Patch source list management

• US 6,317,880 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chamberlain, Benjamin C., Haar, Malcolm S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US09/261,802
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 717/3, 717/4, 717/11, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 714/2, 714/15, 713/100
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system and method for managing locations of patch program files via a patch source list. The needed patch program files are identified. A list of alternative patch program file locations is referenced repeatedly until a valid alternative patch program file location is found or until each alternative patch program file location on the patch source list has been referenced. If a valid alternative patch program file location is found, the patch program file is retrieved from that location. New alternative patch program file locations may be added to the patch source list when a user identifies those new locations. The patch source list is continually maintained.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method of locating a patch file used for patching an installed application program, comprising:

in response to the occurrence of an event requiring the patch file, searching for the patch file in a first location;

if the patch file is not found in the first source location, iterating through a list of alternative locations for the patch file to identify a valid alternative location for the patch file; and

if the valid alternative location for the patch file is identified, reading the patch file from the valid alternative location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the iterating step comprises:

retrieving from the list of alternative locations a current search location;

attempting to locate the patch file at the current search location;

in response to a failure to locate the patch file at the current search location, retrieving from the list of alternative locations a new search location; and

attempting to locate the patch file at the new search location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, if the list of alternative locations does not contain a new search location, terminating the iterating step.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the list of alternative locations does not contain a new search location, prompting a user to input a user-defined search location; and

upon receipt of the user-defined search location, attempting to locate the patch file at the user-defined search location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising adding the user-defined search location to the list of alternative locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of alternative locations comprises a plurality of path identifiers, each path identifier in the plurality of path identifiers defining an alternative location for searching for the patch file.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising prioritizing each path identifier in the plurality of path identifiers into a search order hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the search order hierarchy is such that network source locations, media source locations, and Internet site source locations are categorized into different groups and are ordered within each group.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after reading the patch file from the valid alternative location, performing a patching operation for revising the installed application program from a first version to a second version.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the patching operation comprises:

retrieving a new program file from the patch file; and

adding the new program file to the application program.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing a list of alternative locations for locating resources related to an application program, comprising:

recognizing an indication that a patch file has been launched, the patch file containing instructions for installing a new resource for the application program;

creating, within an information store maintained by an installer program, a patch source list including a first location for a patch source file containing the new resource to be installed for the application; and

including in the patch source list at least one alternative location for the patch source file.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the patch file containing the instructions and the patch source file are contained in a patch package file.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising performing patching operations for revising the application program from one version to a newer version.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the performing patching operations step comprises:

reading the instructions for installing the new resource from the patch file;

retrieving the new resource from the patch source file; and

executing the instructions for installing the new resource, wherein the instructions include adding the new resource to the application program.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the retrieving the new resource step comprises:

accessing the patch source list to identify the first location for the patch source file;

searching the first location for the patch source file to verify the existence of the patch source file at the first location; and

in response to a failure to verify the existence of the patch source file at the first location, accessing the patch source list to identify the alternative location for the patch source file.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the new resource is a new program file.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the new resource is a multiplicity of patch bits for altering an existing program file of the application program.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for locating an alternative source of installable program files for an application, which when executed perform steps comprising:

in response to an indication that an installation procedure is requested, identifying a program file selected during the installation procedure for installation to a computer system, the program file being associated with a patch to the application;

attempting to retrieve the program file from an expected location for a patch source containing the program file;

in response to a failure to locate the patch source at the expected location, accessing a patch source list describing at least one alternative location for the patch source; and

attempting to retrieve the program file from the patch source at the at least one alternative location.

19. A computer-implemented method for patching an application program, comprising:

retrieving a list of affected versions of the application program, the list of affected versions describing each of a plurality of versions of the application program affected by a patch for the application program, each version of the application in the plurality of versions having a separate and corresponding patch source file containing resources related to the version of the application program;

identifying an installed version of the application program on a local computer system;

comparing the installed version of the application to the list of affected versions to identify an appropriate patch source file corresponding to the installed version, the patch source file containing resources for revising the installed version of the application; and

retrieving the appropriate patch source file from a remote computer system.