System and method for improved software configuration and control management in multi-module systems

• US 6,493,594 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kraml, Mark H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Von Buhr, Maria N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US09/326,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/9, 700/19, 700/86, 700/87, 710/8, 710/14, 709/221, 717/168, 717/170-172
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25057 Configuration stored in distributed database for real time use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable

Abstract

The system and method of the invention automatically provide appropriate configuration and control software to a hardware system consisting of multiple target hardware modules. A system controller is connected to the target hardware modules and to a repository that stores a set of software modules. Each software module includes configuration and control information for a particular target hardware module. When a particular software control and configuration scheme for at least a portion of the target hardware modules is to be implemented in the hardware system, software modules corresponding to the particular software control and configuration scheme are selected and associated with a system definition file that is also stored in the repository. When the system definition file is invoked by the system controller, the system controller executes the associated software modules thereby providing the particular software control and configuration scheme to appropriate target hardware modules. When the particular software control and configuration scheme needs to be updated, one or more software modules of the system definition file may be replaced with an updated version without reconfiguring the hardware system.

Claims

1. A system for providing an appropriate software control and configuration scheme to a multi-module system having a system controller and a plurality of target hardware modules connected to the system controller, comprising:

a plurality of software modules, each of said plurality of software modules comprising configuration and control information for a particular target hardware module from said plurality of target hardware modules;

a software module editor for at least one of editing and creating at least one of said plurality of software modules;

at least one system definition file representative of a particular software control and configuration scheme for the multi-module system, wherein the particular software control and configuration scheme comprises at least a portion of said plurality of software modules;

a system definition file editor for at least one of editing and creating said at least one system definition file;

selection means in the system controller for selecting one of said at least one system definition file, said selected system definition file corresponding to a desired particular configuration and control scheme; and

repository means connected to the system controller for storing said plurality of software modules and said at least one system definition file;

wherein the system controller is operable for executing said selected system definition file by loading the software modules which comprise said desired particular configuration and control scheme into at least a portion of said plurality of target hardware modules; and

wherein, when a new target hardware module is added to the multi-module system, a new software module comprising configuration and control information for the new target hardware module is created using the software module editor and at least one of;

a new system definition file is created using the system definition file editor, where the new system definition file includes the new software module in the particular software control and configuration scheme of the new system definition file; and

at least one of the at least one system definition file is edited to include the new software module in the particular software control and configuration scheme of the edited at least one system definition file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each software module of said plurality of software modules further comprises at least one of a software module name, a software module version, a software module last revision date, a target hardware module name representative of said particular target hardware module, a software module signature representative of integrity of control and configuration information of said software module, and software module source information representative of a location in which said repository means stores said software module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said software module editor is

defining a new version of a particular software module of said plurality of software modules.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said system definition file editor is for at least one of creating a new system definition file referencing the new version of the particular software module, and editing at least one system definition file to reference the new version of the particular software module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each said at least one system definition file further comprises a security record representative of authenticity of said system definition file, and wherein the system controller comprises means for verifying said security record prior to execution of said system definition file so that the system controller executes said system definition file only when said security record is verified.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said repository means comprises at least one memory operably connected to said system controller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-module system comprises a wireless communication system, the system controller comprises a Base Station Controller, and the target hardware modules comprise Base Stations and repeaters.

8. A method for providing a desired software configuration and control scheme to a multi-module system having a system controller, a plurality of target hardware modules connected to the system controllers and a memory, comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a plurality of software modules, each of the plurality of software modules comprising configuration and control information for a particular target hardware module from said plurality of target hardware modules;

(b) defining at least one system definition file representative of a particular software control and configuration scheme for the multi-module system, wherein the particular software control and configuration scheme comprises at least a portion of said plurality of software modules;

(c) selecting one of at least one system definition file, said selected system definition file corresponding to said desired configuration and control scheme, wherein said plurality of software modules and said at least one system definition file are stored in the memory;

(d) executing by the system controller said selected system definition file by loading the software modules which comprise said desired configuration and control scheme into at least a portion of said plurality of target hardware modules;

(e) adding a new target hardware module to the multi-module system;

(f) creating a new software module comprising particular configuration and control information for the new target hardware module; and

(g) at least one of;

creating a new system definition file including the new software module in the particular software control and configuration scheme of the new system definition file; and

editing at least one of the at least one system definition file to include the new software module in the particular software control and configuration scheme of the edited at least one system definition file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each software module of said plurality of software modules further comprises at least one of a software module name, a software module version, a software module last revision date, a target hardware module name representative of said particular target hardware module, a software module signature representative of integrity of control and configuration information of said software module, and software module source information to allow the software module to be located in the memory.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

defining a new version of a particular software module of said plurality of software modules; and

replacing said particular software module stored in the memory with said new version.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of replacing comprises creating a new system definition file referencing the new version of the particular software module.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein each said at least one system definition file further comprises a security record representative of authenticity of said at least one system definition file, and wherein said step (d) comprises the step of:

verifying said security record prior to execution of said selected system definition file so that said selected system definition file is executed only when said security record is verified.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein step (f) comprises the step of:

editing at least one of the plurality of software modules in order to create a new software module comprising configuration and control information for the new target hardware module.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-module system comprises a wireless communication system, the system controller comprises a Base Station Controller, and the target hardware modules comprise Base Stations and repeaters.