SYSTEMS AND MEHTODS FOR GENERATING PREDICTIVE DIAGNOSTICS VIA PACKAGE UPDATE MANAGER

• US 20110214112A1
• 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: Antill, James, Vidal, Seth Kelby
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1479 Generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating predictive diagnostics 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, a current state of the client machine, and/or other resources. 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, before those updates are attempted and cause potential conflicts.

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;

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 before initiating the set of package updates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline installation of 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 the 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 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 generating notifications associated with 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 the client,

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

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 before initiating the set of package updates.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline installation of 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 the 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 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.