SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING APPLICATION ARCHIVE FILES

• US 20130332916A1
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chinn, Paul William, Carlson, Eric Olaf, Birse, Cameron Stuart, Mensch, James, Misra, Ronnie
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for updating software applications installed on client computing devices, creating a manifest file describing the differences between multiple versions of application archives present in an application distribution system, and coordinating an update process for updating the applications on the client computing devices are disclosed. A scheme of hard-linking to existing files, downloading new files, and erasing unwanted files can be used.

Claims

1. A method for updating an application installed in a computing device, the method comprising:

comparing, in an application distribution system, a first version of an application resident on said application distribution system with a received updated version of the application;

creating, in the application distribution system, a manifest file describing differences between the first version of the application and the received updated version of the application;

said manifest file including pointers to;

files that are not changed in the updated version of the application with respect to the first version of the application,

files that are deleted from the updated version of the application with respect to the first version of the application, and

files that are changed in the updated version of the application with respect to the first version of the application; and

distributing the manifest file to the computing device whereby the computing device updates said installed application using information in said manifest file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the computing device, by the application distribution system, files that are changed in the updated version of the application, wherein said computing device ignores files that are erased in the updated version of the application and hard-links files that do not change in the updated version of the application archive file.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

distributing test data to the computing device along with the manifest file to test functionality of an updated application using said hard-links.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the updated application is tested using the test data;

and

the hard-linking update process is determined to be successful when said test is passed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein upon determining that the hard-linking update process is successful:

deleting files that are changed in the updated version of the application;

deleting files that are erased in the updated version of the application archive file; and

maintaining a hard link between files that do not change in the updated version of the application with respect to the first version of the application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ingesting, in the application distribution system, a plurality of additional versions of an application; and

comparing, in the application distribution system, the content of all previously ingested versions of the application with a latest versions of the application;

creating, in the application distribution system, a plurality of manifest files each describing differences between a previously ingested version of the application and said latest version of the application; and

transmitting to a computing device a manifest file that corresponds to a difference between a version of the application installed on the computing device and said latest version.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing comprises:

comparing a file size of the first version with the file size of the updated version.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein it is determined that no differences requiring updating exist, upon determining that the file size of the first version with the file size of the updated version is equal

9. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing first version of the application with the updated version of the application comprises:

comparing the content of the first version of the application with the content of said updated version of the application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein comparing the content comprises comparing the structure and content of a file directory in the first version with the structure and content of a file directory in the updated version.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein comparing the content comprises a binary level comparison of the first version with the updated version.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the manifest file comprises:

connecting to the computing device;

authenticating the computing device;

receiving a query for new versions of an installed application on said computing device; and

notifying the computing device of the existence of a new version of the application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification comprises a graphical indication displayed on a screen of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ingesting, in the application distribution system, at least one additional version of an application, wherein at least some of the files of the application are different than those in the first version of the application archive file, and automatically distributing a notification to the plurality of computing devices that a new version of the application exists in the application distribution system.

15. A system comprising:

a network-based application distribution system configured to connect with a plurality of client devices and with a plurality of application developers, including;

an application database storing a resident version of a software application;

an application update patching module configured for;

comparing said resident version of the application with an updated version of the application received from an application developer;

creating, a manifest file describing differences between said resident version and said updated version received from said application developer, said manifest file containing scheme of pointers to;

files that are not changed in the updated version with respect to the resident version,

files that are deleted from the updated version with respect to the resident version,

files that are changed in the updated version with respect to the resident version; and

distributing the manifest file to the client devices.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the patching module further comprises processor-executable instructions for creating an updated application including instructions for:

downloading, from the application distribution system, files that are changed in the updated version of the application;

ignoring files that are erased in the updated version of the application; and

hard-linking files that do not change in the updated version of the application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the patching module is further configured for distributing test data to a client device along with the manifest file.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the patching module is further configured for testing an installed updated application in a client device using the test data and determining that a hard-linking update process is successful when said test is passed.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the patching module is further configured for, upon determining that the hard-linking update process is successful:

deleting files that are changed in the updated version of the application;

deleting files that are erased in the updated version of the application; and

maintaining a hard link between files that do not change in the updated version of the application.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

compare a first version of an application with a received updated version of the application;

create a manifest file describing differences between the first version of the application and the received updated version of the application, said manifest archive file including a scheme of pointers to;

files that are not changed in the updated version with respect to the resident version,

files that are deleted from the updated version with respect to the resident version, and

files that are changed in the updated version with respect to the resident version; and

distribute the manifest file to computing client device containing an installed version of said application.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

distribute, to a client device, files that are changed in the updated version of the application, and ignore that are erased in the updated version of the application and hard-links files that do not change in the updated version of the application archive file.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

distribute test data to the client device along with the manifest file to test functionality of an updated application using said hard-links; and

receive an indication from the client device that the test data was used to determine that the updated version of the application updated successfully.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

ingest a plurality of additional versions of an application; and

compare the content of all previously ingested versions of the application with a latest versions of the application;

create a plurality of manifest files each describing differences between a previously ingested version of the application and said latest version of the application; and

transmit to a client device a manifest file that corresponds to a difference between a version of the application installed on the client device and said latest version.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

connect to the client device;

authenticate the client device;

receive a query for new versions of an installed application on said client device; and

notify the client device of the existence of a new version of the application.

25. A method for updating an application installed in a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, in a client device, a manifest file describing updates to an application having a first version that is stored on the client device, said manifest file including pointers to;

files that are not changed by the updates with respect to the first version of the application,

files that are deleted by the updates with respect to the first version of the application, and

files that are changed by the updates with respect to the first version of the application; and

creating an updated version of the application by ignoring files that are erased in the updated version of the application, hard-linking files to that do not change in the updated version of the application archive file, and downloading file that are changed by the updates with respect to the first version of the application from an application distribution system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving test data from the application distribution system to test functionality of an updated application using said hard-links; and

testing the updated application using the test data.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining that the manifest file successfully updated the first version of the application to the updated version;

deleting files that are changed in the updated version of the application;

deleting files that are erased in the updated version of the application archive file; and

maintaining a hard link between files that do not change in the updated version of the application with respect to the first version of the application.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending authentication data to the application distribution system; and

querying the application distribution system for the existence of new versions of an installed application.