Method and system for implementing network filesystem-based aid for computer operating system upgrades

• US 6,496,977 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Lipton, Steven Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US09/422,360
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168, 717/170, 717/172, 717/174, 717/176, 717/177, 717/169, 717/162, 717/164, 717/178, 717/101, 707/213, 707/203, 707/511
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Initially, an automated data collection script is updated to include the identity and location of files containing personality and license information. A list of workstations to be upgraded is then compiled. The workstation list is called by the data collection script when it is executed. The data collection script collects personality and license information from the specified file on the listed workstations. The data collection script then outputs personality and license information to a temporary file at an offboard location. An upgrade script is executed after the workstations'"'"' operating systems have been upgraded, which uses the output from the data collection script for restoring personality and license information that may have been deleted or written over during the system upgrade.

Claims

1. A data processing implemented method for providing network filesystem-based aid for computer system upgrades comprising:

designating at least one computer system;

identifying personality information attributes for the at least one computer system;

collecting personality information attribute values from an original location based on the at least one computer system and the personality information attributes;

storing the personality information attribute values in a storage location different from the personality information attribute value'"'"'s original location;

determining if a restoration of the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system is to be performed; and

restoring the personality information attribute values from the storage location to the at least one computer system.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

receiving a script for automatically restoring the personality information attribute values on the at least one computer system.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein collecting the personality information attribute values is performed by an automated data collection script.

4. The method recited in claim 3 wherein the automated data collection script is updated using the personality information attributes.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein types of the personality information attribute values are one of printer definitions, tty definitions, network interfaces, user passwords, and license information.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the personality information attributes are one of file identity, file location, filesystem identity, and filesystem location.

7. The method recited in claim 4 wherein designating the at least one computer system comprises creating a computer system list for the at least one designated computer system.

8. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the automated data collection script calls the computer system list for designation of the at least one computer system.

9. The method recited in claim 1 wherein storing the personality information attribute values in a storage location further comprises:

storing the personality information attribute values offboard the at least one computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a restoration of the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system is to be performed includes:

determining if an upgrade of at least one system software component has been performed on the at least one computer system; and

restoring the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system if an upgrade to the at least one system software component has been performed in order to customize the system software component.

11. A data processing implemented method for providing network filesystem-based aid for computer system upgrades comprising:

collecting information values from a plurality of computer systems using an automated data collection script;

receiving notification the plurality of computer systems have been upgraded; and

customizing the plurality of computer systems using an automated upgrade script, wherein the automated upgrade script uses the information values collected from the data collection script for customizing corresponding types of information on the plurality of computer systems.

12. The method recited in claim 11 wherein the automated data collection script is updated using one of printer definitions, tty definitions, network interfaces, user passwords, and license information.

13. The method recited in claim 12 wherein the automated data collection script calls a list of computer systems to be customized subsequent to a computer system upgrade.

14. The method recited in claim 11 wherein the automated data collection script receives a list of computer system from which to collect the information values.

15. The method recited in claim 11 further comprises:

recreating application filesystems associated with the plurality of computer systems using an automated filesystem recreation script.

16. A data processing system for providing network filesystem-based aid for computer system upgrades comprising:

designating means for designating at least one computer system;

identifying means identifying personality information attributes for the at least one computer system;

collecting means for collecting personality information attribute values from an original location based on the at least one computer system and the personality information attributes;

storing means for storing the personality information attribute values in a storage location different from the personality information attribute value'"'"'s original location;

determining means for determining if a restoration of the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system is to be performed; and

restoring means for restoring the personality information attribute values from the storage location to the at least one computer system.

17. The system recited in claim 16 further comprises:

receiving means for receiving a script for automatically restoring the personality information attribute values on the at least one computer system.

18. The system recited in claim 16 wherein the collecting means for collecting the personality information attribute values is an automated data collection script.

19. The system recited in claim 18 wherein the automated data collection script is updated using the personality information attributes.

20. The system recited in claim 19 wherein the designating means for designating the at least one computer system comprises a creating means for creating a computer system list for the at lest one designated computer system.

21. The system recited in claim 20 wherein the automated data collection script calls the computer system list for designation of the at least one computer system.

22. The system recited in claim 16 wherein types of the personality information attribute values are one of printer definitions, tty definitions, network interfaces, user passwords, and license information.

23. The system recited in claim 16 wherein the personality information attributes are one of file identity, file location, filesystem identity and filesystem location.

24. The system recited in claim 16 wherein the storing means for storing the personality information attribute values in a storage location further comprises:

storing means for storing the personality information attribute values offboard the at least one computer system.

25. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the determining means for determining if a restoration of the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system is to be performed includes:

means for determining if an upgrade of at least one system software component has been performed on the at least one computer system; and

means for restoring the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system if an upgrade to the at least one system software component has been performed in order to customize the system software component.

26. A data processing system for providing network filesystem-based aid for computer system upgrades comprising:

collecting means for collecting information values from a plurality of computer systems using an automated data collection script;

receiving means for receiving notification the plurality of computer systems have been upgraded; and

customizing means for customizing the plurality of computer systems using an automated upgrade script, wherein the automated upgrade script uses the information values collected from the automated data collection script for customizing corresponding types of information on the plurality of computer systems.

27. The system recited in claim 26 wherein the automated data collection script is updated using one of printer definitions, tty definitions, network interfaces, user passwords and license information.

28. The system recited in claim 27 wherein the automated data collection script calls a list of computer systems to be customized subsequent to a computer system upgrade.

29. The system recited in claim 26 wherein the automated data collection script receives a list of computer system from which to collect the information values.

30. The system recited in claim 26 further comprises:

recreating means for recreating application filesystems associated the plurality of computer systems using an automated filesystem recreation script.

31. A data processing implemented computer program product for providing network filesystem-based aid for computer system upgrades comprising:

designating instructions for designating at least one computer system;

identifying instructions for identifying personality information attributes for the at least one computer system;

collecting instructions for collecting personality information attribute values from an original location based on the at least one computer system and the personality information attributes;

storing means for storing the personality information attribute values in a storage location different from the personality information attribute value'"'"'s original location;

determination instructions for determining if a restoration of the personality information attribute values to the at least one computer system is to be performed; and

restoring instructions for restoring the personality information attribute values from the storage location to the at least one computer system.