Software Updates Using Delta Patching

• US 20110113413A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: McGraw, William Harrison IV, Ewington, Craig Leslie, Farinella, Daniel, Twigg, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for software updates using delta patching are described. A first image representative of a first software stack and a second image representative of a second software stack may be combined into a compound image by a first computer. The first computer may compare the compound image and the first image to determine a difference between the compound image and the first image. The first computer may generate a file representative of the difference between the compound image and the first image, and data representative of the file representative of the difference between the compound image and the first image may be recorded to a computer-readable storage medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

combining into a compound image, by a first computer, a first image representative of a first software stack and a second image representative of a second software stack;

comparing, by the first computer, the compound image and the first image to determine a difference between the compound image and the first image;

generating, by the first computer, a file representative of the difference between the compound image and the first image; and

recording to a computer-readable storage medium data representing the file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, at the first computer, the first image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining, at the first computer, the first image and the second image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the file includes generating a metadata catalog identifying a correlation between a particular software component of the first image and a particular software component of the second image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

reading the recorded data representing the file;

and

transmitting the read data to a second computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing utilizes binary delta differencing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the file includes generating a task sequence for installation of the second image on a second computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, at the first computer, the second image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image are file-based disk image formats.

10. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method of:

combining into a compound image, by a first computer, a first image representative of a first software stack and a second image representative of a second software stack;

comparing, by the first computer, the compound image and the first image to determine a difference between the compound image and the first image;

generating, by the first computer, a file representative of the difference between the compound image and the first image; and

recording to a computer-readable storage medium data representing the file.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising generating, by the first computer, the first image.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising maintaining, at the first computer, the first image and the second image.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein generating the file includes generating a metadata catalog identifying a correlation between a particular software component of the first image and a particular software component of the second image.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising

reading the recorded data representing the file;

and

transmitting the read data to a second computer.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the comparing utilizes binary delta differencing.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein generating the file includes generating a task sequence for installation of the second image on a second computer.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising generating, at the first computer, the second image.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method of;

combining into a compound image, by a first computer, a first image representative of a first software stack and a second image representative of a second software stack;

comparing, by the first computer, the compound image and the first image to determine a difference between the compound image and the first image;

generating, by the first computer, a file representative of the difference between the compound image and the first image; and

recording to a computer-readable storage medium data representing the file.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein generating the file includes generating a metadata catalog identifying a correlation between a particular software component of the first image and a particular software component of the second image.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, the method further comprising:

reading the recorded data representing the file; and

transmitting the read data to a second computer.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein generating the file includes generating a task sequence for installation of the second image on a second computer.