METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A DEMO APPLIANCE AND MIGRATING THE DEMO APPLIANCE TO A PRODUCTION APPLIANCE

• US 20090300584A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Faus, Norman L., Ferris, James Michael, Huff, David P., Kearney, Bryan M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,032,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

An appliance support module can be configured to receive a request to build a demo software appliance from a user. The appliance support module can be configured to build the demo appliance and to include configuration data in demo software appliance. The appliance support module can be configured to receive a request to migrate the demo software appliance to a production software appliance. The appliance support module can be configured to migrate the demo software appliance by modifying the configuration data in order to provide full functionality to the demo software appliance that was previously limited. The appliance support module can also receive a request to scale the production software appliances. The appliance support module can scale the production software appliance by dividing the applications contained in the production software appliances into separate software appliance.

Claims

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

receiving a request for a demo software appliance, the request comprising functionality to be performed by the demo software appliance; and

building the demo software appliance, the demo software appliance comprising;

at least one application capable of performing the functionality,

portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application, and

configuration data utilized by the at least one application and the portions of the operating system, wherein the configuration data limits the functionality of the demo software appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, farther comprising:

providing the demo software appliance to a requester of the demo software appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the demo software appliance comprises a binary image of data embodying the demo software appliance.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to migrate the demo software appliance to a production software appliance, the production software appliance including the functionality limited in the demo software appliance; and

migrating the demo software appliance to the production software appliance by modifying the configuration data to allow the functionality limited in the demo software appliance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the modified configuration data comprises requester specific configuration data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein migrating the demo software appliance to the production software appliance comprises transmitting the modified configuration data to the demo software appliance.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request to scale the production software appliance, wherein the production software appliance comprises a plurality of applications;

building separate production software appliances for one or more of the plurality of applications, wherein each of the separate production software appliances comprises;

a set of the plurality of applications;

portions of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the set of the plurality of applications; and

a portion of the configuration data utilized by the set of the plurality of applications and the portions of the operating system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

modifying the configuration data to include additional data utilized by the separate production software appliances to operate together to perform the functionality.

9. A system for providing software, comprising:

a network interface to at least one network; and

an application support module, communicating with the network interface, the application support module being configured to

receive a request for a demo software appliance, the request comprising functionality to be performed by the demo software appliance; and

build the demo software appliance, the demo software appliance comprising;

at least one application capable of performing the functionality;

portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application; and

configuration data utilized by the at least one application and the portions of the operating system, wherein the configuration data limits the functionality of the demo software appliance.

10. The system of claim 9, the application support module being further configured to

provide the demo software appliance to a requester of the demo software appliance.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the demo software appliance comprises a binary image of data embodying the demo software appliance.

12. The system of claim 9, tie application support module being further configured to

receive a request to migrate the demo software appliance to a production software appliance, the production software appliance including the functionality limited in the demo software appliance;

and

migrate the demo software appliance to the production software appliance by modifying the configuration data to allow the functionality limited in the demo software appliance.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the modified configuration data comprises requester specific configuration data.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein migrating the demo software appliance to the production software appliance comprises transmitting the modified configuration data to the demo software appliance.

15. The system of claim 12, the application support module being further configured to

receive a request to scale the production software appliance, wherein the production software appliance comprises a plurality of applications;

build separate production software appliances for one or more of the plurality of applications, wherein each of the separate production software appliances comprises;

a set of the plurality of applications;

portions of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the set of the plurality of applications; and

a portion of the configuration data utilized by the set of the plurality of applications and the portions of the operating system.

16. The system of claim 15, the application support module being further configured to modify the configuration data to include additional data utilized by the separate production software appliances to operate together to perform the functionality.

17. A software appliance, the software appliance being generated by the method comprising:

receiving a request for a demo software appliance, the request comprising functionality to be performed by the demo software appliance; and

building the demo software appliance, the demo software appliance comprising;

at least one application capable of performing the functionality,

portions of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the at least one application; and

configuration data utilized by the at least one application and the portions of the operating system, wherein the configuration data limits the functionality of the demo software appliance.

18. The software appliance of claim 17, further comprising:

providing the demo software appliance to a requester of the demo software appliance.

19. The software appliance of claim 17, wherein the demo software appliance comprises a binary image of data embodying the demo software appliance.

20. The software appliance of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request to migrate the demo software appliance to a production software appliance, the production software appliance including the functionality limited in the demo software appliance; and

migrating the demo software appliance to the production software appliance by modifying the configuration data to allow the functionality limited in the demo software appliance.

21. The software appliance of claim 20, wherein the modified configuration data comprises requester specific configuration data.

22. The software appliance of claim 20, wherein migrating the demo software appliance to the production software appliance comprises transmitting the modified configuration data to the demo software appliance.

23. The software appliance of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a request to scale the production software appliance, wherein the production software appliance comprises a plurality of applications;

building separate production software appliances for one or more of the plurality of applications, wherein each of the separate production software appliances comprises;

a set of the plurality of applications;

portions of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the set of the plurality of applications; and

a portion of the configuration data utilized by the set of the plurality of applications and the portions of the operating system.

24. The software appliance of claim 23, further comprising:

modifying the configuration data to include additional data utilized by the separate production software appliances to operate together to perform the functionality.