Method and system for updating the software of multiple network nodes

• US 20090150878A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pathak, Rabindra, Murdock, Joseph B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and system for updating a group of network nodes, such as a group of MFPs, with replacement software in a manner that improves network performance and the predictability of a completion time for installation of the replacement software involves throttling distribution of a software update package to avoid resource oversubscription while time-bounding distribution so that installation of the software update on all of the network nodes can be completed by a certain time and, in some embodiments, further involves determining a start time for distribution of the software update package based at least in part on a scheduled installation time selected by a network administrator, which provides a high degree of confidence that installation of the software update across the entire group of network nodes will be completed around a scheduled time (e.g. during “off hours”) notwithstanding the staggered distribution of the software update package.

Claims

1. A software update server, comprising:

a network interface;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the network interface and the memory, wherein under control of the processor an effective network bandwidth is determined based at least in part on information received via the network interface and a number of parallel threads over which a software update package stored in the memory will be distributed via the network interface is determined based at least in part on the effective network bandwidth.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein under control of the processor a distribution time required to distribute the software update package to a group of network nodes over sets of the parallel threads is determined based at least in part on the number of parallel threads.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein a start time for distributing the software update package over the sets of the parallel threads is determined based at least in part on the distribution time.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the number of parallel threads is further determined under control of the processor based at least in part on an amount of the effective network bandwidth allocated for software updates by a network administrator.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the number of parallel threads is further determined under control of the processor based at least in part on an amount of the effective network bandwidth allocated per thread.

6. The server of claim 2, wherein the distribution time is further determined under control of the processor based at least in part on a number of network nodes within the group.

7. The server of claim 2, wherein the distribution time is further determined under control of the processor based at least in part on a size of the software update package.

8. The server of claim. 3, wherein the start time is further determined under control of the processor based at least in part on a scheduled installation time selected by a network administrator.

9. The server of claim 3, wherein upon arrival of the start time and under control of the processor the software update package is distributed via the network interface to a first subgroup of network nodes within the group over a first set of parallel threads, wherein the first set of parallel threads has the determined number of parallel threads.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein in response to event notifications received from the first subgroup of network nodes via the network interface and under control of the processor the software update package is distributed via the network interface to a second subgroup of network nodes within the group over a second set of parallel threads, wherein the second set of parallel threads has the determined number of parallel threads.

11. The server of claim 3, wherein upon arrival of a scheduled installation time selected by a network administrator and under control of the processor installation commands are distributed via the network interface to at least a subgroup of network nodes within the group over parallel threads.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the network nodes are multifunction printers (MFPs).

13. A method for updating a group of network nodes with replacement software, comprising the steps of:

automatically determining an effective network bandwidth; and

automatically determining a number of parallel threads over which a software update package will be distributed based at least in part on the effective network bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of automatically determining a distribution time required to distribute the software update package to the group of network nodes over the parallel threads based at least in part on the determined number of parallel threads.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of automatically determining a start time for distributing the software update package over the parallel threads based at least in part on the distribution time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the start time is further automatically determined based at least in part on a scheduled installation time selected by a network administrator.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of distributing the software update package to a first subgroup of network nodes within the group over a first set of parallel threads, wherein the first set of parallel threads has the determined number of parallel threads.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving event notifications from the first subgroup of network nodes indicative of successful distribution; and

distributing the software update package to a second subgroup of network nodes within the group over a second set of parallel threads, wherein the second set of parallel threads has the determined number of parallel threads.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

distributing installation commands to at least a subgroup of network nodes within the group over parallel threads.

20. A method for updating a group of network nodes with replacement software, comprising the steps of:

automatically determining a number of parallel threads over which a software update package will be distributed based at least in part on an effective network bandwidth;

automatically determining a distribution time required to distribute the software update package to a group of network nodes over sets of the parallel threads based at least in part on the number network nodes within the group, the number of parallel threads and a size of the software update package; and

starting distribution of the software update package to the group of network nodes over the sets of parallel threads based at least in part on the distribution time and a scheduled installation time selected by a network administrator.