USING SOFTWARE STATE TRACKING INFORMATION TO ENACT GRANULAR UPDATE ROLLBACK

• US 20100318986A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: CAMPION, NICHOLAS F., BURKE, MICHAEL R., PETERSON, JOSEPH H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide the ability to determine whether a particular application may be safely added to a client computing device. Further, embodiments of the invention also allow for performing a rollback operation on clients experiencing a decrease of performance due to an addition of new software. For example, after a client updates to a new piece of software, a server may monitor the performance of the first client by analyzing a plurality of updates received from the first client. Each update may include a performance indicator. Using the updates, the server may detect a decrease in the performance of the first client. Upon detecting the decrease in the performance, the server may initiate a rollback to a previous state on the first client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for performing a rollback operation on a first client device, comprising:

receiving a request to install a first application program on the first client device;

identifying a first set of one or more application programs currently installed on the first client device;

determining whether a combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs has been installed on a second client device;

upon determining the combination has not been installed on a second client device, installing the first application program on the first client device;

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device following the installation of the first application program; and

upon determining a decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeds a specified threshold, sending a message to the first client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message instructs the first client device to uninstall the first application program.

3. The computer-implemented of claim 1, further comprising, recording in an application state database, an indication that the combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

4. The computer-implemented of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to install the first application on a third client device;

identifying a second set of one or more application programs currently installed on the third client device; and

upon determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs, notifying a user of the third client device that the first application installed in combination with of the second set of application programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

5. The computer-implemented of claim 4, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the third client device.

6. The computer-implemented of claim 4, wherein determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs comprises:

matching a version of each application program in the first set of applications with a corresponding version of the application in the second set of applications.

7. The computer-implemented of claim 1, wherein the first client device and the second client device each share a common hardware platform, each having at least a processor and a memory.

8. The computer-implemented of claim 1, wherein the monitored performance metrics include at least one of memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.

9. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs a rollback operation on a first client device, the operation comprising:

receiving a request to install a first application program on the first client device;

identifying a first set of one or more application programs currently installed on the first client device;

determining whether a combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs has been installed on a second client device;

upon determining the combination has not been installed on a second client device, installing the first application program on the first client device;

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device following the installation of the first application program; and

upon determining a decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeds a specified threshold, sending a message to the first client device.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the message instructs the first client device to uninstall the first application program.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises, recording in an application state database, an indication that the combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a request to install the first application on a third client device;

identifying a second set of one or more application programs currently installed on the third client device; and

upon determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs, notifying a user of the third client device that the first application installed in combination with of the second set of application programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the third client device.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs comprises:

matching a version of each application program in the first set of applications with a corresponding version of the application in the second set of applications.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first client device and the second client device each share a common hardware platform, each having at least a processor and a memory.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the monitored performance metrics include at least one of memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the processor performs a rollback operation on a first client device, the operation comprising;

receiving a request to install a first application program on the first client device;

identifying a first set of one or more application programs currently installed on the first client device;

determining whether a combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs has been installed on a second client device;

upon determining the combination has not been installed on a second client device, installing the first application program on the first client device;

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device following the installation of the first application program; and

upon determining a decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeds a specified threshold, sending a message to the first client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the message instructs the first client device to uninstall the first application program.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operation further comprises, recording in an application state database, an indication that the combination of the first application program and the set of one or more programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a request to install the first application on a third client device;

identifying a second set of one or more application programs currently installed on the third client device; and

upon determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs, notifying a user of the third client device that the first application installed in combination with of the second set of application programs resulted in the decrease in the one or more performance metrics exceeding the specified threshold.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the third client device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein determining that the first set of applications matches the second set of application programs comprises:

matching a version of each application program in the first set of applications with a corresponding version of the application in the second set of applications.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the first client device and the second client device each share a common hardware platform, each having at least a processor and a memory.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitored performance metrics include at least one of memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.