DEPLOYMENT TOOL FOR INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN A PRODUCTION COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20090158266A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Secchi, Marco, Celli, Massimiliano, Pichetti, Luigi, Velati, Marcello
• Application Number:
  US12/201,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A method is presented for deploying a component onto a production computer system. The method may include identifying one or more alterations associated with deployment of a first application onto a first computer system, where the first application on the first computer system is substantially similar to a second application on a second computer system. Embodiments may further include generating a command and an object corresponding to the alteration, where the command and the object are generated as a function of the first application. The alteration may then be replicated on the second application of the second computer system by executing the command and the object on the second computer system.

Claims

1. A method for deploying a component onto a production computer system, the method comprising:

identifying at least one alteration associated with deployment of a first application onto a first computer system, wherein the first application on the first computer system is substantially similar to a second application on a second computer system;

generating a command and an object corresponding to the alteration, the command and the object being generated as a function of the first application; and

replicating the alteration on the second application of the second computer system by executing the command and the object on the second computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alteration comprises at least one of an application data alteration and an application configuration alteration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object corresponding to the alteration is selected from the group consisting of a binary file, an ASCII-based file, a machine-independent characteristic, and a machine-dependent characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein executing the command and the object on the second computer system further comprises:

maintaining a current state of the second computer system;

deploying at least one of the binary file and the ASCII-based file on the second computer system;

applying the machine-independent characteristic on the second computer system;

adapting the machine-dependent characteristic to the second computer system; and

applying the machine-dependent characteristic on the second computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is selected from the group consisting of a create operation, a retrieve operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one alteration further comprises:

commencing at least one of installation and configuration of the first application onto the first computer system;

registering a first state of the first application;

completing the at least one of the installation and configuration;

registering a second state of the first application;

analyzing the first and the second states; and

identifying at least one alteration between the first and the second states.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system is a quality assurance system, and wherein the second computer system is a production system.

8. An apparatus for deploying a component onto a production computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a change analyzer for identifying at least one alteration associated with deployment of a first application onto a first computer system, wherein the first application on the first computer system is substantially similar to a second application on a second computer system;

a change description generator for generating a command and an object corresponding to the alteration, the command and the object being generated as a function of the first application; and

a change replication system for replicating the alteration on the second application of the second computer system by executing the command and the object on the second computer system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the alteration comprises at least one of an application data alteration and an application configuration alteration.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the object corresponding to the alteration is selected from the group consisting of a binary file, an ASCII-based file, a machine-independent characteristic, and a machine-dependent characteristic.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the command is selected from the group consisting of a create operation, a retrieve operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the change analyzer further comprises:

a state analyzer for registering a first state and a second state of the first application, wherein the first state is registered upon commencing at least one of installation and configuration of the first application onto the first computer system, and wherein the second state is registered upon completing the at least one of installation and configuration; and

a state difference generator for analyzing the first and the second states and identifying at least one alteration therebetween.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first computer system is a quality assurance system, and wherein the second computer system is a production system.

14. A computer program product for deploying a component onto a production computer system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising;

computer-usable program code for identifying at least one alteration associated with deployment of a first application onto a first computer system, wherein the first application on the first computer system is substantially similar to a second application on a second computer system;

computer-usable program code for generating a command and an object corresponding to the alteration, the command and the object being generated as a function of the first application; and

computer-usable program code for replicating the alteration on the second application of the second computer system by executing the command and the object on the second computer system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the alteration comprises at least one of an application data alteration and an application configuration alteration.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the object corresponding to the alteration is selected from the group consisting of a binary file, an ASCII-based file, a machine-independent characteristic, and a machine-dependent characteristic.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer-usable program code for replicating the alteration on the second application further comprises:

computer-usable program code for maintaining a current state of the second computer system;

computer-usable program code for deploying at least one of a binary file and an ASCII-based file on the second computer system;

computer-usable program code for applying a machine-independent characteristic on the second computer system;

computer-usable program code for adapting a machine-dependent characteristic to the second computer system; and

computer-usable program code for applying the machine-dependent characteristic on the second computer system.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the command is selected from the group consisting of a create operation, a retrieve operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer-usable program code for identifying the at least one alteration further comprises:

computer-usable program code for commencing at least one of installation and configuration of the first application onto the first computer system;

computer-usable program code for registering a first state of the first application;

computer-usable program code for completing the at least one of installation and configuration;

computer-usable program code for registering a second state of the first application;

computer-usable program code for analyzing the first and the second states; and

computer-usable program code for identifying at least one alteration between the first and the second states.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first computer system is a quality assurance system, and wherein the second computer system is a production system.