UPDATE INSTALLER WITH TECHNICAL IMPACT ANALYSIS

• US 20150082291A1
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, Satish, Nachimuthu, Arunpriyaa, Srinivasan, Sri, Gupta, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3624 by performing operations on the source code, e.g. via a compiler
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/78 Methods to solve the "Year 2000" [Y2K] problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

An update installer generates an update display for a user that allows a user to select updates in an identified environment. The update installer accesses the objects and layers in the identified environment and displays an impact display identifying portions of the identified environment that will be affected by the selected updates, before the updates are installed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving selected updates for installation on a computer system;

displaying an environment identification display with identification input mechanisms that receive user identification inputs identifying a target computer system environment; and

displaying an impact display identifying portions of the target computer system environment that will be affected by the selected updates, before installation of the selected updates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises a business system, wherein the target computer system environment comprises a target business system environment, and wherein displaying an impact display comprises:

displaying the impact display identifying portions of the target business system environment that will be affected by the selected updates.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein displaying an impact display comprises:

displaying the identified portions of the target business system environment that will be updated by the selected updates; and

displaying a numerical indicator corresponding to each of the identified portions of the target business system environment indicative of a number of updates that will be applied to each corresponding identified portion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein displaying an impact display comprises:

identifying objects in the target business system that will be updated by the selected updates; and

displaying an indication of how the identified objects will be affected.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein displaying an indication of how the identified objects will be affected comprises:

displaying an indication of a layer in the target business system environment that is affected, a model that is affected, an object type that is affected and an object name of an object that is affected.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein displaying an indication of how the identified objects will be affected comprises:

displaying an update model that is updating the identified objects.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein displaying an indication of how the identified objects will be affected comprises:

displaying whether the selected updates create a conflict in the identified objects.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein displaying an environment identification display comprises:

displaying a client configuration display with configuration input mechanisms that receive user inputs to identify a configuration of the target business system environment for which the impact display is to be generated.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein displaying an environment identification display comprises:

displaying a model store selection mechanism that receives a user selection input identifying a model store that holds models in the identified configuration of the target business system environment.

10. A computer system, comprising

an update installer component that displays an update selection display with update selection user input mechanisms that receive user selection inputs to identify selected updates for application to a given computer system and that displays a target environment identification display that receives target identifier user inputs identifying a target environment, and that displays an impact display indicative of portions of the identified target environment in the given computer system that are affected by the selected updates, before the selected updates are applied to the given computer system;

and

a computer processor that is a functional part of the computer system and activated by the update installer component to facilitate displaying the update selection display, the target environment identification display and the impact display.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the given computer system comprises a business system and wherein the identified target environment comprises a business system target environment.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the update installer component comprises:

an impact analyzer component that identifies the portions of the business system target environment that are affected by the selected updates and that displays the impact display to show a number of items in each identified portion of the business system target environment that are affected by the selected updates.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the impact analyzer component identifies objects in the business system target environment and generates the impact display to show which objects in the business system target environment are affected by the selected updates.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the updater installer component further comprises:

an installation engine that installs the selected updates to the identified business system target environment.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the update installer component displays the target environment identification display with configuration user input mechanisms that receive configuration identifier user inputs identifying a client configuration of the business system target environment.

16. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the update installer component displays the target environment identification display with model store user input mechanisms that receive model store identifier user inputs identifying a model store storing models to be analyzed in the business system target environment.

17. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, comprising:

receiving selected updates for installation on a computer system;

displaying an environment identification display with identification input mechanisms that receive user identification inputs identifying a target computer system environment; and

displaying an impact analysis display identifying objects of the target business system environment that will be updated by the selected updates and a numerical indicator corresponding to each of the identified objects of the target business system environment indicative of a number of updates that will be applied to each corresponding identified object, the impact analysis display being displayed before installation of the selected updates.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the computer system comprises a business system, wherein the target computer system environment comprises a target business system environment, and wherein displaying an impact display comprises:

displaying the impact display identifying objects in the target business system environment that will be affected by the selected updates.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein displaying the impact analysis display comprises:

displaying an indication of a layer in the target business system environment that is affected, a model that is affected, an object type that is affected and an object name of an object that is affected; and

displaying whether the selected updates create a conflict in the identified objects.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein displaying an environment identification display comprises:

displaying a client configuration display with configuration input mechanisms that receive user inputs to identify a configuration of the target business system environment for which the impact display is to be generated; and

displaying a model store selection mechanism that receives a user selection input identifying a model store that holds models in the identified configuration of the target business system environment.