SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING AND RECYCLING SOFTWARE COMPONENTS

• US 20080154776A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Xia, Chenhong, England, Laurence Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosure, a computer program product, system and method for maintaining and recycling software components is disclosed. A first set of usage data for one or more software components is recorded. At least one of the plurity of software components is automatically removed if the first set of usage data for the at least one software component meets usage criteria specified in an expiration policy. Access is then provided to the removed software component through a remote server. A second set of usage data is now recorded for the removed software component. The removed software component is automatically re-instated if the second set of usage data meets usage criteria specified in a reinstatement policy.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

record a first set of usage data for one or more of a plurality of software components; and

automatically remove at least one of the plurality of software components if the first set of usage data for the at least one software component meets usage criteria specified in an expiration policy;

provide access to the removed software component through a remote server;

record a second set of usage data for the removed software component; and

automatically re-instate the removed software component if the second set of usage data meets usage criteria specified in a reinstatement policy.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein usage data comprises a length of time since a last use of the software component.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the usage data comprises a number of times the software component has been accessed.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the usage data comprises information regarding utilization of hardware resources by the software component.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the expiration policy is a global expiration policy and applies to all or a group of the plurality of software components.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the expiration policy is an individual expiration policy and applies to an individual software component.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the expiration policy is set by a user.

8. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the usage criteria specified in the expiration policy is a length of time, and the usage data meets the usage criteria if a length of time since a last use of the software component is greater than the length of time in the usage criteria.

9. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the usage criteria specified in the expiration policy is a number, and the usage data meets usage criteria if a number of times the software component has been accessed is less than the number in the usage criteria.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein access of the removed software component is provided through a remotely run web service running on a web server.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

record usage data for one or more of a plurality of software components;

automatically remove at least one of the plurality of software components if the usage data for the at least one software component meets usage criteria specified in an expiration policy; and

provide access to the removed software component through a remote server.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the usage data is stored as metadata.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein removing the software component comprises un-installing.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein usage data comprises a length of time since a last use of the software component.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the usage data comprises a number of times the software component has been accessed.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the usage data comprises information regarding utilization of hardware resources by the software component.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the expiration policy is a global expiration policy and applies to all or a group of the plurality of software components.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the expiration policy is an individual expiration policy and applies to an individual software component.

19. A system for maintaining software components comprising:

a usage data recording module for recording usage data regarding usage of a plurality of software components installed within a local environment and storing the data as usage data;

a pruning module for comparing the usage data with an expiration policy, and automatically removing at least one of the plurality of software components from the local environment if it is determined that usage of the software component is below a level specified in an expiration policy; and

a remote access module for relocating the removed component to a location remote from the local environment and providing future access to the removed component.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the location remote from the local environment is a web server.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein access to the removed component is provided through a web service.

22. A method for maintaining software components comprising:

recording a first set of usage data for one or more of a plurality of software components; and

automatically removing at least one of the plurality of software components if the first set of usage data for the at least one software component meets usage criteria specified in an expiration policy;

providing access to the removed software component through a remote server;

recording a second set of usage data for the removed software component; and

automatically re-instating the removed software component if the second set of usage data meets usage criteria specified in a reinstatement policy.

23. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the usage data comprises a length of time since a last use of the software component.

24. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the usage data comprises a number of times the software component has been accessed.

25. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the usage data comprises information regarding utilization of hardware resources by the software component.

26. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the expiration policy is a global expiration policy and applies to all or a group of the plurality of software components.

27. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the expiration policy is an individual expiration policy and applies to an individual software component.

28. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein the expiration policy is set by a user of the software components.

29. The method for maintaining software components of claim 23 wherein the usage criteria specified in the expiration policy is a length of time, and the usage data meets the usage criteria if a length of time since the last use of the software component is greater than the length of time in the usage criteria.

30. The method for maintaining software components of claim 24 wherein the usage criteria specified in the expiration policy is a number, and the usage data meets usage criteria if a number of times the software component has been accessed is less than the number in the usage criteria.

31. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein access to the removed software component is provided through a remotely run web service.

32. The method for maintaining software components of claim 22 wherein re-instating the removed software component comprises re-installing the software component.