SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING REAL-TIME UPDATES RELATED TO IN-USE ARTIFACTS IN A SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130212562A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonatype
• Original Assignee: Sonatype
• Inventors: Fox, Brian Edward, Orlina, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/72 Code refactoring

Abstract

An artifact update notification system that includes a server computer and client computer is discussed and described. The server computer stores artifact preferences, determined according to objective and subjective criteria, of artifact characteristics. The client computer executes a software development environment that makes use of a software artifact. The server computer and client computer interact to perform an update cycle. The update cycle includes the server computer communicating to the client computer whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences. If there has been an actionable change to the software artifact, the client computer performs an update action in the software development environment in response to the actionable change. A related artifact update notification method is also described, as is a computer-readable storage medium that includes instructions for operation of a computer to execute a related artifact update notification method.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a client computer and a server computer, related to a software artifact used in a software development environment operating on the client computer, the method comprising:

storing in the server computer, artifact preferences, determined according to objective and subjective criteria, of artifact characteristics;

performing an update cycle, including

the server computer communicating to the client computer whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences; and

when the server computer communicates that there is an actionable change to the software artifact, the client computer performing an update action in the software development environment in response to the actionable change.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the update cycle is performed in based on a polling from the client computer of the server computer related to whether there has been an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the polling by the client computer is performed repeatedly at regular time intervals.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the polling by the client computer is performed at the onset of a triggering event.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the software development environment is one of an integrated development environment (IDE), a continuous integration (CI) system, and a repository management application.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the actionable change includes one of an introduction of an updated version of the artifact itself or one of the artifact'"'"'s dependencies and a change in security vulnerabilities of the software artifact.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the update action includes one or more of the following:

providing a notification of the actionable change,

blocking further use of the software artifact in the software development environment until an indication acknowledging awareness of the actionable change is received by the client computer, and

replacing the artifact.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the update action is determined according to a rules engine stored in the client computer, the rules engine associating particular update actions with particular actionable changes and with particular software development environments.

9. A system, comprising:

a server computer that stores artifact preferences, determined according to objective and subjective criteria, of artifact characteristics; and

a client computer that executes a software development environment, the software development environment making use of a software artifact, wherein

an update cycle is performed by the client computer and the server computer, including

the server computer communicating to the client computer whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences; and

when the server computer communicates that there is an actionable change to the software artifact, the client computer performing an update action in the software development environment in response to the actionable change.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the client computer and the server computer perform the update cycle based on a polling of the server computer by the client computer as to whether there has been an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein

the polling by the client computer is performed repeatedly at regular time intervals.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein

the polling by the client computer is performed at the onset of a triggering event.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the software development environment is one of an integrated development environment (IDE), a continuous integration (CI) system, and a repository management application.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the actionable change includes one of an introduction of an updated version of the artifact itself or one of the artifact'"'"'s dependencies and a change in security vulnerabilities of the software artifact.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the update action includes one or more of the following:

providing a notification of the actionable change,

blocking further use of the software artifact in the software development environment until an indication acknowledging awareness of the actionable change is received by the client computer, and

replacing the artifact.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the update action is determined according to a rules engine stored in the client computer, the rules engine associating particular update actions with particular actionable changes and with particular software development environment.

17. A computer readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a client computer, connected over a network with a server computer storing artifact preferences, determined according to objective and subjective criteria of artifact characteristics, performs a method related to a software artifact used in a software development environment operating on the client computer, the method comprising:

polling the server computer as to whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences;

receiving from the server computer an indication whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences; and

when the server computer communicates that there is an actionable change to the software artifact, performing an update action in the software development environment in response to the actionable change.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein:

the software development environment is one of an integrated development environment (IDE), a continuous integration (CI) system, and a repository management application.

19. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein:

the polling, the retrieving, and when so indicated, the performing the update action in the software development environment are performed repeatedly at regular time intervals

20. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein:

the polling, the retrieving, and when so indicated, the performing the update action in the software development environment are performed at the onset of a triggering event.

21. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein

the actionable change includes one of an introduction of an updated version of the artifact itself or one of the artifact'"'"'s dependencies and a change in security vulnerabilities of the software artifact.

22. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the update action includes one or more of the following:

providing a notification of the actionable change,

blocking further use of the software artifact in the software development environment until an indication acknowledging awareness of the actionable change is received by the client computer, and

replacing the artifact.

23. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein

the update action is determined according to a rules engine stored in the client computer, the rules engine associating particular update actions with particular actionable changes and with particular software development environment.