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Corrective service facility

  • US 5,892,953 A
  • Filed: 03/25/1997
  • Issued: 04/06/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A data processing system (DPS) comprising:

  • a processor;

    a main memory for storing programs for execution by said processor which products include a multitasking operating system (OS), a graphical user interface program (GUI), and application programs;

    a display for presenting to a user a plurality of screens including at least some generated by said GUI;

    input means allowing a user to interact with said system through screens generated by said GUI program;

    fixed drive means for storing a plurality of installed files of different program products and a plurality of syslevel files for such products, said program products including said OS and said GUI;

    a floppy disc drive;

    corrective service diskette means (CSD) inserted in said floppy disc drive, said CSD storing a plurality of service files containing cumulative fixes for a plurality of said program products installed in said DPS, said CSD further comprising a selectively operable corrective service facility (CSF);

    said CSF being started in a running DPS and executed by said processor as an application program concurrently with other application programs under said multitasking operating system to provide setup means and servicing means without having to first shut down said DPS;

    said setup means being operative to automatically search through said service files on said CSD and said installed files in each of said plurality of program products on said fixed drive means to find matching pairs of files with each file in each pair having an identical file name, said setup means interacting with said GUI to provide a setup screen presenting to the user a list of said matching pairs and a menu for selecting normal or backout service to be performed; and

    said selectively operable servicing means being responsive to user selection thereof to automatically replace each installed file of said matching pairs with said service file in each pair only when said installed file is an earlier version of a service file of the same name, so as to thereby install only a selected portion of said cumulative fixes where normal service is selected and to automatically replace each installed file of said matching pairs with said service file in each pair only when said installed file is a later version of a service file of the same name, so as to restore said installed files of a product to an earlier level without having to reinstall such product.

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