Algorithm for automated enterprise deployments

• US 20060123040A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCarthy, Edward, Searle, Barry Charles, Williamson, Leigh Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method of automating the deployment of a number of enterprise applications on one or more computer data processing systems. Each enterprise application or update is stored in a dynamic distribution directory and is provided with identifying indicia, such as stage information, target information, and settings information. When automated enterprise deployment is invoked, computer instructions in a computer readable medium provide for initializing deployment, performing deployment, and finalizing deployment of the enterprise applications or updates.

Claims

1. A method of deploying at least one enterprise application on a set of data processing systems, the method comprising a computer implementing the steps of:

selecting a subset of a set of enterprise applications to be deployed onto the set of data processing systems for each data processing system in the set of data processing systems,

determining, based on identifying indicia, which enterprise applications in the subset of enterprise applications will be deployed onto the data processing system; and

deploying the determined enterprise applications onto each of the corresponding data processing systems.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pre-validating the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system before deploying the subset of enterprise applications.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

validating the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system after deploying the subset of enterprise applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed automatically.

5. A computer program product for deploying enterprise applications, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

first computer readable program code configured to read identifying indicia provided to each enterprise application in a set of enterprise applications;

second computer readable program code configured to determine, based on the identifying indicia, a subset of enterprise applications to be deployed on a set of data processing systems;

third computer readable program code configured to determine, based on the identifying indicia, which enterprise applications in the subset of enterprise applications will be deployed on each data processing system in the set of data processing systems; and

fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code configured to invoke the first, second, third, and fourth computer readable program code automatically.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code to pre-validate the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system;

wherein said computer readable program code is executed before the fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code configured to validate the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system;

wherein said fifth computer readable program code is executed after the fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

9. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the identifying indicia comprise stage information.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein:

the stage information is selected from the group consisting of an operating system, an application version, a subset of data processing systems within the set of data processing systems, a corporate department owning a subset of data processing systems, and the physical location of a subset of data processing systems within the set of data processing systems.

11. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein:

the identifying indicia comprise target information.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the target information comprises information specifying which data processing systems should receive an enterprise application.

13. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein:

the identifying indicia comprise settings information.

14. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the settings information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

information specifying which external resources on a data processing system are configured when deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which external prerequisites are required before deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which applications are required before deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which version of an application is required before deploying the enterprise application; and

combinations thereof.

15. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein:

the settings information comprises information specifying configuration settings for a corresponding enterprise application.

16. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code comprising an enterprise application having identifying indicia.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a memory operably connected to the bus;

a processor unit operably connected to the bus;

a computer program product in the memory for deploying enterprise applications, the computer program product comprising;

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

first computer readable program code configured to read identifying indicia provided to each enterprise application in a set of enterprise applications;

second computer readable program code configured to determine, based on the identifying indicia, a subset of enterprise applications to be deployed on a set of data processing systems;

third computer readable program code configured to determine, based on the identifying indicia, which enterprise applications in the subset of enterprise applications will be deployed on each data processing system in the set of data processing systems; and

fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

18. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth computer readable program code configured to invoke the first, second, third, and fourth computer readable program code automatically.

19. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth computer readable program code configured to pre-validate the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system;

wherein said fifth computer readable program code is executed before the fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

20. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth computer readable program code configured to validate the deployment of each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications on each data processing system;

wherein said fifth computer readable program code is executed after the fourth computer readable program code configured to deploy each enterprise application in the subset of enterprise applications to the corresponding data processing systems in the set of data processing systems.

21. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein:

the identifying indicia comprise stage information; and

the stage information is selected from the group consisting of an operating system, an application version, a subset of data processing systems within the set of data processing systems, a corporate department owning a subset of data processing systems, and the physical location of a subset of data processing systems within the set of data processing systems.

22. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein:

the identifying indicia comprise target information; and

the target information comprises information specifying which data processing systems should receive an enterprise application.

23. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the settings information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

information specifying which external resources on a data processing system are configured when deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which external prerequisites are required before deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which applications are required before deploying the enterprise application;

information specifying which version of an application is required before deploying the enterprise application; and

combinations thereof.

24. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein:

the identifying indicia comprise settings information; and

the settings information comprises information specifying configuration settings for a corresponding enterprise application.

25. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth computer readable program code comprising an enterprise application having identifying indicia.