METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING UPDATE MODULES FOR COMPUTER SOFTWARE OVER A NETWORK

• US 20090271777A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied OLAP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied OLAP Incorporated
• Inventors: Tate, Amelia C., Tow, Timothy N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for distributing update modules for computer software has been developed. The method includes requesting and receiving a list of updated software modules stored on a network server. The user then determines if each updated module is presently installed on the user'"'"'s system. If the updated module is not installed, the user requests a runtime artifact from the server for the module which is then installed on the user'"'"'s system.

Claims

1. A method for distributing update modules for computer software, comprising:

sending a first query request from a network client for a list of update modules stored on a server;

receiving the first query request at the server and sending a response to the network client comprising a list of update modules stored on a server;

testing to determine if each update module is installed on the network client;

sending a second query request to the server from the network client for a runtime artifact for an update module that is not installed on the network client;

receiving the second query request at the server and sending a response to the network client comprising a runtime artifact for the updated module that is not installed on the network client; and

installing the runtime artifacts in corresponding runtime directories on the network client.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first query request, second query request, and responses are transported via HTTP/S in XML format.

3. The method of claim 1, where the installation of an update module on the network is determined by checking the existence of a metadata directory.

4. The method of claim 3, where the installation of an update module on the network is further determined by checking the checksum values of the update module match a module manifest file.

5. The method of claim 1, where the runtime artifact comprises a tenant field that uniquely defines a set of metadata for the update module.

6. The method of claim 1, where the runtime artifact comprises a category field that identifies the category of metadata for the update module.

7. The method of claim 1, where the runtime artifact comprises an identification field that is a unique name for an object in a category of metadata for the update module.

8. The method of claim 1, where the runtime artifact comprises an version that is a sequential version number for the runtime artifact.

9. The method of claim 1, where the runtime artifact is a compressed, base 64-encoded representation of the original file.

10. A method for storing updated modules for computer software, comprising:

creating a runtime artifact for the updated module comprising metadata and a unique checksum;

encoding the runtime artifact in a data string;

transporting the runtime artifact to a server;

storing the runtime artifact on a relational database located on the server; and

confirming the successful storage of the runtime artifact to a user.

11. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact is transported to the server via HTTP/S in XML format.

12. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact comprises a tenant field that uniquely defines a set of metadata for the update module.

13. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact comprises a category field that identifies the category of metadata for the update module.

14. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact comprises an identification field that is a unique name for an object in a category of metadata for the update module.

15. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact comprises an version that is a sequential version number for the runtime artifact.

16. The method of claim 10, where the runtime artifact is a compressed, base 64-encoded representation of the original file.