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for sending the at least one output file to the client in response to a request for the at least one output file being received from the client.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the build request specifies at least one build parameter and wherein the build means comprises means for passing the at least one build parameter to the build script.

44. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build request specifies a user identification and a password, the apparatus further comprising:

means for authenticating the client using the user identification and the password.

45. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the build means comprises means for invoking a build program in accordance with the build script.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the build program comprises a compiler.

47. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for performing a remote build on a server from a client, comprising:

instructions for sending a build request to a server, wherein the build request specifies a build script file; and

instructions for automatically receiving a build result from the server upon completion of the build.

48. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for performing a synchronous build in a server, comprising:

instructions for receiving a build request from a client, wherein the build request specifies a build script file;

instructions for performing the build according to the build script file; and

instructions for automatically sending a build result to the client upon completion of the build.