System for installing software

• US 20040019888A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Mohit, Myers, Dennis E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

In a method of generating a virtual map to a plurality of data files necessary for installing software on a computer that is coupled to a network, a primary directory that includes a plurality of links is generated. Each link points to a subdirectory that lists at least one file that is necessary for installing the software. Any subdirectories pointed to by any of the of links that contain redundant files are detected and any links pointing to redundant files are removed from the primary directory. All conflicts between files pointed to by any links of the plurality of links are detected and listed in a conflict report.

Claims

1. A method of generating a virtual map to a plurality of data files necessary for installing software on a computer that is coupled to a network, comprising the steps of:

a. generating a primary directory that includes a plurality of links, each link pointing to a subdirectory that lists at least one file that is necessary for installing the software, at least a first subdirectory pointed to by a first link to a first source location that is coupled to the network and at least a second subdirectory pointed to by a second link to a second source location that is coupled to the network;

b. determining if any subdirectories pointed to by any of the plurality of links contain redundant files and removing from the primary directory any links pointing to redundant files; and

c. determining all conflicts between files pointed to by any links of the plurality of links and generating a conflict report identifying all conflicts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing links listed in the conflict report from the primary directory so as to form the virtual map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of manually deleting any conflicting subdirectories listed on the conflict report.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording the directory on a compact disk.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording the directory on a magnetic storage medium.

6. A method of generating a virtual map to a plurality of data files necessary for installing software on a computer that is coupled to a network, comprising the steps of:

a. building a list of a plurality of source locations from which a plurality of data files necessary for the install reside, each source location being coupled to the network;

b. obtaining a plurality of source subdirectories and file information from the source locations, each of the subdirectories including at least one link to a source location of the plurality of source locations;

c. consolidating the source subdirectories into a single primary directory;

d. filtering out any non-unique subdirectories from the primary directory;

e. filtering any unnecessary links from the primary directory;

f. detecting conflicting subdirectories in the primary directory and generating a list of conflicting subdirectories; and

g. deleting any conflicting subdirectories in the primary directory, thereby forming the virtual map.

7. An apparatus for installing software, comprising:

a. computer-readable memory

b. a primary directory, stored on the computer-readable memory, that includes a plurality of links, each link pointing to a subdirectory that lists at least one file that is necessary for installing the software, at least a first subdirectory pointed to by a first link to a first location that is coupled to the network and at least a second subdirectory pointed by a second link to a second location that is coupled to the network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises a compact disk.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises a magnetic storage medium.

10. A data structure that may be employed by a computer that is in data communication with a computer network to retrieve a plurality of data files necessary to install a software module on the computer, comprising a virtual map to a plurality of source subdirectories from a corresponding plurality of source locations from which a plurality of data files necessary for the install reside, each of the source subdirectories including at least one link to a source location.

11. The data structure of claim 10, wherein the data structure is stored on a computer-readable memory.

12. The data structure of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises a CD-ROM.

13. The data structure of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable memory comprises a magnetic storage medium.

14. A program product for installing software onto a client system in data communication with a computer network, comprising:

a. programming for generating a primary directory that includes a plurality of links, each link pointing to a subdirectory that lists at least one file that is necessary for installing the software, at least a first subdirectory pointed to by a first link to a first source location that is coupled to the network and at least a second subdirectory pointed to by a second link to a second source location that is coupled to the network;

b. programming for determining if any subdirectories pointed to by any of the plurality of links contain redundant files and removing from the primary directory any links pointing to redundant files; and

c. programming for determining all conflicts between files pointed to by any links of the plurality of links and generating a conflict report identifying all conflicts.

15. The program product of claim 14, further comprising programming for facilitating manual removal of links listed in the conflict report from the primary directory so as to form the virtual map.