User centric program product distribution

• US 6,532,588 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Hall Aluminum LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xoucin, Inc.
• Inventors: Porter, Swain W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/323,579
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/3, 707/203, 709/203, 709/223, 380/229, 380/255, 380/277
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• 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

A user centric approach to program product distribution, including a complementary multi-vendor code control system (MVCCS) suitable for use to practice the user centric distribution approach is disclosed. Under the user centric approach, versioning control information of the source/object files of various program products to be installed on various user computer systems are maintained on a user computer system by user computer system basis. Each user computer system or its proxy is provided with a portion or an entire MVCCS to facilitate receipt and storage into a common repository for the user computer system versioning control information of different source/object files of different software vendors, and to facilitate retrieval of selective versions of the different source/object files for the user computer system using versioning control information stored in the common repository for the user computer system. In one embodiment, the MVCCS is further equipped to facilitate receipt and storage into a common library, the different source/object files identified by corresponding universally unique identifiers (UUID), and the versioning control information includes predecessor UUID information. In one embodiment, both the common repository and the common library, as well as the entire MVCCS are disposed on the user computer system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating versioning control information for a plurality of source/object files of a program product; and

distributing a plurality of copies of the versioning control information for storage for a plurality of user computer systems, with the storage of the versioning control information being performed on a user computer system by user computer system basis, one copy of the versioning control information per user computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the source files are in either a base or a delta form, and the method further comprises generating and assigning an universally unique identifier (UUID) to identify each of the base/delta source files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of versioning control information for the plurality of source/object files comprises generating predecessor UUID information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said distributing of versioning control information for storage for a plurality of user computer systems, comprises distributing the versioning control information for storage in a plurality of repositories, one repository for each user computer system, each repository storing versioning control information of a plurality of program product vendors for a corresponding user computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises distributing source/object files for storage in a plurality of corresponding libraries, one library for each user computer system, each library storing source/object files for a plurality of program product vendors for a corresponding user computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said distributing of versioning control information further comprises distributing selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross program product dependency information,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the source files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said source files are written in a selected one of a text mark up language and a natural language.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium;

a processor;

a code control/distribution system stored in said storage medium to be operated by the processor to generate versioning control information for a plurality of source/object files of a program product, and to distribute a plurality of copies of the versioning control information for storage for a plurality of user computer systems, with the storage of the versioning control information being performed on a user computer system by user computer system basis, one copy of the versioning control information per user computer system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the source files are in either a base or a delta form, and the code control/distribution system generates and assigns an universally unique identifier (UUID) to identify each of the base/delta source files.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said code control/distribution system further generates predecessor UUID information for each of the base/delta source files.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said code control/distribution system distributes the versioning control information for storage in a plurality of repositories, one repository for each user computer system, each repository storing versioning control information of a plurality of program product vendors for a corresponding user computer system.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the code control/distribution system further distributes the source/object files for storage in a plurality of corresponding libraries, one library for each user computer system, each library storing source/object files for a plurality of program product vendors for a corresponding user computer system.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said code control/distribution system further distributes selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross program product dependency information,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the source files.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said source files are written in a selected one of a text mark up language and a natural language.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

a recordable medium having recorded thereon a plurality of programming instructions for use to program an apparatus to enable the apparatus to be able to generate versioning control information for a plurality of source/object files of a program product, and to be able to distribute a plurality of copies of the versioning control information for storage for a plurality of user computer systems, with the storage of the versioning control information being performed on a user computer system by user computer system basis, one copy of the versioning control information per user computer system.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein each of the source files are in either a base or a delta form, and the programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to generate and assign an universally unique identifier (UUID) to identify each of the base/delta source files.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein said programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to generate predecessor UUID information for each of the base/delta source files.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to distribute the versioning control information for storage in a plurality of repositories, one repository for each user computer system, each repository storing versioning control information of source/object files of a plurality of program product vendors for a corresponding user computer system.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein said programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to distribute the source/object files for storage in a plurality of corresponding libraries, one library for each user computer system, each library storing source/object files for a plurality of program product vendors for the corresponding user computer system.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein said programming instructions further enable the apparatus to be able to distribute selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross program product dependency information,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the source files.

21. A computer implemented method comprising:

facilitating receipt and storage into a common repository for a user computer system private copies of versioning control information of the user computer system of a first and a second plurality of source/object files of a first and a second software vendor; and

facilitating retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files for the user computer system using said private copies of versioning control information of the user computer system stored in the common repository for the user computer system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

each of the first and second plurality of source files is either a base or a delta source file, identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID), and

said facilitating of receipt and storage into a common repository for the user computer system versioning control information of the first and second plurality of source files, comprises facilitating receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system predecessor UUID information for the corresponding UUID of the first and second plurality of base/delta source files.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said facilitating of receipt and storage into a common repository for the user computer system versioning control information of the first and second plurality of source/object files, comprises facilitating receipt and storage into a common repository disposed on the user computer system said versioning control information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said method further comprises of facilitating receipt and storage of the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software vendors, each being identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID).

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said facilitating of receipt and storage of the first and second plurality of source/object files identified by UUID comprises facilitating receipt and storage into a common library for the user computer system the first and second plurality of source/object files identified by UUID.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said common library is disposed on the user computer system.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein

said first and second plurality of source/object files are source/object files of a first and a second software program product of the first and the second software vendor, and

said facilitating of retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files is performed to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said facilitating of retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files is performed to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system, in response to a request expressed in a timeline context by a user of the user computer system.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said facilitating of retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files is performed to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system to maintain software compatibility for the user computer system.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said facilitating of receipt and storage into a common repository for the user computer system versioning control information of the first and second plurality of source/object files further comprises facilitating receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross software product dependency information, for the different versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software program products,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the first and second plurality of source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the first and second plurality of source files.

31. A user computer system comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium;

a multi-vendor code control system (MVCCS) stored into the storage medium for operation by the processor to facilitate receipt and storage into a common repository for the user computer system, private copies of versioning control information of the user computer system of a first and a second plurality of source/object files of a first and a second software vendor, and to facilitate retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files for the user computer system, using said private copies of the versioning control information of the user computer system stored in the common repository for the user computer system.

32. The user computer system of claim 31, wherein

each of the first and second plurality of source files is either a base or a delta source file, identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID), and

said MVCCS facilitates receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system predecessor UUID information for the corresponding UUID of the first and second plurality of base/delta source files.

33. The user computer system of claim 31, wherein said user computer system further includes said common repository for the user computer system.

34. The user computer system of claim 31, wherein said MVCCS further facilitates receipt and storage of the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software vendors, each being identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID).

35. The user computer system of claim 34, wherein said MVCCS further facilitates receipt and storage of the first and second plurality of source/object files identified by UUID into a common library for the user computer system.

36. The user computer system of claim 35, wherein said user computer system further includes said common library.

37. The user computer system of claim 31, wherein

said first and second plurality of source/object files are source files of a first and a second software program product of the first and the second software vendor, and

said MVCCS performs said facilitating of retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system.

38. The user computer system of claim 37, wherein said user computer system further comprises input/output devices to facilitate a user of the user computer system to submit a request in a timeline context to cause said MVCCS to facilitate said retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system.

39. The user computer system of claim 37, wherein said MVCCS facilitates said retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system to maintain software compatibility for the user computer system.

40. The user computer system of claim 37, wherein said MVSCS further facilitates receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross software product dependency information, for the different versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software program products,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the first and second plurality of source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the first and second plurality of source files.

41. An article of manufacture comprising:

a recordable medium having recorded thereon a plurality of programming instructions for use to program an apparatus to enable the apparatus to be able to facilitate receiving and storing into a common repository for a user computer system, private copies of versioning control information of the user computer system of a first and a second plurality of source/object files of a first and a second software vendor, and to be able to facilitate retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files for the user computer system using said private copies of versioning control information of the user computer system stored in the common repository for the user computer system.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein each of the first and second plurality of source files is either a base or a delta source file, identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID), and said programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to facilitate receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system, predecessor UUID information for the UUIDs of the first and second plurality of base/delta source files.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein said programming instructions further enable the apparatus to be able to facilitate receipt and storage into a common source library for the user computer system, the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software vendors, each being identified with an universally unique identifier (UUID).

44. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein said first and second plurality of source/object files are source/object files of a first and a second software program product of the first and the second software vendor, and said facilitating of retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files is performed to facilitate selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 44, wherein said programming instructions enable the apparatus to be able to facilitate retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files for selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system, in response to a request expressed in a timeline context by a user of the user computer system.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 44, wherein said programming instructions enable the apparatus to facilitate retrieval of selective versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files for selective generation of the first and/or the second software program product for the user computer system to maintain software compatibility for the user computer system.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein said programming instructions further enable the apparatus to facilitate receipt and storage into the common repository for the user computer system selected ones of

(a) dependency information, including cross software product dependency information, for the different versions of the first and second plurality of source/object files of the first and second software program products,

(b) locking information for selected ones of the first and second plurality of source files to prevent the selected ones from being updated, and

(c) privilege or security information for the first and second plurality of source files.