SCHEMA SPECIFICATION TO IMPROVE PRODUCT CONSUMABILITY ON INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION, AND/OR UN-INSTALLATION ACTIVITY

• US 20110302570A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kurimilla, Madhu, Rao, Nooli Vamsi K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation

Abstract

Provided are techniques for retrieving a universal schema specification file that defines a structure of a product specific data set, retrieving the product specific data set that defines a specific configuration for a version of a product, validating the product specific data set using the universal schema specification file, and using the validated product specific data set and a product specific installable to automatically install the version of the product with the specific configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

retrieving, using a computer including a processor, a universal schema specification file that defines a structure of a product specific data set;

retrieving the product specific data set that defines a specific configuration for a version of a product;

validating the product specific data set using the universal schema specification file; and

using the validated product specific data set and a product specific installable to automatically install the version of the product with the specific configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the validated product specific data set to automatically configure the version of the product.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the validated product specific data set to automatically un-install the version of the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal schema specification defines, for a product, a product name, a version identifier, an operating system name, supported hardware, and one or more pre-requisite software products.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the universal schema specification defines for the product pre-configuration settings for a local installation and a remote installation with installation steps and post-configuration settings for the local installation and the remote installation, and installation verification steps.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal schema specification defines un-installation steps, fix pack install and un-install steps, and an un-install product.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal schema specification defines known issues and solutions, latest issues and solutions, and latest information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a product specific document for use in manually installing, configuring, and un-installing the version of the product.

9. A system, comprising:

hardware logic performing operations, the operations comprising;

retrieving a universal schema specification file that defines a structure of a product specific data set;

retrieving the product specific data set that defines a specific configuration for a version of a product;

validating the product specific data set using the universal schema specification file; and

using the validated product specific data set and a product specific installable to automatically install the version of the product with the specific configuration.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

using the validated product specific data set to automatically configure the version of the product.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

using the validated product specific data set to automatically un-install the version of the product.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the universal schema specification defines, for a product, a product name, a version identifier, an operating system name, supported hardware, and one or more pre-requisite software products.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the universal schema specification defines for the product pre-configuration settings for a local installation and a remote installation with installation steps and post-configuration settings for the local installation and the remote installation, and installation verification steps.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the universal schema specification defines un-installation steps, fix pack install and un-install steps, and an un-install product.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the universal schema specification defines known issues and solutions, latest issues and solutions, and latest information.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a product specific document for use in manually installing, configuring, and un-installing the version of the product.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed by a processor on a computer causes the computer to:

retrieve a universal schema specification file that defines a structure of a product specific data set;

retrieve the product specific data set that defines a specific configuration for a version of a product;

validate the product specific data set using the universal schema specification file; and

use the validated product specific data set and a product specific installable to automatically install the version of the product with the specific configuration.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed by the processor on the computer causes the computer to:

use the validated product specific data set to automatically configure the version of the product.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed by the processor on the computer causes the computer to:

using the validated product specific data set to automatically un-install the version of the product.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the universal schema specification defines, for a product, a product name, a version identifier, an operating system name, supported hardware, and one or more pre-requisite software products.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the universal schema specification defines for the product pre-configuration settings for a local installation and a remote installation with installation steps and post-configuration settings for the local installation and the remote installation, and installation verification steps.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the universal schema specification defines un-installation steps, fix pack install and un-install steps, and an un-install product.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the universal schema specification defines known issues and solutions, latest issues and solutions, and latest information.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed by the processor on the computer causes the computer to:

generate a product specific document for use in manually installing, configuring, and un-installing the version of the product.