Conflict resolution of software customizations based on product dependencies

• US 20080127087A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huck, Jason A., Brookins, Timothy J., Froslie, David S., Bramel, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Customizations are applied to a software product by determining whether any of the customizations to be applied are in conflict with one another. If so, product dependency information, which identifies a product that the customizations are based on, is used to reduce a number of conflicting customizations to be made to the software product. Any remaining conflicts are resolved, and the customizations are applied.

Claims

1. A method of customizing base software product, comprising:

obtaining a set of conflicting customizations to be made to a same element of the base software product;

accessing dependency information associated with each of the conflicting customizations in the set, the dependency information identifying a product upon which the associated conflicting customization is based; and

applying one of the conflicting customizations based on the dependency information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing dependency information comprises:

identifying a prior conflicting customization in the set, upon which a subsequent conflicting customization in the set depends; and

removing the prior conflicting customization from the set.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying a prior conflicting customization comprises:

generating a dependency structure based on the dependency information, the dependency structure identifying dependencies between conflicting customizations in the set.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying a prior conflicting customization comprises:

identifying the prior conflicting customization as lying in a dependency path between the subsequent conflicting customization and the base software product in the dependency structure.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein generating a dependency structure comprises:

identifying the dependency information within each of the conflicting customizations.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein generating a dependency structure comprises:

generating the dependency structure prior to running the software product.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein generating a dependency structure comprises:

generating the dependency structure while running the software code.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein applying one of the conflicting customizations comprises:

applying all the conflicting customizations in reverse-dependency order along the dependency path.

9. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

prior to applying, resolving any remaining conflicts between conflicting customizations.

10. A system for customizing software product, comprising:

a data store storing a set of conflicting customizations to the software product and dependency information indicating a dependency among conflicting customizations in the set; and

a customization subsystem configured to apply one of the set of conflicting customizations based on the dependency information.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the customization subsystem is configured to generate a dependency graph, locating conflicting customizations on different levels in the dependency graph based on the dependency information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the customization subsystem is configured to identify a first conflicting customization in the set located at one end of a dependency path in the dependency graph.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the customization subsystem is configured to identify any other conflicting customizations between the first conflicting customization and base software product along the dependency path and to remove the other conflicting customizations from the set.

14. The system of claim 13 and further comprising:

a conflict resolution mechanism configured to resolve any remaining conflicts between conflicting customizations in the set.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the customization subsystem is configured to generate the dependency graph as a directed acyclic graph with the conflicting customizations as nodes in the directed acyclic graph.

16. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

selecting a customization to be made to software product;

identifying, in the customization, dependency information identifying a product that the customization is based on; and

placing the customization in a dependency structure relative to other customizations based on the dependency information.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method comprises:

applying customizations to the software product based on a location of the customizations in the dependency structure.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein applying customizations comprises:

preferentially applying a dependent customization relative to a parent customization on which the dependent customization depends.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method comprises:

resolving conflicts between the customizations.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the steps of selecting, identifying, and placing are performed prior to running the software product.