Process, apparatus, and system for automatic system backup and restore during software installation

• US 20050034122A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shum, Che Lui, Shaw, Limei, Kung, Lucy Ya Mei
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading

Abstract

A process, apparatus, and system are disclosed for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration during the installation of new software on a software device. The apparatus may be embodied as a software installation module having a pre-removal module and a post-installation module. The pre-removal and post-removal procedures are embedded within a systems packaging files so that they may be automatically executed during the installation procedures for installing the new software. The apparatus may also include a recovery module configured to perform procedures that are similar to, but potentially more thorough than the procedures implemented by the post-installation procedure. Specifically, the apparatus may be incorporated in a server within a storage area network (SAN) and configured to operate with a plurality of physical disk drives also connected to the storage area network (SAN).

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the apparatus comprising:

a pre-removal module configured to automatically execute a pre-removal procedure prior to installing the software on the software device;

a post-installation module configured to automatically execute a post-installation procedure after installing the software on the software device; and

a file packaging module configured to embed the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a backup module configured to backup the system configuration of the electronic device prior to installing the software on the software device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removal module configured to remove the software device prior to installing the software on the software device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reconfiguration module configured to reconfigure the software device after installing the software on the software device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a recovery reconfiguration module configured to reconfigure the software device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the reconfiguration module to reconfigure the software device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a restoration module configured to restore the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a recovery restoration module configured to restore the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the restoration module to restore the system configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a system configuration module configured to store system configuration information of the electronic device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a software device module configure to store software device information and to manage the operation of the storage software device.

10. A system for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the system comprising:

a storage server having a plurality of storage software devices;

a logical volume manager configured to interface with the storage server and manage the plurality of storage software devices;

a software installation module configured to interface with the storage server and the logical volume manager and to manage the installation of software on a first storage software device of the plurality of storage software devices;

a pre-removal module configured to implement a pre-removal procedure, including backing up a system configuration of the logical volume manager and removing the first storage software device in preparation for a software installation on the first storage software device;

a post-installation module configured to implement a post-installation procedure, including reconfiguring the first storage software device and restoring the system configuration of the logical volume manager in response to a software installation on the first storage software device; and

a file packaging module configured to embed the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic device does not require rebooting after installation of the software on the software device.

12. A system for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the system comprising:

a first storage server having a first plurality of storage software devices;

a second storage server having a second plurality of storage software devices and connected to the first storage server to form a storage area network;

a logical volume manager configured to interface with the storage area network and manage the first and second pluralities of storage software devices;

a software installation module configured to interface with the server and the logical volume manager and to manage the installation of software on a first storage software device of the plurality of storage software devices;

a pre-removal module configured to implement a pre-removal procedure, including backup a system configuration of the logical volume manager and remove the first storage software device in preparation for a software installation on the first storage software device;

a post-installation module configured to implement a post-installation procedure, including reconfigure the first storage software device and restore the system configuration of the logical volume manager in response to a software installation on the first storage software device;

a file packaging module configured to embed the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file.

15. The process of claim 12, further comprising removing the software device prior to installing the software on the software device.

13. A process for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the process comprising:

automatically executing a pre-removal procedure prior to installing the software on the software device;

automatically executing a post-installation procedure after installing the software on the software device; and

embedding the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file.

14. The process of claim 13, further comprising backing up the system configuration of the electronic device prior to installing the software on the software device.

16. The process of claim 13, further comprising reconfiguring the software device after installing the software on the software device.

17. The process of claim 13, further comprising reconfiguring the software device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the reconfiguration module to reconfigure the software device.

18. The process of claim 13, further comprising restoring the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device.

19. The process of claim 13, further comprising restoring the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the restoration module to restore the system configuration.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code configured to carry out a process for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the process comprising:

automatically executing a pre-removal procedure prior to installing the software on the software device;

automatically executing a post-installation procedure after installing the software on the software device; and

embedding the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises backing up the system configuration of the electronic device prior to installing the software on the software device.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises removing the software device prior to installing the software on the software device.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the process further comprises reconfiguring the software device after installing the software on the software device.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises reconfiguring the software device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the reconfiguration module to reconfigure the software device.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises restoring the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the process further comprises restoring the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device in response to a failed attempt by the restoration module to restore the system configuration.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises storing system configuration information of the electronic device.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises storing software device information and managing the operation of the storage software device.

29. An apparatus for automatically backing up and restoring a system configuration on an electronic device in conjunction with installing software on a software device, the apparatus comprising:

means for automatically executing a pre-removal procedure prior to installing the software on the software device;

means for automatically executing a post-installation procedure after installing the software on the software device;

means for embedding the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file;

means for embedding the pre-removal and post-installation procedures in a packaging file;

means for removing the software device prior to installing the software on the software device;

means for reconfiguring the software device after installing the software on the software device; and

means for restoring the system configuration of the electronic device after installing the software on the software device.