METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A SOFTWARE APPLIANCE BASED ON A ROLE

• US 20090222808A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Huff, David P., Faus, Norman Lee, Kearney, Bryan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

An appliance module can be configured to provide software appliances to users. The appliance module can be configured to provide the software appliances based on a role desired by the users. The role can be the desired functionality to be provided by the software appliance. To achieve this, the appliance module can be configured to receive a request for a software appliance. Based on the request, the appliance module can be configured to determine a software appliance that includes one or more applications that meets the role set forth in the request and just enough operating system to support the one or more applications. The appliance module can be configured to provide the software appliance to the requesting user.

Claims

1. A method of providing software, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a software appliance, the request comprising a role to be performed by the software appliance;

determining the software appliance, the software appliance comprising at least one application capable of performing the role and portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application; and

providing the software appliance to an initiator of the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the software appliance further comprises appending identifying information of the initiator to the software appliance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the software appliance comprises:

locating a pre-determined software appliance in a repository, the pre-determined software appliance comprising the at least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application capable of performing the role; and

appending the identifying information of the initiator to the pre-determined software appliance.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the software appliance comprises:

locating the at least one application capable of performing the role in a repository;

locating the portions of the operating system necessary to provide execution platform for the at least one application in the repository;

combining the located at least one application and the located portions of the operating system to from the software appliance; and

appending the identifying information of the initiator to the software appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the software appliance is a binary image of data embodying the software appliance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

storing the binary image in a repository; and

providing a link to a location of the binary image in the repository.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

transmitting the binary image to the initiator of the request.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

storing the binary image on a computer readable medium.

9. An apparatus for providing a software, the apparatus comprising:

a program interface adapted to receive a request for a software appliance, the request comprising a role to be performed by the software appliance;

a repository, the repository configured to store at least one application capable of performing the role and portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application;

a control module coupled to the program interface and the repository, the control module configured to locate the at least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application; and

a building module coupled to the control module, the building module configured to determine the software appliance, wherein the software appliance comprises at the least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the program interface is further adapted to provide the software appliance to an initiator of the request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is further configured to retrieve identifying information of the initiator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control module is further configured to locate a pre-determined software appliance in a repository, the pre-determined software appliance comprising the at least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application capable of performing the role;

and

wherein the building module is further configured to append the identifying information of the initiator to the pre-determined software appliance.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control module is further configured to locate the at least one application capable of performing the role in a repository and locate the portions of an operating system necessary to provide execution platform for the at least one application in the repository;

and

wherein the building module is further configured to combine the located at least one application and the located portions of the operating system to from the software appliance and append the identifying information of the initiator to the software appliance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program interface is further adapted to provide a link to a location of a binary image of data embodying the software appliance in a repository.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program interface is further adapted to transmit a binary image of data embodying the software appliance to an initiator of the request.

16. A system for developing providing software, the system comprising:

a network configured to provide a communication channel for a plurality of users; and

a web service portal coupled to the network and configured to provide products and services to the plurality of users, wherein the web-service portal further comprises;

a program interface adapted to receive a request for a software appliance, the request comprising a role to be performed by the software appliance;

a repository, the repository configured to store at least one application capable of performing the role and portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application;

a control module coupled to the program interface and the repository, the control module configured to locate the at least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application; and

a building module coupled to the control module, the building module configured to determine the software appliance, wherein the software appliance comprises at the least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the program interface is further adapted to provide the software appliance to an initiator of the request.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control module is further configured to retrieve identifying information of the initiator.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control module is further configured to locate a pre-determined software appliance in a repository, the pre-determined software appliance comprising the at least one application capable of performing the role and the portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application capable of performing the role;

and

wherein the building module is further configured to append the identifying information of the initiator to the pre-determined software appliance.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the control module is further configured to locate the at least one application capable of performing the role in a repository and locate the portions of an operating system necessary to provide execution platform for the at least application in the repository;

and

wherein the building module is further configured to combine the located at least one application and the located portions of the operating system to from the software appliance and append the identifying information of the initiator to the software appliance.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the program interface is further adapted to provide a link to a location of a binary image of data embodying the software appliance in a repository.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the program interface is further adapted to transmit a binary image of data embodying the software appliance to an initiator of the request.