AUTOMATICALLY RESOLVING CONFLICTS AFTER INSTALLATION OF SELECTED UPDATES IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20150082292A1
• 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, Bennett, Caleb
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/423 Preprocessors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44552 Conflict resolution, i.e. enabling coexistence of conflicting executables

Abstract

An update installer generates an update display for a user that allows the user to select updates to be applied to a computer system. Conflicts that arise because of application of the updates to the computer system are automatically resolved and the results of the conflict resolution are displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying conflicts between a computer system and a set of updates applied to the computer system;

automatically resolving a set of the identified conflicts; and

generating a conflict resolution results user interface display showing conflict resolution results corresponding to the identified conflicts.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises a user customized version of a business system and wherein automatically resolving the set of conflicts comprises:

automatically resolving the set of conflicts between the set of updates and the user customized version of the business system to which the set of updates is applied.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein automatically resolving the set of identified conflicts comprises:

displaying an auto resolution user input mechanism that is actuated to select automatically resolving the identified conflicts; and

receiving user actuation of the auto resolution user input mechanism.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein automatically resolving the set of conflicts comprises:

conducting a three way comparison of a business system before user customization, the user customized version of the business system and the set of updates applied to the user customized version of the business system; and

updating the user customized version of the business system based on the comparison.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 and further comprising:

storing the conflict resolution results on a life cycle system for later access.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein generating a conflict resolution results user interface display showing conflict resolution results corresponding to the identified conflicts comprises:

displaying resolved indicators corresponding to the identified conflicts that have been automatically resolved.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein generating a conflict resolution results user interface display showing conflict resolution results corresponding to the identified conflicts comprises:

displaying unresolved indicators corresponding to the identified conflicts that have not been automatically resolved.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein displaying the unresolved indicators comprises:

displaying a user actuatable indicator corresponding to each unresolved conflict.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 and further comprising:

receiving user actuation of a given user actuatable indicator; and

displaying details corresponding to a given unresolved conflict corresponding to the given user actuatable indicator.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 and further comprising:

receiving user actuation of a given user actuatable indicator; and

navigating the user to a portion of the user customized version of the business system where a given unresolved conflict corresponding to the given user actuatable indicator exists.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 and further comprising:

receiving user inputs manually resolving the given conflict.

12. A computer system, comprising:

an update installer component that displays an update selection user interface display with a selection user input mechanism that receives user selection inputs selecting updates to be applied to an application and that installs the selected updates to the application;

a conflict resolution component that identifies conflicts that occur from applying the selected updates to the application and automatically resolves a set of the identified conflicts; and

a computer processor that is a functional part of the computer system and is activated by the update installer component and the conflict resolution component to facilitate receiving user selection, installing the selected updates, and automatically resolving the set of identified conflicts.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the application comprises a business application in a business system.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the conflict resolution component displays a conflict resolution results display showing conflict resolution results of automatically resolving the set of identified conflicts.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the conflict resolution component displays a set of resolved indicators, each corresponding to a conflict that was automatically resolved and a set of unresolved indicators, each corresponding to a conflict that remains unresolved.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the set of unresolved indicators each comprise a navigatable link which, when actuated by a user, navigates the user to a portion of the business application where the corresponding conflict exists.

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

identifying conflicts between a computer system and a set of updates applied to the computer system;

displaying an auto resolution user input mechanism that is actuated to select automatically resolving the identified conflicts;

receiving user actuation of the auto resolution user input mechanism;

automatically applying the set of updates to the computer system;

automatically resolving a set of the identified conflicts; and

generating a conflict resolution results user interface display showing conflict resolution results corresponding to the identified conflicts.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the computer system comprises a user customized version of a business system and wherein automatically resolving the set of conflicts comprises:

automatically resolving the set of conflicts between the set of updates and the user customized version of the business system to which the set of updates is applied.

storing the conflict resolution results on a life cycle system for later access.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein generating a conflict resolution results user interface display showing conflict resolution results corresponding to the identified conflicts comprises:

displaying resolved indicators corresponding to the identified conflicts that have been automatically resolved;

displaying user actuatable unresolved indicators corresponding to the identified conflicts that have not been automatically resolved.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 and further comprising:

receiving user actuation of a given user actuatable unresolved indicator;

navigating the user to a portion of the user customized version of the business system where a given unresolved conflict corresponding to the given user actuatable unresolved indicator exists; and

receiving user inputs manually resolving the given conflict.