Software Update Techniques

• US 20090210868A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Srivatsan
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

Software update techniques are described. In at least one implementation, updates are filtered based on criticality to operation of one or more items of software. A plurality of identities are published to a plurality of computing devices, each for a respective one of the updates that are filtered as being critical to the operation of the one or more items of software. The updates that are not filtered as being critical to the operation of the one or more items of software are made available via polling.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a request at a computing device to initiate execution of software;

ascertaining an identity that indicates a unique name and version of the software;

comparing the ascertained identity of the software with one or more published said identities that are pre-cached at the computing device to determine whether the software is current; and

when the software is not current, blocking execution of the software on the computing device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

each of the published said identities correspond to an update; and

the update is not available locally on the computing device when the comparison is performed.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each of the published said identities correspond to an update that is determined to be critical to the operation of the computing device.

4. A method as described in claim 3, further comprising polling for at least one update that is not determined to be critical to the operation of the computing device and is not referenced by the one or more published said identities.

5. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the published said identities include one or more security updates.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the version includes a first part that indicates a functionality version that describes features of the software and a servicing version which indicates compatible bug fixes including security fixes that were installed for the software.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the ascertaining is performed by checking a manifest that is included as a part of the software.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the ascertaining is performed by checking a manifest that includes identities of a plurality of software that is installed on the computing device.

9. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising when the software is current, permitting execution of the software on the computing device.

10. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising when the identity of the software does not correspond to the published said identities, permitting execution of the software on the computing device.

11. A method comprising:

filtering updates based on criticality to operation of one or more items of software;

publishing a plurality of identities, each for a respective one of the updates that are filtered as being critical to the operation of the one or more items of software to a plurality of computing devices; and

making the updates that are not filtered as being critical to the operation of the one or more items of software available via polling.

12. A method as described in claim 11, wherein publishing of the plurality of identities is performed such that respective said updates are not included with the plurality of identities.

13. A method as described in claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices receives the published plurality of identities regardless of whether respective said computing devices include software that corresponds to the published plurality of identities.

14. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the published plurality of identities causes at least one said computing device that includes a respective said item of software that is not current, according to a respective said identifier, to be blocked from execution on the computing device.

15. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the published plurality of identities causes at least one said computing device that includes a respective said item of software that is not current, according to a respective said identifier, to install a respective said update.

16. One or more computer-readable media including instructions that are executable on a computing device to provide an operating system having an update manager module that is executable to:

determine whether software is current using one or more identities that are published to indicate updates that are determined to be critical to operation of the computing device; and

poll for one or more updates that are not determined to be critical to the operation of the computing device and are not referenced by the one or more identities that are published.

17. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the update manager module is executable to perform the determination when execution of the software is requested.

18. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the software is an application, component of the operating system or a plug-in module.

19. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the updates that are determined to be critical relate to security.

20. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 16, wherein the update manager module is executable to perform the poll at predetermined intervals.