Software deployment system

• US 20060168581A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Goger, Karl, Kumar, Ajay, Ranjan, Rajeev, Bhatt, Ankur, S, Raghunandan
• Granted Patent: US 7,950,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for deploying software onto multiple heterogeneous systems at the same time. A generic software deployment manager may deploy software by communicating with client software deployment services residing on the systems that are receiving the software deployment. The software deployment manager can operate independent of the software and the operating system on which software is being deployed by communicating with the client software deployment service. To execute a software deployment, the software deployment manager may send software deployment messages containing generic commands that signify operations to be performed to deploy software. The client software deployment service provides an interface between the software deployment manager and the recipient system by translating these generic commands to commands that are compatible with the local operating system. The software deployment manager may transmit software deployment messages simultaneously to each of the systems within a system group or an environment so that software can be efficiently deployed without incompatibilities in the network. The software deployment manager may deploy software in Linux, Windows, Unix, Macatosh, Java, or any other operating system and may deploy any software.

Claims

1. A method for deploying software on a local device comprising:

extracting an instruction to deploy software from a message, said instruction having a first format;

converting said instruction from said first format to a second format, the second format being compatible with an operating system of the local device; and

responsive to execution of the converted instruction, deploying software on the local device.

2. A method for deploying software on a local device comprising:

extracting instructions from a message, said instructions having a first format;

converting said instructions from said first format to a second format, the second format being compatible with an operating system of the local device;

responsive to execution of a first of said converted instructions, retrieving a deployment program from storage; and

responsive to execution of a second of said converted instructions, deploying software on the local device by running the deployment program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said instructions are converted by retrieving said second format using a look-up table that is indexed using said first format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said look-up table is stored on said local device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said instructions are converted by identifying a look-up table that corresponds to a type of operating system in use at the local device.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a status of execution.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said status is provided by displaying said status to said user in a manner that does not interfere with use of said processor for purposes other than said software deployment.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user an option to select a level of status that is provided.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said status is provided by transmitting a software deployment message log to a software deployment manager.

10. A method for deploying software comprising:

transmitting software deployment messages from a common source to a plurality of heterogeneous computer systems;

at each of the computer systems.

converting instructions within the message to a format that is compatible with an operating system in use at the respective computer system; and

responsive to execution of the converted instructions, deploying software on the respective computer system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said software deployment message is held while one of said computer systems is not available and is later transmitted when said one of said computer systems is available.

12. An arrangement for executing a software deployment comprising:

a first processor;

a first memory coupled to said first processor; and

a software deployment manager residing in said first memory and executed by said first processor, said software deployment manager comprising;

a software deployment execution generator for executing a software deployment by generating a software deployment message including a generic instruction; and

a communications manager for transmitting the software deployment message and receiving a software deployment log message providing a status of the software deployment.

13. The arrangement of claim 13, further comprising:

a second processor coupled to said first processor;

a second memory coupled to said second processor; and

a software deployment service residing in the second memory and executed by the second processor, said software deployment service comprising;

a software deployer to execute instructions received from said first processor to deploy said software.

14. An arrangement for executing a software deployment comprising:

a first processor;

a first memory coupled to said first processor; and

a client software deployment service residing in said first memory and executed by said first processor, said client software deployment service comprising;

a client process manager to manage execution of instructions to deploy software;

a command handler to provide said client process manager with translations of instructions to deploy said software; and

a process status manager for providing a status of deployment of said software.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein said process status manager provides status of a software deployment via a tool bar icon or dialog box that does not interfere with use of said processor for purposes other than said software deployment.

16. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein said process status manager provides a user an option to chose a level of status that is provided.

17. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein said process status manager transmits a software deployment log message to a software deployment manager to provide said status.

18. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein said level is a task level or a process level.

19. The arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a state persistency manager to maintain said status using a state.

20. A computer readable medium storing thereon program instructions that, when executed, cause an executing device to:

extract an instruction to deploy software from a message received by a local device, said instruction having a first format;

convert said instruction from said first format to a second format, the second format being compatible with an operating system of the local device; and

responsive to execution of the converted instruction, deploy software on the local device.

21. A computer readable medium storing thereon program instructions that, when executed, cause an executing device to:

extract instructions from a message received by a local device, said instructions having a first format;

convert said instructions from said first format to a second format, the second format being compatible with an operating system of the local device;

responsive to execution of a first of said converted instructions, retrieve a deployment program from storage; and

responsive to execution of a second of said converted instructions, deploy software on the local device by running the deployment program.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said instruction is converted by retrieving said second format using a look-up table that is indexed using said first format.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said look-up table is stored on said local device.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said instruction is converted by identifying a look-up table that corresponds to a type, said type being defined by the operating system of said local device.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a status of execution.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said status is provided by displaying said status to said user in a manner that does not interfere with use of said processor for purposes other than said software deployment.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions that cause the executing device to provide a user an option to select a level of status that is provided.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said status is provided by transmitting a software deployment message to a software deployment manager.

29. A computer readable medium storing thereon program instructions that, when executed, cause an executing device to:

transmit software deployment messages from a common source to a plurality of heterogeneous computer systems;

at each of the computer systems.

convert instructions within the message to a format that is compatible with an operating system in use at the respective computer system; and

responsive to execution of the converted instructions, deploy software on the respective computer system.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said software deployment message is held while one of said computer systems is not available and is later transmitted when said one of said computer systems is available.