SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIAGNOSTIC NOTIFICATION VIA PACKAGE UPDATE MANAGER

• US 20110214018A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: VIDAL, Seth Kelby, Antill, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for diagnostic notification via a package update manager. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user'"'"'s selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database and/or current state of the client machine. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, and the notification tool can re-analyze any potential faults after an update is completed.

Claims

1. A method of generating notifications associated with software package updates, comprising:

identifying a set of installed software packages on a client;

identifying a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client;

initiating the set of package updates;

identifying at least one potential fault condition related to the set of package updates by accessing at least a diagnostic database; and

generating a notification to a user of the client of the at least one potential fault condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline continued execution of at least one executing process associated with the set of package updates,

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying at least one potential fault condition comprises accessing a state of the client machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing the state of the client machine comprises accessing an event log generated by an operating system of the client machine.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the state of the client machine comprises at least one of a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine, or a storage state of the client machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one potential fault condition comprises at least one of a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault, or a security fault.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiating of the additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client comprises accessing a remote repository to download the set of package updates.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising—

identifying at least one additional potential fault condition related to the modified set of installed packages by accessing a diagnostic database; and

generating a notification to a user of the client of the at least one additional potential fault condition based on the modified set of installed packages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the client comprises at least one of a virtual machine or a physical machine.

11. A system for managing software package updates, comprising:

a data store storing a set of installed software packages on a client; and

a notification tool, configured to communicate with the data store and to—

identify a set of installed software packages on a client,

identify a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client,

initiate the set of package updates,

identify at least one potential fault condition related to the set of package updates by accessing at least a diagnostic database, and

generate a notification to a user of the client of the at least one potential fault condition.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline continued execution of at least one executing process associated with the set of package updates.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifying at least one potential fault condition comprises accessing a state of the client machine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein accessing the state of the client machine comprises accessing an event log generated by an operating system of the client machine.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the state of the client machine comprises at least one of a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine, or a storage state of the client machine.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one potential fault condition comprises at least one of a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault, or a security fault.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification tool is further configured to initiate an additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the initiating of the additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client comprises accessing a remote repository to download the set of package updates.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the notification tool is further configured to—

identify at least one additional potential fault condition related to the modified set of installed packages by accessing a diagnostic database, and

generate a notification to a user of the client of the at least one additional potential fault condition based on the modified set of installed packages.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the client comprises at least one of a virtual machine or a physical machine.