SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELIVERING SOFTWARE PRODUCT UPDATES VIA A RESPONSE FILE

• US 20090089773A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HUESTIS, JONATHAN M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for efficiently providing software product updates in a client'"'"'s computer system. A Software Product Update (SPU) utility initiates the software update process by downloading a response file. The response file comprises scripted code and encoded data for an update of application system files. The SPU utility processes the response file with the aid of a script processing engine (SPE), which is saved, along with installation files, on the client'"'"'s computer system during an initial software product installation. The SPU utility sets the installation properties within the installation file set to values which allow the SPE to access and run the scripted code. The embedded binary data is decoded with the aid of the running scripted code. The SPU utility completes the update of application system files and the installation properties file, with the aid of the decoded embedded data.

Claims

1. In a data processing system which includes a software application, installation files for said software application and a script processing engine (SPE) to facilitate software updates, a method comprising:

storing, in a client system, a set of installation files and a script processing engine (SPE) which includes one or more of the following;

(1) a set of scripting constructs to accept encoded binary data, process encoded binary data and update system files and properties;

(2) a facility to process installation properties;

downloading a response file to a client, said response file including code for one or more updates of a set of application system files and data, which data includes a set of configuration keywords and parameters to guide a customized installation;

processing the response file by the sets of installation files;

processing the installation properties by the sets of installation files; and

updating, via a code injection point, a set of application system files and an installation properties file, with the aid of the processed and decoded embedded data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said downloading further comprises:

comparing a first set of product files from a current build to a second set of product files from a release build to obtain a set of file differences between the current build and the release build;

automatically translating the set of file differences into a set of script code and encoded data; and

adding the set of script code and encoded data to the response file, which also includes the data to guide a customized installation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the response file further comprises:

retrieving a set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file; and

setting the installation properties within the installation file set to values which allow the SPE to access the scripted logic and encoded data, according to the set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the installation properties further comprises:

passing the scripted code to the SPE in order for the SPE to run the scripted code, using values of the installation properties; and

decoding the encoded binary data with the aid of the scripted code.

5. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory system;

a network connection to one or more server computer systems;

a utility executing on the processor which provides the functions of;

storing, in a client system, a set of installation files and a script processing engine (SPE) which includes one or more of the following;

(1) a set of scripting constructs to accept encoded binary data, process encoded binary data and update system files and properties;

(2) a facility to process installation properties;

downloading a response file to a client, said response file including code for one or more updates of a set of application system files and data, which data includes a set of configuration keywords and parameters to guide a customized installation;

processing the response file by the sets of installation files;

processing the installation properties by the sets of installation files; and

updating, via a code injection point, a set of application system files and an installation properties file, with the aid of the processed and decoded embedded data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said downloading further comprises:

comparing a first set of product files from a current build to a second set of product files from a release build to obtain a set of file differences between the current build and the release build;

automatically translating the set of file differences into a set of script code and encoded data; and

adding the set of script code and encoded data to the response file, which also includes the data to guide a customized installation.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said processing the response file further comprises:

retrieving a set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file; and

setting the installation properties within the installation file set to values which allow the SPE to access the scripted logic and encoded data, according to the set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said processing the installation properties further comprises:

passing the scripted code to the SPE in order for the SPE to run the scripted code, using values of the installation properties; and

decoding the encoded binary data with the aid of the scripted code.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program code on said computer readable medium, wherein said program code provides the functionality of;

storing, in a client system, a set of installation files and a script processing engine (SPE) which includes one or more of the following;

(1) a set of scripting constructs to accept encoded binary data, process encoded binary data and update system files and properties;

(2) a facility to process installation properties;

downloading a response file to a client, said response file including code for one or more updates of a set of application system files and data, which data includes a set of configuration keywords and parameters to guide a customized installation;

processing the response file by the sets of installation files;

processing the installation properties by the sets of installation files; and

updating, via a code injection point, a set of application system files and an installation properties file, with the aid of the processed and decoded embedded data.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said code for downloading further comprises code for:

comparing a first set of product files from a current build to a second set of product files from a release build to obtain a set of file differences between the current build and the release build;

automatically translating the set of file differences into a set of script code and encoded data; and

adding the set of script code and encoded data to the response file, which also includes the data to guide a customized installation.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said code for processing the response file further comprises code for:

retrieving a set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file; and

setting the installation properties within the installation file set to values which allow the SPE to access the scripted logic and encoded data, according to the set of configuration keywords and parameters from the response file.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said code for processing the installation properties file further comprises code for:

passing the scripted code to the SPE in order for the SPE to run the scripted code, using values of the installation properties; and

decoding the encoded binary data with the aid of the scripted code.