Computer-Readable Medium, Apparatus, and Methods of Automatic Capability Installation

• US 20120185840A1
• Filed: 01/17/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BladeLogic Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VaraLogix Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Fuller, Robin, Senner, Joe, Wall, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive an installation request from a remote device through a communication channel to update a software component associated with the processor. The processor identifies a capability library component that will be used to perform at least a portion of the installation request and retrieves and uses the capability library component from a local data store to perform the portion of the installation request if the local data store includes the capability library component. The processor requests the capability library component from the remote device if the local data store does not include the capability library component.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive an installation request from a remote device through a communication channel to update a software component associated with the processor;

identify a capability library component that will be used to perform at least a portion of the installation request;

retrieve and execute the capability library component from a local data store to perform the portion of the installation request if the local data store includes the capability library component; and

request the capability library component from the remote device if the local data store does not include the capability library component.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein, if the local data store does not include the capability library component, the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive the capability library component from the remote device;

store the capability library component in the local data store; and

retrieve and execute the capability library component from the local data store to perform the portion of the installation request.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the installation request comprises one or more instructions to perform at least one of an installation operation, an upgrade operation, a modification operation, and a removal operation associated with one of an application, a service, or a configuration.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the installation request comprises a request to roll back installation from a current state to a prior state.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to retrieve and execute the capability library component further comprises instructions that, if the local data store includes the capability library component, cause the processor to:

send an acknowledgment to the remote device, the acknowledgment indicating a version of the capability library component retrieved from the local data store.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

wait for a response from the remote device; and

process the installation request based on the response.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the response comprises a newer version of the capability library component.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

install the newer version of the capability library component in the local data store;

load the newer version of the capability library component; and

process the installation request using the newer version of the capability library component.

9. A method comprising:

receiving an installation request at a computing system from a remote device through a communication channel;

automatically identifying a capability library component that will be used to perform at least a portion of the installation request;

sending data indicating a version of the capability library component to the remote device if the capability library component is in a local data store;

receiving a signal from the remote device; and

selectively processing the installation request in response to the signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal comprises a newer version of the capability library component.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively processing the installation request further comprises:

extracting the newer version of the capability library component from the signal;

storing the newer version of the capability library component in the local data store; and

processing the installation request using the newer version in response to receiving the signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, if the local data store does not include the capability library component, the method further comprises:

requesting the capability library component from the remote device;

receiving the capability library component from the remote device through the communication channel in response to requesting the capability library component; and

processing the installation request using the capability library component in response to receiving the capability library component.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the installation request comprises an instructions to install at least one of a new service, a new application, and an update to provide a new capability.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second request from the remote device;

identifying a second capability library component to perform at least a portion of the second request;

retrieving the second capability library component from the local data store if the local data store includes the second capability library component;

requesting the second capability library component from the remote device if the local data store does not include the capability library component; and

processing the second request using the second capability library component to remove a previous installation and to restore the computing system to a previous state.

15. An apparatus comprising:

an interface adapted to couple to a network;

a processing system coupled to the interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing system and configured to store a plurality of capability library components and at least one of an application and a set of instructions for providing a service, the memory embodying instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to;

receive an installation request to install at least one of a second application from a remote device via the interface, a second set of instructions, an updated version of the second application, and an updated version of the set of instructions;

determine a capability library component for processing the installation request;

retrieve the capability library component from one of the remote device and the plurality of capability library components; and

process the installation request using the capability library component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to retrieve the capability library component, comprise instructions that cause the processing system to:

search the plurality of capability library components to identify the capability library component for processing the installation request; and

loading and executing the capability library component to process the installation request when the capability library component is within the plurality of capability library components.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to retrieve the capability library component, further comprise instructions that cause the processing system to:

request the capability library component from the remote device if the capability library component is not within the plurality of capability library components;

receive the capability library component from the remote device; and

store the capability library component in the plurality of capability library components.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to retrieve the capability library component further comprise instructions that cause the processing system to:

load the capability library component; and

process the installation request using the capability library component.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to retrieve the capability library component, comprise instructions that cause the processing system to:

receive a second request to remove a previous installation to restore the processing system to previous known state;

determine a second capability library component for processing the second request;

retrieve the second capability library component from one of the remote device and the plurality of capability library components; and

process the second request using the second capability library component to remove the previous installation.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to receive the installation request cause the processing system to receive the installation request through a secure communication channel.