System for software distribution in a digital computer network

• US 6,286,041 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kratsch, Charles Henry, Larson, Joseph Paul, Collins, Theodore Joseph III, McDowall, Steven J., Anderson, Scott Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/658,968
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/201, 709/202
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for transferring digital computer software and data from one digital computer to one or more digital computers through a network of electrical connections between the two or more digital computers. An installation agent is established at each target machine and software to be transferred is placed within a software package, wherein the software package includes the software and installation commands for installing the software. The software package is transferred to each target machine and installed by alerting the installation agent that a software package has arrived and executing commands within the installation agent to send an install message to the software package, wherein the install message causes the software package to execute the installation commands.

Claims

1. A memory in a software distribution server for storing data and code for forming a software package for transfer to at least one destination computer, the memory comprising:

data stored in said memory; and

code stored in said memory for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including a collection method capable of collecting data from at least one destination computer to be send to at least one other destination computer,

at least one of a dynamic file manifest which specifies at least one of files to collect when the software package is being formed in the software distribution server and files to collect during data collection at the at least one destination computer, and

a package file manifest specifying files contained in the software package and including information relating to these files.

2. A memory as recited in claim 1, wherein said package file manifest specifies information relating to any files contained in the software package including their attributes and their sizes.

3. A memory as recited in claim 1, wherein said code stored in said memory further comprises code for performing at least one of an installation method capable of being activated on each destination computer system for installing the software package thereon and a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails.

4. A memory in a software distribution server for storing data and code for forming a software package for transfer to at least one destination computer, the memory comprising:

data stored in said memory; and

code stored in said memory for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including;

a system administration command method capable of performing one or more administration functions on the at least one destination computer and a reverse system administration command method capable of reversing effects of the system administration command method on the at least one destination computer if the system administration command method fails when being performed, and

a package file manifest specifying files contained in the software package and including information relating to any files contained in the software package.

5. A memory as recited in claim 4, wherein said package file manifest specifies information relating to any files contained in the software package including their attributes and their sizes.

6. A memory as recited in claim 4, wherein said code stored in said memory further comprises code for performing at least one of an installation method capable of being activated on each destination computer system for installing the software package thereon and a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails.

7. A memory as recited in claim 6, wherein said code stored in said memory further comprises code for performing at least one of a pre-build method capable of being activated prior to forming the software package for transfer, a post-build method capable of being activated after forming the software package, a pre-install method capable of being activated on each said at least one destination computer prior to installing the software package on the at least one destination computer, a post-install method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after the software package is successfully installed on said at least one destination computer, a pre-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer prior to backing the software package out of the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails, a post-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after a successful backout of the software package on the at least one destination computer.

8. A memory as recited in claim 7, wherein said pre-build method and said post-build methods are capable of being performed each time the software package is transferred.

9. A memory as recited in claim 7, wherein said code for performing the pre-build method includes code for extracting information from a database and placing the information into an archive prior to the software package being formed.

10. A memory as recited in claim 9, wherein said code for performing the pre-build method includes code for extracting the information from the database and placing the information into an archive each time the software package is transferred.

11. A memory in a software distribution server for storing data and code for creating a software package for transfer across at least one computer network to at least one destination computer, the memory comprising:

data stored in said memory; and

code stored in said memory for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including;

at least one of a pre-build method capable of being activated prior to forming the software package for transfer, a post-build method capable of being activated after forming the software package, a pre-install method capable of being activated on each said at least one destination computer prior to installing the software package on the at least one destination computer, a post-install method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after the software package is successfully installed on said at least one destination computer, a pre-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer prior to backing the software package out of the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails, a post-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after a successful backout of the software package on the at least one destination computer,

an installation method capable of being activated on the at least one destination computer for installing the software package on the at least one destination computer,

a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer, and

a package file manifest including information relating to any files contained in the software package.

12. A memory as recited in claim 11, wherein said file manifest specifies the files contained in the software package, their attributes and their sizes.

13. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium comprising data and code forming a software package for transfer from a software distribution server to at least one destination computer, the computer signal comprising:

code for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including a collection method capable of collecting data from at least one destination computer to be send to at least one other destination computer,

at least one of a dynamic file manifest which specifies at least one of files to collect when the software package is being formed in the software distribution server and files to collect during data collection at the at least one destination computer, and

a package file manifest specifying files contained in the software package and including information relating to these files.

14. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said package file manifest specifies information relating to any files contained in the software package including their attributes and their sizes.

15. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 13 further comprising code for performing at least one of an installation method capable of being activated on each destination computer system for installing the software package thereon and a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails.

16. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium comprising data and code forming a software package for transfer from a software distribution server to at least one destination computer, the computer signal comprising:

code for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including;

a system administration command method capable of performing one or more administration functions on the at least one destination computer and a reverse system administration command method capable of reversing effects of the system administration command method on the at least one destination computer if the system administration command method fails when being performed; and

a package file manifest including information relating to any files contained in the software package.

17. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said package file manifest specifies information relating to any files contained in the software package including their attributes and their sizes.

18. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said code further comprises code for performing at least one of an installation method capable of being activated on each destination computer system for installing the software package thereon and a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails.

19. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said code further comprises code for performing at least one of a pre-build method capable of being activated prior to forming the software package for transfer, a post-build method capable of being activated after forming the software package, a pre-install method capable of being activated on each said at least one destination computer prior to installing the software package on the at least one destination computer, a post-install method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after the software package is successfully installed on said at least one destination computer, a pre-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer prior to backing the software package out of the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails, a post-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after a successful backout of the software package on the at least one destination computer.

20. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said pre-build method and said post-build methods are capable of being performed each time the software package is transferred.

21. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said code for performing, the post-build method includes code for extracting information from a database and placing the info-nation into an archive prior to the software package being formed.

22. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said code for performing the pre-build method includes code for extracting the information from the database and placing the information into an archive each time the software package is transferred.

23. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium comprising data and code for creating a software package for transfer from a software distribution server to at least one destination computer, the computer signal comprising:

code for performing methods for acting on said data, said code including code for performing at least one of a pre-build method capable of being activated prior to forming the software package for transfer, a post-build method capable of being activated after forming the software package, a pre-install method capable of being activated on each said at least one destination computer prior to installing the software package on the at least one destination computer, a post-install method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after the software package is successfully installed on said at least one destination computer, a pre-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer prior to backing the software package out of the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails, a post-backout method capable of being activated on said at least one destination computer after a successful backout of the software package on the at least one destination computer;

an installation method capable of being activated on the at least one destination computer for installing the software package on the at least one destination computer;

a backout method for backing out and removing the software package from the at least one destination computer if installation of the software package fails; and

a package file manifest including information relating to any files contained in the software package.

24. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium as recited in claim 23, wherein said file manifest specifics information relating to any files contained in the software package including their attributes and their sizes.