Method and apparatus for software features synchronization between software systems
First Claim
1. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, a feature exchange method comprising:
- storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A feature coordination interface between the Operating System (OS) and a Special Purpose Processor (SPP) in a computer system. Both the OS and SPP maintain a list of bit masks, identified by word numbers, where an associated bit is set in an associated bit mask if the OS or SPP supports a feature identified by the bit. During initialization, the OS transfers each of its bit masks to the SPP whereat features are compared. In response, the SPP sends each of its corresponding bit masks back to the OS together with an error indication if the OS does not support a feature required by the SPP. The OS compares its features with those of the SPP and enters an error shutdown process if the OS has received an error indication from the SPP or if the SPP does not support a feature required by the OS.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, a feature exchange method comprising:
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storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, a feature exchange method comprising:
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storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual supported of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed, wherein said features include required features and said comparing and taking steps include transferring said first indications from said first software program entity to said second software program entity, comparing, by said second software program entity, said first indications with said second indications, transferring said second indications from said second software program entity to said first software program entity, transferring from said second software program entity to said first software program entity, an error indication if said second indications include an indication of a required feature not included in said first indications, comparing by said first software program entity, said second indications with said first indications, and wherein said appropriate action comprises taking an error action, by said first software program entity, if said first indications include an indication of a required feature not included in said second indications and taking said error action, by said first software program entity, if said first software program entity receives said error indication. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, a feature exchange method comprising:
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storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed, wherein said features further include optional features including a particular optional feature and said step of taking an appropriate action comprises the step of taking said appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of said particular optional feature that is not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of said particular optional feature that is not included in said first indications, said appropriate action selected from the group consisting of non-enablement of said particular optional feature and enablement of an alternate mode of operation to said particular optional feature.
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15. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new or features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, feature exchange apparatus comprising:
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means for storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities wherein installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, means for storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said feature operates properly, means for comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and means for taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indications of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, feature exchange apparatus comprising:
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means for storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, means for storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, means for comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and means for taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed, wherein said features include required features and said comparing and taking means include comprise means for transferring said first indications from said first software program entity to said second software program entity, means for comparing, by said second software program entity, said first indications with said second indications, means for transferring said second indications from said second software program entity to said first software program entity, means for transferring, from said second software program entity to said first software program entity, an error indication if said second indications include an indication of a required feature not included in said first indications, and means for comparing, by said first software program entity, said second indications with said first indications, and wherein said means for taking an appropriate action comprises means for taking an error action, by said first software program entity, if said first indications include an indication of a required feature not included in said second indications and taking said error action, by said first software program entity, if said first software program entity receives said error indication. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. The a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, feature exchange apparatus comprising:
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means for storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, means for storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities in order to operate properly, means for comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and means for taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed, wherein said features further include optional features including a particular optional feature, and said means for taking an appropriate action comprises means for taking said appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of said particular optional feature that is not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of said particular optional feature that is not included in said first indications, said appropriate action selected from the group consisting of non-enablement of said particular optional feature and enablement of an alternate mode of operation to said particular optional feature.
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Specification