Method and system for downloading updates for software installation

• US 6,493,871 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vishnumurty, Rajendra H., Aul, Gabriel J., Auerbach, Alan B., Nichols, Gregory W., Wallace, Oliver I., Welch, Daniel C., Sliger, Michael V., McGuire, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US09/397,536
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168, 717/169, 717/170, 717/171, 717/172, 717/174, 717/175, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178, 717/173
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and system for downloading software update data for installing a revised software product on a client computer minimizes the amount of update data to be transmitted over the network by downloading only those files needed to put the client computer in the state for installing the product. In the beginning of the downloading process, the client computer obtains from a setup server an initial setup package that includes a setup program and a list of files required for installing the software product. The setup program running on the client computer then determines whether some current or earlier versions of those files required for installation already exist on the client computer, and compiles a request list of files needed for updating the client computer. The client computer sends the request list to a download server, which maintains a collection of update files and patches. In response to the request list, the download server downloads updating files to the client. Depending of the availability of the requested files or other factors, the downloaded files may or may not be exactly those requested. Using the downloaded files, the setup program updates the existing files to provide the set of installation files on the client computer. The desired revised software product is then installed on the client computer.

Claims

1. A method of downloading update data to a client computer for installing a revised software product, comprising the steps of:

obtaining by the client computer an installation file list listing files required for installing the revised software product;

identifying existing files on the client computer corresponding to files listed in the installation file list;

constructing, based on the installation file list and the identified existing files, a needed-files list indicating files needed for updating the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product;

transmitting a download request containing the neededfiles list to a download server;

receiving a download reply containing downloaded files corresponding to the files on the needed-files list; and

processing the downloaded files to update the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying identifies a first existing file that is an earlier version of a corresponding file on the installation file list, and wherein the step of constructing includes said first existing file to the needed-files list with identification data indicative of said first existing file.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the identification data includes a hash value of said first existing file.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step of identifying includes comparing a hash value of said first existing file with a hash value of said corresponding file in the installation file list to determine whether said existing file and said corresponding file are identical.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step of processing includes determining whether the downloaded files includes a patch for said first existing file, and updating said first existing file with the patch.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying includes searching for an existing file in a target directory for a corresponding file in the installation file list, said target directory specified in the installation file list.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying determines there is no existing file on the client computer corresponding to a file on the installation file list, and the step of constructing includes said file on the installation file list on the needed-files list indicating.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes receiving a script file containing at least a portion of said installation file list.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes receiving a self-extracting setup package containing a setup program and a script file containing at least a portion of said installation file list, executing the setup package to extract the setup program and the script file, and executing the setup program.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes receiving a setup program, a script file containing at least a portion of said installation file list, and an update file corresponding to a selected file on said installation file list.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes sending a request for updating a selected component of the software program, and receiving a script file for said selected component containing at least a portion of said installation file list.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the step of obtaining further including receiving a setup program and a master script containing setup information, and executing the setup program for receiving input for selecting said selected component for updating.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving receives the download reply as a stream, and step of processing separates downloaded files contained in a received portion of the stream before an end of the stream is received.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the stream contains the download files in an order different from an order of respective corresponding requested files in the download request.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of receiving includes dynamically identifying the downloaded files in the stream.

16. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of processing includes removing from the needed-files list files for which proper corresponding downloaded files have been received in the download reply.

17. A method as in claim 16, further including the step of resubmitting the needed-files list when at least a file remains on the needed-files list after the download reply has been processed.

18. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of processing including decompressing selected downloaded files.

19. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining receives the installation file list from a setup server different from the download server.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of constructing includes detecting a hardware configuration of the client computer to selectively include files in the needed-files list.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules/components for downloading updates to a client computer for installing a revised software product, comprising:

(a) a script component containing an installation file list listing files required for installing at least a portion of the revised software product;

(b) a setup module for execution on the client computer to perform the steps of;

identifying existing files on the client computer corresponding to the files listed in the installation file list;

constructing, based on the installation file list and the identified existing files, a needed-files list indicating files needed for updating the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product;

transmitting a download request containing the needed files list to a download server;

receiving a download reply containing downloaded files corresponding to files on the needed-files list; and

processing the downloaded files to update the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product.

22. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the script component includes a network address of the download server.

23. A computer-readable medium as in claim 22, wherein the network address is a relative address.

24. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the script component includes a master script file containing setup information and at least one component script for updating a component of the software product.

25. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, further comprising a self-extraction component combined with the script component and the setup module as a package and for execution on the client computer to extract the script component and the setup module from the package.

26. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the installation file list in the script component includes a sub-list of files to be copied to the client computer regardless of whether there are existing files on the client computer corresponding to the files on the sub-list.

27. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the installation file list in the script component includes a sub-list of files each to be copied to the client computer only when there is a corresponding existing file on the client computer.

28. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of identifying identifies a first existing file that is an earlier version of a corresponding file on the installation file list, and wherein the step of constructing includes said first existing file on the needed-files list with identification data indicative of said first existing file.

29. A computer-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the identification data includes a hash value of said first existing file.

30. A computer-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the step of identifying includes comparing a hash value of said first existing file with a hash value of said corresponding file in the installation file list to determine whether said existing file and said corresponding file are identical.

31. A computer-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the step of processing includes determining whether the downloaded files includes a patch for said first existing file, and updating said first existing file with the patch.

32. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of identifying includes searching for an existing file in a target directory for a corresponding file in the installation file list, said target directory specified in the installation file list in the script component.

33. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of identifying determines there is no existing file on the client computer corresponding to a file on the installation file list, and the step of constructing includes said file on the installation file list to the needed-files list.

34. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of receiving receives the download reply as a stream, and step of processing separates downloaded files contained in a received portion of the stream before an end of the stream is received.

35. A computer-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the stream contains the download files in an order different from an order of respective requested files in the download request.

36. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of processing includes removing from the needed-files list files for which proper corresponding downloaded files have been received in the download reply.

37. A computer-readable medium as in claim 36, further including the step of resubmitting the needed-files list when files remain in the needed-files list after the download reply has been processed.

38. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of processing including decompressing selected downloaded files.

39. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of constructing includes detecting a hardware configuration of the client computer to selectively include files in the needed-files list.

40. A method of downloading update data from a download server to a client computer for installing a revised software on a client computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by the download computer from the client computer, a download request containing a needed-files list listing a plurality of requested files, each requested file having associated identification data;

(b) for each requested file;

determining from the identification data of said each requested file, whether a patch or a full file corresponding to said each requested file is requested;

when a full file is requested, including a full file corresponding to said each requested file in a download reply;

when a patch is requested, determining whether said patch is in a download database of the download server, and

(i) when said patch is in the download database, including said patch in the download reply;

(ii) when said patch is not in the download database, including a full file corresponding to said each requested file in the download reply;

(c) transmitting the download reply to the client computer.

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein the step of transmitting transmits the download reply in a data stream.

42. A method as in claim 40, wherein the step of determining whether said patch is in the download database searches for the patch based on a hash value of said each requested file.

43. A method as in claim 40, wherein the step of transmitting transmits the downloaded files in the download reply in an order different from an order of the corresponding requested files in the download request.

44. A method as in claim 43, wherein the step of transmitting dynamically adjusts the order of the downloaded files in the download reply.

45. A computer readable medium containing computer-readable instructions for operating a download server to perform the steps of:

(a) receiving, by the download computer from a client computer, a download request containing a needed-files list listing a plurality of requested files, each requested file having identification data;

(b) for each requested file;

determining from the identification data of said each requested file whether a patch or a full file corresponding to said each requested file is requested;

when a full file is requested, including a full file corresponding to said each requested file in a download reply;

when a patch is requested, determining whether said patch is in available, and

(i) when said patch is available, including said patch in the download reply;

(ii) when said patch is not available, including a full file corresponding to said each requested file in the download reply;

(c) transmitting the download reply to the client computer.

46. A computer-readable medium as in claim 45, wherein the step of transmitting transmits the download reply in a data stream.

47. A computer-readable medium as in claim 46, wherein the step of determining whether said patch is in the download database searches for the patch based on a hash value of said each requested file.

48. A computer-readable medium as in claim 47, wherein the step of transmitting transmits the downloaded files in the download reply in an order different from an order of the corresponding requested files in the download request.

49. A computer-readable medium as in claim 48, wherein the step of transmitting dynamically adjusts the order of the downloaded files in the download reply.

50. A system for downloading update data to a client computer for installing a revised software product, comprising:

(a) a setup server having setup data for transmitting to the client computer, the setup data including a setup module and a script component, the script component having an installation file list listing files required for installing the revised software product, the setup module containing computer executable instructions for performing, when executed on the client computer, the steps of;

identifying existing files on the client computer corresponding to the files listed in the installation file list;

constructing, based on the installation file list and the identified existing files, a needed-files list indicating files needed for updating the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product;

transmitting a download request containing the needed-files list;

receiving a download reply containing downloaded files corresponding to the files in the needed-files list; and

processing the downloaded files to update the existing files to provide the files required for installing the revised software product; and

(b) a download server having an update database storing update data for the revised software product, the download server programmed for preparing a download reply containing downloaded files selected from the update database for transmission to the client computer, the downloaded files corresponding to the requested files in the download request.