Method and system for software distribution

• US 6,678,888 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakanishi, Yoshiko
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US09/648,038
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168-178, 709/203, 709/221, 709/201, 707/103.R, 707/203, 707/511
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A software distribution system includes a first management means is provided for controlling premise software. A second management means is provided to controls already installed software. A third management means is provided for controlling software affected by software updates. A distribuied-software determination means determines software to be distributed in accordance with a received command making a request for distribution of the software.

Claims

1. A software distribution method for distributing software from a first computer to a second computer, said software distribution method comprising the steps of:

controlling first software and second software required for using said first software by associating said first software with said second software;

controlling third software already installed in a controlled system by associating said third software with said controlled system;

controlling fourth software affected by updating of said third software by associating said fourth software with said third software;

receiving a command making a request for distribution of said first software;

finding said fourth software affected by updating of said third software and treating said fourth software like another version of said first software if said first software is an updated version of said third software;

finding a range of versions of said second software matching said third software; and

taking an updated version of said fourth software treated like another version of said first software and suitable for a range of versions of said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software as an object to be distributed if a version of said first software specified by said command is not included in said range of versions of said second software required for using said fourth software.

2. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby:

software installed in said controlled system is controlled by assigning a use priority level to said software;

a priority level of software taken as an object to be distributed is compared with said use priority level assigned to said software already installed in said controlled system in execution of a command making a request for distribution of said software taken as an object to be distributed; and

if distribution of at least said first or second software taken as an object to be distributed makes at least said third or fourth software already installed in said controlled system unusable, said first or second software is distributed provided that said priority level of said first or second software is higher than said use priority level assigned to said third or fourth software.

3. A software distribution, method according to claim 2 whereby, if a plurality of selectable versions of said object to be distributed exist, a version of said object to be distributed is selected so as to satisfy at least one of conditions including version recentness, a version size, a version installation time and a cost.

4. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby:

controlled systems that are each specified as a target of software distribution and have the same piece of said already installed third software are put in a group; and

said required second software is distributed to all controlled systems pertaining to the same group.

5. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said object to be distributed are distributed by adding information on an order of installation to said first software and said object.

6. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby said first computer controls information on software already installed in controlled systems by classifying said information by controlled system.

7. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby said second computer:

receives said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed and installs said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed; and

updates information on said fourth software if said installation is successful.

8. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed are checked prior to transmission to said second computer.

9. A software distribution method according to claim 1 whereby, when said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said object to be distributed are distributed to said second computer by way of a third computer, said third computer stores at least one of said first software specified by said command and said second software in a software memory means provided in said third computer, and if at least one said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said object to be distributed do not exist in said software memory means provided in said third computer, said first software specified by said command or said second software that does not exist in said software memory means is distributed from said first computer to said second computer.

10. A software distribution method according to claim 9 whereby, if at least one of said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said object to be distributed do not exist in said software memory means provided in said third computer, said first software specified by said command or said second software that does not exist in said software memory means is distributed from said first computer to said second computer.

11. A software distribution method for distributing software from a first computer to a second computer, said software distribution method comprising the steps of;

controlling first software and second software required for using said first software by associating said first software with second software;

controlling third software already installed in a controlled system by associating said third software with said controlled system;

controlling fourth software affected by updating of said third software by associating said fourth software with said third software;

receiving a command making a request for distribution of said first software;

finding said fourth software affected by updating of said third software and treating said fourth software like said first software if said second software required for using said first software is an updated version of said third software;

finding a range of versions of said second software matching said third software; and

finding a version of said second software as an object to be distributed from a range of versions of said second software required by said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and a range of versions of said second software required by said fourth software.

12. A software distribution method according to claim 11 whereby an updated version of said fourth software matching said range of versions of said second software required by said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software is taken as an object to be distributed if a version in said range of versions of said second software required by said first software specified by said command does not match any said range of versions of said second software required by said fourth software.

13. A software distribution system for distributing software from a first computer to a second computer, said software distribution system comprising:

means for controlling first software and second software required for using said first software by associating said first software with second software;

means for controlling third software already installed in a controlled system by associating said third software with said controlled system;

means for controlling fourth software affected by updating of said third software by associating said fourth software with said third software;

means for receiving a command marking a request for distribution of said first software;

means for finding said fourth software affected by updating of said third software and treating said fourth software like another version of said first software if said first software is an updated version of said third software;

means for finding a range of versions of said second software matching said third software; and

means for taking an updated version of said fourth software treated like another version of said first software and suitable for a range of versions of said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software as an object to be distributed if a version of said first software specified by said command is not included in said range of versions of said second software required for using said fourth software.

14. A software distribution system according to claim 13 whereby:

software installed in said controlled system is controlled by assigning a use priority level to said software;

a priority level of software taken as an object to be distributed is compared with said use priority level assigned to said software already installed in said controlled system in execution of a command making a request for distribution of said software taken as an object to be distributed; and

if distribution of at least said first or second software taken as an object to be distributed makes at least said third or fourth software already installed in said controlled system unusable, said first or second software is distributed provided that said priority level of said first or second software is higher than said use priority level assigned to said third or fourth software.

15. A software distribution system according to claim 13 whereby said second computer:

receives said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed and installs said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed; and

updates information on said fourth software if said installation is successful.

16. A software distribution system according to claim 13 whereby said first software specified by said command making a request for distribution of said first software and said second software taken as an object to be distributed are referenced checked prior to transmission to said second computer.