Intelligent system health indicator

• US 20060184714A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Silvia, Elizabeth, Dang, Anh Tuan, Hua, Binh, Hua, Hong Lam
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for handling updates. A database is queried to determine an effect of the update on the data processing system in response to detecting an update for the data processing system. A configuration of the data processing system is used in querying the database. A health status of the data processing system is selectively modified using the response to form a modified health status in response to receiving a response from the database.

Claims

1. A method for handling updates, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

responsive to detecting an update for a data processing system, querying a database to determine an effect of the update on the data processing system, wherein a configuration of the data processing system is used in querying the database; and

responsive to receiving a response from the database, selectively modifying a health status of the data processing system using the response to form a modified health status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the effect of the update includes a risk of applying the update and further comprising:

presenting the effect of the update to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the effect includes a cause of the risk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration of the data processing system is an identifier indicating the configuration of the data processing system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying step includes:

sending a query to an expert system associated with the database.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

scheduling application of the update for the data processing system based on the modified health status.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified health status includes a risk of not applying the update.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selectively applying the update to the data processing system based on the modified health status of the data processing system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes a test case and further comprising:

running the test case to determine whether to apply the update to the data processing system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a weight value for update, wherein the weight value is used to selectively modify the health status of the data processing system.

11. A computer program product for handling updates, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions, responsive to detecting an update for a data processing system, for querying a database to determine an effect of the update on the data processing system, wherein a configuration of the data processing system is used in querying the database; and

second instructions, responsive to receiving a response from the database, for selectively modifying a health status of the data processing system using the response to form a modified health status.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the effect includes a cause of the risk.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the configuration of the data processing system is an identifier indicating the configuration of the data processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first instructions includes:

sub instructions for sending a query to an expert system associated with the database.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

third instructions for scheduling application of the update for the data processing system based on the modified health status.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the modified health status includes a risk of not applying the update.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

third instructions for selectively applying the update to the data processing system based on the modified health status of the data processing system.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the response includes a test case and further comprising:

third instructions for running the test case to determine whether to apply the update to the data processing system.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

third instructions for calculating a weight value for update, wherein the weight value is used to selectively modify the health status of the data processing system.

20. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of instructions to handling updates;

query a database to determine an effect of the update on the data processing system in response to detecting an update for a data processing system, wherein a configuration of the data processing system is used in querying the database; and

selectively modify a health status of the data processing system using the response to form a modified health status in response to receiving a response from the database.