METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

• US 20090265701A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fitoussi, Michael, Naslavsky, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method for platform-agnostic software installation involves obtaining a knowledge package, where the knowledge package includes guidelines for obtaining and installing software deliverables. The method further involves obtaining a profile, where the profile includes platform-agnostic data indicating a desired system state. The method further involves distributing the knowledge package and the profile to a first managed host and a second managed host, where the first managed host has a first operating system platform, and where the second managed host has a second operating system platform. The method further involves filtering the profile based on the knowledge package to obtain a first platform-specific profile for the first managed host and a second platform-specific profile for the second managed host, updating the first managed host to the desired system state using the first platform-specific profile, and updating the second managed host to the desired system state using the second platform-specific profile.

Claims

1. A method for platform-agnostic software installation, comprising:

obtaining a knowledge package, wherein the knowledge package comprises guidelines for obtaining and installing a plurality of software deliverables;

obtaining a profile, wherein the profile comprises platform-agnostic data indicating a desired system state;

distributing the knowledge package and the profile to a first managed host and a second managed host,

wherein the first managed host has a first operating system platform, and

wherein the second managed host has a second operating system platform;

filtering the profile based on the knowledge package to obtain a first platform-specific profile for the first managed host and a second platform-specific profile for the second managed host;

updating the first managed host to the desired system state using the first platform-specific profile; and

updating the second managed host to the desired system state using the second platform-specific profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a probe script for testing a condition of a managed host, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises conditionally executing an installation task based on the condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a pre-installation action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the pre-installation action prior to installing a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises an install set, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises installing all software deliverables selected from the plurality of software deliverables that are in the install set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a configuration action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the configuration action to configure a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a post-installation action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the post-installation action after installation of a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of software deliverables comprises software deliverables for at least one software package selected from a group consisting of an operating system, an operating system patch, an operating system update, a software application, a software application patch, and a software application update.

8. A computer system comprising:

a first managed host having a first operating system platform;

a second managed host having a second operating system platform;

an installation service configured to;

obtain a knowledge package, wherein the knowledge package comprises guidelines for obtaining and installing a plurality of software deliverables,

obtain a profile, wherein the profile comprises platform-agnostic data indicating a desired system state, and

distribute the knowledge package and the profile to the first managed host and the second managed host;

a first job agent configured to;

filter the profile based on the knowledge package to obtain a first platform-specific profile, and

update the first managed host to the desired system state using the first platform-specific profile; and

a second job agent configured to;

filter the profile based on the knowledge package to obtain a second platform-specific profile, and

update the second managed host to the desired system state using the second platform-specific profile.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a probe script for testing a condition of a managed host, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises conditionally executing an installation task based on the condition.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a pre-installation action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the pre-installation action prior to installing a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises an install set, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises installing all software deliverables selected from the plurality of software deliverables that are in the install set.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a configuration action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the configuration action to configure a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a post-installation action, and wherein updating the first managed host comprises performing the post-installation action after installing a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of software deliverables comprises software deliverables for at least one software package selected from a group consisting of an operating system, an operating system patch, an operating system update, a software application, a software application patch, and a software application update.

15. A system comprising:

means for obtaining a knowledge package, wherein the knowledge package comprises guidelines for obtaining and installing a plurality of software deliverables;

means for obtaining a profile, wherein the profile comprises platform-agnostic data indicating a desired system state;

means for distributing the knowledge package and the profile to a first managed host and a second managed host,

wherein the first managed host has a first operating system platform, and

wherein the second managed host has a second operating system platform;

means for filtering the profile based on the knowledge package to obtain a first platform-specific profile for the first managed host and a second platform-specific profile for the second managed host;

means for updating the first managed host to the desired system state using the first platform-specific profile; and

means for updating the second managed host to the desired system state using the second platform-specific profile.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a probe script for testing a condition of a managed host, and wherein the means for updating the first managed host comprise means for conditionally executing an installation task based on the condition.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a pre-installation action, and wherein the means for updating the first managed host comprise means for performing the pre-installation action prior to installing a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises an install set, and wherein the means for updating the first managed host comprise means for installing all software deliverables selected from the plurality of software deliverables that are in the install set.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a configuration action, and wherein the means for updating the first managed host comprise means for performing the configuration action to configure a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the platform-agnostic data comprises a post-installation action, and wherein the means for updating the first managed host comprise means for performing the post-installation action after installation of a software deliverable selected from the plurality of software deliverables.