REMOTE SOFTWARE DEPOLYMENT ACROSS A NETWORK

• US 20140282413A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Grimme, David J., Rn, Vishwanath
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided for deployment of software tools across a network. One example method includes initiating a discovery mechanism to poll a plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T from a remote deployment system 101 to multiple systems 120/130/140 across a network 108. The multiple systems 120/130/140 include computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T having different operating system (OS) types. Respective agents 151 are deployed for each type of OS identified in the response to the discovery mechanism 210/220. Each of the respective agents 151 is configured to manage communications 230 between the deployment system 101 and the different OS types for each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on the network 108 and to initiate application deployment and monitoring on each of the plurality of computing machines 230.

Claims

1. A method for deployment of software tools across a network 108, comprising:

initiating a discovery mechanism 210 to poll a plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T from a remote deployment system 101 to multiple systems 120/130/140 across a network 108, wherein the multiple systems 120/130/140 include rack and blade computing stacks with computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T having different operating systems (OSs);

deploying respective agents 151 for each type of OS identified in the response to the discovery mechanism 220;

wherein each of the respective agents 151 is able to manage communications 230 between the deployment system 101 and each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on the network 108 and initiate application installation on each of the plurality of computing machines

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in deploying each of the respective agents 151 the deployment system 101 bundles an agent 151 for a particular OS type with a particular user specified application to run a functional test 230.

3. The method o claim 2 wherein, the particular user specified application is selected from one of the group including:

a base input output system (BIOS) update;

a software patch;

a firmware patch; and

an application to enumerate parameters on a given computing machine 230.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the discovery mechanism 210 includes using a plurality of query methods to each of the multiple systems to discover characteristics of each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-1 of the multiple systems 120/130/140 on the network 108 including query methods selected from one of the group including:

an Internet Protocol (IP) address range query 220 for each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T of the multiple systems 120/130/140 on the network 108;

a media access controller (MAC) address query 220 for each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T of the multiple systems 120/130/140 on the network 108; and

a machine name query 220 for each computing machine of the multiple systems 120/130/140 on the network 108.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using a plurality of query methods 220 includes specifying a text identifier for each of the characteristics to be discovered on the each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-1 of the multiple systems 120/130/140 over the network 108.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes logically grouping computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T across the multiple systems 120/130/140 and concurrently running different functional tests based on identified characteristics and applications deployed by the respective agents 151 according to the logical groupings 230.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes deploying respective agents 151 that can communicate with one another across OS types and further includes monitoring the different functional tests 220.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further includes:

monitoring the different functional tests includes filtering and sorting in real time by each error type, each warning type, each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T, a total number of functional tests conducted and number of iterations per logical grouping 230; and

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) 112/114 that allows a user to select an entry item to the filtering and sorting and the deployment system will open up a desktop window or secure socket to a given computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T such that the user can directly interact with the given computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes deploying secure versions of applications to conduct functional tests and hosting a security key locally on the deployment system 230.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium 105 including machine executable instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor 103 cause a deployment system 101 to:

discover characteristics, including an operating system (OS) type, from a plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on multiple systems 120/130/140 across a network, the multiple systems 120/130/140 including at least some computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T having different operating systems (OSs) 210/220; and

deploy respective agents 151 able to manage cross talk communications between different OS types 230, the deployment system 101 and each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on the network 108 and initiate application installation and conduct functional tests on the applications on each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T for each type of OS identified 220/230.

11. The non-transitory medium of claim 10, wherein the machine executable instructions can be executed by the processor 103 to:

bundle an agent for a particular OS type with a particular user specified application to run a functional test 220; and

monitor, including a sort function and a filter function, in real time by the system different functional tests concurrently, the monitor instructions including instructions executed according to a sort and filter function to monitor and report by an error type, a warning type, a computing machine name, a total number of functional tests conducted and number of iterations per logical grouping 230.

12. A deployment system 101 for automatic, remote deployment of applications to multiple systems across a network, comprising:

a processor 103;

a memory 105 coupled to the processor and including machine executable instructions that can be executed by the processor to;

initiate characteristic discovery for a plurality of computing machines on multiple systems across a network, wherein the multiple systems include rack and blade computing stacks with computing machines having different operating systems (OSs) 210; and

deploy respective agents 151 able to manage cross talk communications between different OS types discovered, the deployment system 101 and each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on the network 108 and initiate application installation and conduct functional tests on the applications on each of the plurality of computing machines 220/230;

13. The deployment system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the multiple systems 120/130/140 is a mobile Performance Optimized Datacenter (POD) and the agents 151 are configured to communicate with different out of the box OSs.

14. The deployment system of claim 12 wherein the deployment system 101 includes machine executable instructions that can be executed by the processor 103 to allow selectable deployment of functional test applications through the respective agents 151 to keep track of installed applications and conduct functional tests on installed applications according to logical groupings of computing machines 121-1, 144-T based on discovered characteristics 230.

15. The deployment system of claim 12 wherein the machine executable instructions can be executed by the processor to:

initiate the characteristics discovery of each computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T in the multiple systems 120/130/140 across the network 108 upon receiving only a root user name and password; and

deploy the plurality of agents 151 as lightweight agents not including an entire OS or applications but sufficient to manage communication, exchange of applications, and status exchange for monitoring 230 between a given computing machine 121-1, . . . , 144-T and the deployment system 101.