Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system

• US 6,615,406 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lynch, Michael, Amberg, Richard D., Wong, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/288,360
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/7, 717/2, 717/168-178, 707/203, 707/1, 709/219, 709/226
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2273 Test methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

An apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system comprises a step table and a component table. The step table contains substantially all software installation and/or testing steps for all components of all computer systems being manufactured at a given site. The component table contains substantially all components that are included within all computer systems being manufactured at the site. The apparatus also includes a step dependency table and a step parameter table. The step dependency table identifies steps in the step table which are incompatible with the presence in the computer system of a component other than that corresponding to the step. The step parameter table identifies steps in the step table which require a parameter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a step table containing substantially all software installation and/or testing steps for all components of all computer systems being manufactured at a given site;

a component table containing substantially all components that are included within all computer systems being manufactured at the site; and

a step dependency table identifying steps in the step table which are incompatible with components corresponding to other steps in the step table.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a step parameter table identifying steps in the step table which require a parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute indicating that a step has a corresponding entry in the step dependency table.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the step table includes an attribute indicating that a step has a corresponding entry in the step parameter table.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute which is a unique identification for each software installation or testing step.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute corresponding to an executable command line for performing a software installation step.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute identifying whether a halt or reboot is required after a corresponding step is executed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute indicating a maximum number of times that a corresponding step may run.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step table includes an attribute identifying a class of component which is associated with a software installation or testing step.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component table includes an attribute identifying each component within the component table.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component table includes an attribute identifying a class of component.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system corresponds to one of a family of computer systems and the apparatus further includes a family table, a family-step relation table, a family-component relation table and a component-step relation table, the family table identifying families of computer systems being manufactured, the family-step relation table identifying the relationship between a set of software installation and/or testing steps and each family of computer systems, the family-component relation table identifying the relationship between the family of computer systems and the set of components, and the component-step relation table identifying the relation between a component and a set of software installation and/or testing steps appropriate for the corresponding component.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the family-step relation table includes an attribute representing a predetermined order in which steps associated with a family are to be executed.

14. An apparatus for use in the manufacture of a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a step table containing substantially all software installation and/or testing steps for all components of all computer systems being manufactured at a given site;

a component table containing substantially all components that are included within all computer systems being manufactured at the site; and

a step parameter table identifying steps in the step table which require a parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute indicating that a step has a corresponding entry in the step parameter table.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute which is a unique identification for each software installation or testing step.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute corresponding to an executable command line for performing a software installation step.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute identifying whether a halt or reboot is required after a corresponding step is executed.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute indicating a maximum number of times that a corresponding step may run.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step table includes an attribute identifying a class of component which is associated with a software installation or testing step.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the component table includes an attribute identifying each component within the component table.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the component table includes an attribute identifying a class of component.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer system corresponds to one of a family of computer systems and the apparatus further includes a family table, a family-step relation table, a family-component relation table and a component-step relation table, the family table identifying families of computer systems being manufactured, the family-step relation table identifying the relationship between a set of software installation and/or testing steps and each family of computer systems, the family-component relation table identifying the relationship between the family of computer systems and the set of components, and the component-step relation table identifying the relation between a component and a set of software installation and/or testing steps appropriate for the corresponding component.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the family-step relation table includes an attribute representing a predetermined order in which steps associated with a family are to be executed.