Deployment of a Solution Artifact to a Client Application

• US 20100042604A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hua, Jiajun, Mechelke, Thomas Alexander Josef, Croicu, Alexandru
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for deploying a solution artifact to a client-side application. In one method, an instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program is received. Upon receiving the instruction, a determination is made whether a package associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program was generated. Upon determining that the package was generated, a determination is made whether the package is current. Upon determining that the package is not current or that the package was not generated, the package is generated based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program. Upon determining that the package is current or upon generating the package, the package is deployed to the client-side application program.

Claims

1. A method for deploying a server-side solution artifact to a client-side application program, comprising:

receiving an instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program;

upon receiving the instruction, determining whether a package associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program was generated;

upon determining that the package was generated, determining whether the package is current;

upon determining that the package is not current or that the package was not generated, generating the package based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program; and

upon determining that the package is current or upon generating the package, deploying the package to the client-side application program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution artifact comprises a list or a form.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client-side application program is incapable of accessing the solution artifact.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing the solution artifact comprises at least one of viewing, interfacing with, or modifying the solution artifact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program comprises receiving, through a server-side user interface, the instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program comprises receiving, through a client-side user interface, the instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a package associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program was generated comprises querying a package database to determine whether the package database contains the package.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the package is current comprises:

determining a first date at which the package was generated;

determining a second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

determining whether the first date at which the package was generated is before the second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

upon determining that the first date is before the second date, determining that the package is not current; and

upon determining that the first date is not before the second date, determining that the package is current.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the package based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program comprises:

generating application-specific metadata files associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files configured to be accessed by the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files containing the same data as provided in the solution artifact; and

generating a solution manifest, the solution manifest enabling the client-side application program to install the application-specific metadata files.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein deploying the package to the client-side application program comprises providing the package to the client-side application program via a web server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second instruction to deploy the solution artifact to a second client-side application program;

upon receiving the second instruction, determining whether a second package associated with the solution artifact and the second client-side application program was generated;

upon determining that the second package was generated, determining whether the second package is current;

upon determining that the second package is not current or that the second package was not generated, generating the second package based on the solution artifact and the second client-side application program; and

upon determining that the second package is current or upon generating the second package, deploying the second package to the second client-side application program.

12. A method for deploying a server-side solution artifact to a client-side application program, comprising:

receiving an instruction to take the solution artifact offline, the solution artifact (120) comprising web-based data accessible through a web browser;

upon receiving the instruction, determining whether a package associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program was generated, the client-side application program being incapable of at accessing the solution artifact;

upon determining that the package associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program was generated, determining whether the package is current by comparing a first date at which the package was generated with a second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

upon determining that the package is not current or that the package was not generated, generating the package based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program; and

upon determining that the package is current or upon generating the package, deploying the package to the client-side application program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the solution artifact comprises a list or a form.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving an instruction to take the solution artifact offline comprises receiving, through a server-side user interface, the instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving an instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program comprises receiving, through a client-side user interface, the instruction to deploy the solution artifact to the client-side application program.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the package is current by comparing a first date at which the package was generated with a second date at which the solution artifact was last updated comprises:

determining whether the first date at which the package was generated is before the second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

upon determining that the first date is before the second date, determining that the package is not current; and

upon determining that the first date is not before the second date, determining that the package is current.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the package based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program comprises:

generating application-specific metadata files associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files configured to be accessed by the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files containing the same data as provided in the solution artifact; and

generating a solution manifest, the solution manifest enabling the client-side application program to install the application-specific metadata files.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein deploying the package to the client-side application program comprises transmitting to the client-side application program a uniform resource locator (URL) for retrieving the package, and wherein the client-side application program, upon retrieving the package, executes the solution manifest to install the application-specific metadata files on the client-side application program.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, over a network, an instruction to take a solution artifact offline, the solution artifact comprising a web-based list or form accessible through a web browser;

upon receiving the instruction, determine whether a package associated with the solution artifact and a client-side application program was generated, the client-side application program being incapable of at viewing, interfacing with, and modifying the solution artifact;

upon determining that the package was generated, determine whether the package is current by comparing a first date at which the package was generated with a second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

upon determining that the package is not current or that the package was not generated, generate the package based on the solution artifact and the client-side application program, the package comprising application-specific metadata files and a solution manifest, the application-specific metadata files associated with the solution artifact and the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files configured to be accessed by the client-side application program, the application-specific metadata files containing the same data as provided in the solution artifact, the solution manifest enabling the client-side application program to install the applications-specific metadata files on the client-side application program; and

upon determining that the package is current or upon generating the package, deploy, over the network, the package to the client-side application program.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein to determine whether the package is current by comparing a first date at which the package was generated with a second date at which the solution artifact was last updated, the computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, further cause the computer to:

determine whether the first date at which the package was generated is before the second date at which the solution artifact was last updated;

upon determining that the first date is before the second date, determine that the package is not current; and

upon determining that the first date is not before the second date, determine that the package is current.