System and method for dynamic software installation instructions

• US 20050251786A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Dorian B., Citron, Andrew P., Francis, Arthur R., Presler-Marshall, Martin
• Application Number:
  US10/841,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for dynamic software installation instructions is presented. A customized instruction generator asks a user particular questions. In turn, the user provides answers, or system parameters. Based upon the user'"'"'s response, the customized instruction generator asks dependent questions to further collect more detailed system parameters. Once the customized instruction generator collects the system parameters it requires, the customized instruction generator retrieves an instruction template that includes parameter placeholders. The customized instruction generator replaces the parameter placeholders with corresponding system parameters, includes particular instruction subsections based upon the system parameters, and generates customized instructions for the user to follow in order to install software on a computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving an instruction template, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders;

identifying one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generating customized instructions using the instruction template, the generating including replacing one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized instructions correspond to software code, the customized instructions including instructions to load the software code on a computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a top-level question to a user, the top level question corresponding to one of the system parameters; and

receiving one of the system parameters from the user in response to the displaying.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

analyzing the received system parameter;

determining whether to display one or more dependent questions in response to the analyzing; and

displaying one or more of the dependent questions to the user based upon the determination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the system parameters is selected from the group consisting of a directory server, a host name, a user id, and a password.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, the method further comprising:

selecting a first instruction section from the plurality of instruction sections;

determining that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section; and

including the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, the method further comprising:

selecting a first instruction section;

determining that the first instruction section does not include one of the parameter placeholders; and

including the first instruction section in the customized instructions without changing the first instruction section.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a customized instruction generation tool for generating customized instructions, the customized instruction generation tool comprising software code effective to;

retrieve an instruction template from one of the nonvolatile storage devices, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders;

identify one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generate customized instructions using the instruction template, the generating including replacing one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the customized instructions correspond to software installation code, the customized instructions including instructions to load the software installation code on a computer system.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the software code is further effective to:

display a top-level question to a user on a display, the top level question corresponding to one of the system parameters; and

receive one of the system parameters from the user in response to the displaying.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the software code is further effective to:

analyze the received system parameter;

determine whether to display one or more dependent questions on a display in response to the analyzing; and

display one or more of the dependent questions on the display to the user based upon the determination.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the system parameters is selected from the group consisting of a directory server, a host name, a user id, and a password.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, and wherein the software code is further effective to:

select a first instruction section from the plurality of instruction sections located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;

determine that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section that is located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices; and

include the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, wherein the software code is further effective to:

select a first instruction section located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices;

determine that the first instruction section does not include one of the parameter placeholders; and

include the first instruction section in the customized instructions without changing the first instruction section.

15. A program product comprising:

computer operable medium having computer program code, the computer program code being effective to;

retrieve an instruction template, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders;

identify one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generate customized instructions using the instruction template, the generating including replacing one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters.

16. The program product of claim 15 wherein the customized instructions correspond to software code, the customized instructions including instructions to load the software code on a computer system.

17. The program product of claim 15 wherein the computer program code is further effective to:

display a top-level question to a user, the top level question corresponding to one of the system parameters; and

receive one of the system parameters from the user in response to the displaying.

18. The program product of claim 17 wherein the computer program code is further effective to:

analyze the received system parameter;

determine whether to display one or more dependent questions in response to the analyzing; and

display one or more of the dependent questions to the user based upon the determination.

19. The program product of claim 15 wherein at least one of the system parameters is selected from the group consisting of a directory server, a host name, a user id, and a password.

20. The program product of claim 15 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, and wherein the computer program code is further effective to:

select a first instruction section from the plurality of instruction sections;

determine that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section; and

include the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.

21. The program product as described in claim 15 wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections, wherein the computer program code is further effective to:

select a first instruction section;

determine that the first instruction section does not include one of the parameter placeholders; and

include the first instruction section in the customized instructions without changing the first instruction section.

22. A method comprising:

displaying a top-level question to a user, the top level question corresponding to one or more system parameters included in a plurality of system parameters;

receiving one of the system parameters from the user in response to the displaying;

retrieving an instruction template, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders;

selecting one or more of the system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generating customized instructions corresponding to software code using the instruction template, the generating including replacing one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the selected system parameters, the customized instructions including instructions to load the software code on a computer system.

23. A method comprising:

retrieving an instruction template, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders, and wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections;

identifying one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generating customized instructions using the instruction template, the generating further comprising;

replacing one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters;

selecting a first instruction section from the plurality of instruction sections;

determining that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section; and

including the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.

24. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a customized instruction generation tool for generating customized instructions, the customized instruction generation tool comprising software code effective to;

retrieve an instruction template from one of the nonvolatile storage devices, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders, and wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections;

identify one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generate customized instructions using the instruction template, wherein the software code is further effective to;

replace one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters;

select a first instruction section located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices from the plurality of instruction sections;

determine that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices; and

include the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.

25. A program product comprising:

computer operable medium having computer program code, the computer program code being effective to;

retrieve an instruction template, wherein the instruction template includes one or more parameter placeholders, and wherein the instruction template is divided into a plurality of instruction sections;

identify one or more system parameters that corresponds to one or more of the parameter placeholders; and

generate customized instructions using the instruction template, wherein the computer program code is further effective to;

replace one or more of the parameter placeholders with one or more of the identified system parameters;

select a first instruction section from the plurality of instruction sections;

determine that one of the parameter placeholders included in the first instruction section corresponds to a second instruction section; and

include the second instruction section in the generated customized instructions.