Method, system, and product for upgrading software objects using inherency

• US 20070226728A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bharat Jindal, Peter Thorson
• Original Assignee: Bharat Jindal, Peter Thorson
• Inventors: Thorson, Peter, Jindal, Bharat
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

Techniques for identifying “relevant” objects for upgrading a repository of objects in a computer system. The relevant objects to be used for upgrading may include any combination of (1) “corresponding” objects in a prior and a new standard repository, (2) “ancestor” objects in the prior and new standard repositories, and (3) ancestor objects in a prior custom repository. A corresponding object typically has the same name as, and an ancestor object is referenced by, the object to be upgraded. In one scheme, objects in the prior custom repository are upgraded based on (1) their corresponding objects, if these exist, and (2) their ancestors in the prior and new standard repositories, otherwise. In another scheme, the objects are additionally upgraded based on their ancestors in the new standard repository. In yet another scheme, the objects are further upgraded based on their ancestors in the prior custom repository.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method comprising:

adding a first attribute to a first data object in a standard repository of data objects, wherein the first data object is identified by a first name;

in response to adding the first attribute to the first data object, adding the first attribute to each data object identified by the first name in a customized repository of data objects;

in response to adding the first attribute to the first data object, adding the first attribute to each data object in the customized repository that comprises an upgrade ancestor field containing the first name.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

adding a second attribute to a second data object in the standard repository, wherein the second data object is identified by a second name, and wherein the first and second names are distinct from each other;

in response to adding the second attribute to the second data object, adding the second attribute to each data object identified by the second name in the customized repository;

in response to adding the second attribute to the second data object, adding the second attribute to each data object in the customized repository that comprises an upgrade ancestor field containing the second name.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

adding second and third attributes to a second data object in the standard repository, wherein the second data object is identified by a second name, and wherein the first and second names are distinct from each other;

in response to adding the second and third attributes to the second data object, adding the second and third attributes to each data object identified by the second name in the customized repository;

in response to adding the second and third attributes to the second data object, adding the second and third attributes to each data object in the customized repository that comprises an upgrade ancestor field containing the second name.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the first attribute, when displayed on a computer system monitor, comprises a field into which data can be added.

41. The method of claim 28 wherein the first attribute, when displayed on a computer system monitor, comprises a field into which data can be added.

32. A method comprising:

adding a first attribute to each data object identified by a first name in a repository of data objects;

adding the first attribute to each data object in the repository that is not identified by the first name, but comprises upgrade ancestor information containing the first name.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

adding a second attribute to each data object identified by a second name in the repository, wherein the first and second names are distinct from each other;

adding the second attribute to each data object in the repository that is not identified by the second name, but comprises upgrade ancestor information containing the second name.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

adding second and third attributes to each data object identified by a second name in the repository, wherein the first and second names are distinct from each other;

adding the second and third attributes to each data object in the repository that is not identified by the second name, but comprises upgrade ancestor information containing the second name.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the first attribute, when displayed on a computer system monitor, comprises a field into which data can be added.

36. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

comparing the first name with respective names of each data object in the repository, wherein the first attribute is added to each data object in the repository whose name compares equally to the first name;

comparing the first name with respective names contained in the upgrade ancestor information of each data object in the repository.

37. A computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising:

upgrading each data object in a customized repository of data objects that is identified by a first name;

upgrading each data object in the customized repository that is identified by a name other than the first name and that comprises upgrade ancestor information containing the first name.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein upgrading each data object identified by the first name comprises adding a first attribute to each data object identified by the first name, and wherein upgrading each data object in the customized repository that is identified by other than the first name comprises adding the first attribute to each data object in the customized repository that is identified by other than the first name.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 wherein the method further comprises:

adding a second attribute to each data object in the customized repository that is identified by a second name, wherein the first and second names are distinct from each other;

adding the second attribute to each data object in the customized repository that comprises upgrade ancestor information containing the second name.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

adding second and third attributes to each data object in the customized repository that is identified by a second name;

adding the second and third attributes to each data object in the customized repository that comprises an upgrade ancestor field containing the second name.