Software installation verification tool

• US 6,560,776 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Prenger, Deborah K., Drapal, Myron Eugene, Breggin, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/507,125
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/2, 717/4, 717/8, 717/168-178, 707/203, 703/22
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention automatically generates an installation file or database containing information describing or characterizing the installation. A verifying tool can compare the installation information to installed information relating to or describing the files actually installed by the install program.

Claims

1. A method for generating information for use in verifying an installation of at least one program onto a target computational component, comprising:

providing an installation program, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a target computational component and at least one program to be installed on the target computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the target computational component;

parsing at least some of the installation program to provide a collection of a plurality of first file identifiers and/or first file changes associated with the installation program; and

collecting additional information associated with each of the plurality of first file identifiers and/or first file changes in the collection to form installation data,

wherein the parsing step includes setting a mode indicator for controlling a mode of a build computational component, the mode being at least one of a parsing mode and a nonparsing mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the installation program on the target computational component;

collecting a plurality of corresponding second file identifiers and/or second file changes on the target computational component; and

comparing the installation data with the plurality of corresponding second file identifiers and/or second file changes to identify exceptions between corresponding first and second file identifiers and/or first and second file changes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing step generates one or more exceptions and the further comprising:

filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information includes one or more of the following:

file description, file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing step includes:

collecting information on a file installed on the target computational component during the executing step, the information including file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step includes:

searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the build computational component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the symbol is a compiler variable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step includes:

searching the text of the installation program for a compiler variable; and

setting a mode indicator based on the value of the compiler variable.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step includes:

determining a nesting level associated with a compiler variable; and

setting the mode indicator based on the nesting level.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the parsing step includes:

removing the compiler variable from a stack of compiler variables, the stack providing the nesting level of the compiler variable.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing step includes:

collecting predetermined information about the target computational component, the predetermined information including a directory of files that were replaced during installation, a directory of files added during the installation, hardware configuration information, operating system configuration, and date/time.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the parsing and collecting steps are performed simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for executing the installation program on the target computational component;

means for collecting second file identifiers and/or second file changes on the target computational component; and

means for comparing the computational component installation data with the second file identifiers and/or second file changes to identify exceptions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for comparing generates one or more exceptions and further comprising:

means for filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional information includes one or more of the following:

file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for comparing includes:

means for collecting predetermined information on a file installed on the target computer, the information including file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

16. A system for generating information for use in verifying an installation of at least one program onto a target computational component, comprising:

memory means comprising an installation program, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a target computational component and at least one program to be installed on the target computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the target computational component;

means for parsing at least some of the installation program to provide a collection of file identifiers and/or file changes associated with the installation program; and

means for collecting additional information about each of the files corresponding to the file identifiers and/or about each of the file changes in the collection to form installation data,

wherein said means for parsing includes means for setting a mode indicator for controlling a mode of the a build computational component, the mode being at least one of a parsing mode and a nonparsing mode.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for parsing includes:

means for searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the build computational component, wherein the symbol is at least one of a compiler variable and a noncompiler variable.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for parsing includes:

means for determining a nesting level associated with a compiler variable; and

means for setting the mode indicator based on the nesting level.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the installation file contains a collection of file identifiers and file changes associated with the installation program and, for each file identifier, one or more of the following:

corresponding file location, corresponding file size, corresponding file version, last modification date of corresponding file, and whether or not the corresponding file is registered.

21. A system for generating information for use in verifying an installation of at least one program, comprising:

a first computational component;

an installation program in the first computational component, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a second computational component and at least one program to be installed on the second computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the second computational component;

a parser for parsing at least some of the installation program to create an installation file, the installation file containing first information associated with the target computational component after execution of the installation program by the target computational component; and

a mode indicator for controlling a mode of the first computational component, the mode being at least one of a parsing mode and a nonparsing mode.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

an information collector for collecting, after execution of the installation program by the second computational component, second information corresponding to the file identifiers and/or file changes in the installation file, the second information comprising second file changes, second file identifiers, and for each of the files corresponding to the second file identifiers;

file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

an installation verification tool for comparing the installation file with the second information to identify exceptions.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the verification tool generates one or more exceptions and further comprising:

a filter for filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the installation and installed information further comprise one or more file identifiers and, for each file corresponding to each file identifier, one or more of the following:

file description, file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the parser includes:

a searcher for searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the first computational component, the symbol being at least one of a compiler variable and a noncompiler variable.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the parser includes:

a nesting level associated with a compiler variable;

a stack of items for tracking the nesting level; and

a mode setter for setting the mode indicator based on the nesting level.

28. A system for generating information for use in verifying an installation of at least one program, comprising:

a first computational component;

an installation program in the first computational component, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a second computational component and at least one program to be installed on the second computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the second computational component;

a parser for parsing at last some of the installation program to create an installation file, the installation file containing first information associated with the target computational component after execution of the installation program by the target computational component,

wherein the parser includes a searcher for searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the first computational component, the symbol being at least one of a compiler variable and a noncompiler variable.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the installation file contains a collection of file identifiers and file changes associated with the installation program and, for each file identifier, one or more of the following:

corresponding file location, corresponding file size, corresponding file version, last modification date of corresponding file, and whether or not the corresponding file is registered.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the parser includes:

a nesting level associated with a compiler variable;

a stack of items for tracking the nesting level; and

a mode setter for setting the mode indicator based on the nesting level.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

an information collector for collecting, after execution of the installation program by the second computational component, second information corresponding to the file identifiers and/or file changes in the installation file, the second information comprising second file changes, second file identifiers, and for catch of the files corresponding to the second file identifiers;

file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

an installation verification tool for comparing the installation file with the second information to identify exceptions.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the verification tool generates one or more exceptions and further comprising:

a filter for filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

34. A system for generating information for use in verifying an installation of at least one program, comprising:

a first computational component;

an installation program in the first computational component, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a second computational component and at least one program to be installed on the second computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the second computational component;

a parser for parsing at least some of the installation program to create an installation file, the installation file containing first information associated with the target computational component after execution of the installation program by the target computational component, wherein the parser includes;

a nesting level associated with a compiler variable,

a stack of items for tracking the nesting level; and

a mode setter for setting the mode indicator based on the nesting level.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the installation file contains a collection of file identifiers and file changes associated with the installation program and, for each file identifier, one or more of the following:

corresponding file location, corresponding file size, corresponding file version, last modification date of corresponding file, and whether or not the corresponding file is registered.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

an information collector for collecting, after execution of the installation program by the second computational component, second information corresponding to the file identifiers and/or fire changes in the installation file, the second information comprising second file changes, second file identifiers, and for each of the files corresponding to the second file identifiers;

file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

an installation verification tool for comparing the installation file with the second information to identify exceptions.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the verification tool generates one or more exceptions and further comprising:

a filter for filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

39. A method for verifying an installation of at least one program onto a target computational component, comprising:

providing an installation program, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a target computational component and at least one program to be installed on the target computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the target computational component;

parsing at least some of the installation program to generate hypothetical installation information associated with the execution of the installation program;

executing the installation program;

collecting actual installed information associated with the execution of the installation program; and

comparing the hypothetical installation information with the actual installed information to identify one or more exceptions, wherein the hypothetical installation information and actual installed information each comprise at least one of file identifiers and file changes, and wherein the parsing step includes;

when a mode indicator is identified, setting a mode indicator for controlling a mode of a build computational component, the mode being at least one of a parsing mode and a nonparsing mode.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the parsing step includes:

searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the build computational component.

41. A method for verifying an installation of at least one program onto a target computational component, comprising:

providing an installation program, the installation program comprising a set of installation instructions executable by a target computational component and at least one program to be installed on the target computational component, the installation instructions describing installation of the at least one program on the target computational component;

parsing at least some of the installation program to generate hypothetical installation information associated with the execution of the installation program;

executing the installation program;

collecting actual installed information associated with the execution of the installation program; and

comparing the hypothetical installation information with the actual installed information to identify one or more exceptions, wherein the hypothetical installation information and actual installed information each comprise at least one of file identifiers and file changes, and wherein the parsing step includes;

searching in the text of the installation program for a symbol indicating a change in mode of the build computational component.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the symbol is a compiler variable.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the parsing step includes:

determining a nesting level associated with the compiler variable; and

setting a mode indicator based on the nesting level.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the parsing step includes:

removing the compiler variable from a stack of compiler variables, the stack providing the nesting level of the compiler variable.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the comparing step generates one or more exceptions and the further comprising:

filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the installation and installed information further comprise one or more file identifiers and, for each file corresponding to each file identifier, one or more of the following:

file description, file location, file size, file version, last modification date of file, and whether or not the file is registered.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the comparing step generates one or more exceptions and the further comprising:

filtering the one or more exceptions by comparing the one or more exceptions to a previously determined set of exceptions.