Method of applying an update to a contained collection of program and data files based upon versions

• US 6,912,711 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Curtis, Bryce Allen, Hsu, Jimmy Ming-Der
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/578,750
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for updating code in a software program is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a patch is provided to a plurality of versions of a program, wherein the program is updated by an installation program and a plurality of versions of the installer program exist. Next, it is determined whether the version of the installer program is incorrect. If it is, the installer program is updated from files in the patch. The patch is then installed into the program using the updated installer program.

Claims

1. A method for updating code, the method comprising:

providing an update to a plurality of versions of a program, wherein the program is updated by an installer program and a plurality of versions of the installer program exist;

determining whether a version of the installer program is incorrect with respect to the update;

responsive to the version of the installer program being incorrect, updating the installer program from files in the update; and

installing the update in the program with the updated installer program.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is older than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is more recent than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the version of the installer program is determined from a single one of a plurality of files contained within the installer program.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the updating step comprises:

extracting installer files from the installer program into a directory;

overwriting selected files from the installer program with a corresponding updated file extracted from the update; and

packaging the updated files and remaining installer files into an updated installer program.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the packaging step comprises compressing the updated files and remaining installer files to produce an updated installer program.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installer program comprises an install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the install toolkit.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installer program and the update are written in an object-oriented programming language.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installer program comprises a java install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the java install toolkit.

10. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for updating code, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for providing an update to a plurality of versions of a program, wherein the program is updated by an installer program and a plurality of versions of the installer program exist;

second instructions for determining whether a version of the installer program is incorrect with respect to the update;

third instructions, responsive to the version of the installer program being incorrect, for updating the installer program from files in the update; and

fourth instructions for installing the update in the program with the updated installer program.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is older than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is more recent than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the version of the installer program is determined from a single one of a plurality of files contained within the installer program.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the third instructions comprise:

fifth instructions for extracting installer files from the installer program into a directory;

sixth instructions for overwriting selected files from the installer program with a corresponding updated file extracted from the update; and

seventh instructions for packaging the updated files and remaining installer files into an updated installer program.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the seventh instructions comprise compressing the updated files and remaining installer files to produce an updated installer program.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the installer program comprises an install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the install toolkit.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the installer program and the update are written in an object-oriented programming language.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the installer program comprises a java install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the java install toolkit.

19. A system for updating code, the system comprising:

first means for providing an update to a plurality of versions of a program, wherein the program is updated by an installer program and a plurality of versions of the installer program exist;

second means for determining whether a version of the installer program is incorrect with respect to the update;

third means, responsive to the version of the installer program being incorrect, for updating the installer program from files in the update; and

fourth means for installing the update in the program with the updated installer program.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is older than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein a determination that the version of the installer is more recent than the update indicates that the version of the installer program is incorrect.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the version of the installer program is determined from a single one of a plurality of files contained within the installer program.

23. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the third means comprise:

fifth means for extracting installer files from the installer program into a directory;

sixth means for overwriting selected files from the installer program with a corresponding updated file extracted from the update; and

seventh means for packaging the updated files and remaining installer files into an updated installer program.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the seventh means comprise compressing the updated files and remaining installer files to produce an updated installer program.

25. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the installer program comprises an install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the install toolkit.

26. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the installer program and the update are written in an object-oriented programming language.

27. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the installer program comprises a java install toolkit and the update comprises an update to the java install toolkit.

28. A method in a data processing system for updating code, the method comprising:

receiving an update file for a program, wherein the update file includes an installer to update the program in which a plurality of versions of the installer exist;

determining whether the installer is a newer version of an existing installer for the program;

responsive to the installer being a new version of the existing installer, updating the existing installer to form an updated installer; and

installing code in the update file in the program using the updated installer.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the updating step comprises extracting files from the update installer, overwriting corresponding older files extracted from the existing installer to form updated files, and repackaging the updated files to form the updated installer.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the update file, the program, the installer, the existing installer, and the update installer comprise object-oriented code.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the object-oriented code is java.

32. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for updating code, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving an update file for a program, wherein the update file includes an installer to update the program in which a plurality of versions of the installer exist;

second instructions for determining whether the installer is a newer version of an existing installer for the program;

third instructions, responsive to the installer being a new version of the existing installer, for updating the existing installer to form an updated installer; and

fourth instructions for installing code in the update file in the program using the updated installer.

33. The computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the third instructions comprise extracting files from the updated installer, overwriting corresponding older files extracted from the existing installer to form updated files, and repacking the updated files to form the updated installer.

34. The computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the update file, the program, the installer, the existing installer, and the update installer comprise object-oriented code.

35. The computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the object-oriented code is java.

36. A system for updating code, the system comprising:

first means for receiving an update file for a program, wherein the update file includes an installer to update the program in which a plurality of versions of the installer exist;

second means for determining whether the installer is a newer version of an existing installer for the program;

third means, responsive to the installer being a new version of the existing installer, for updating the existing installer to form an updated installer; and

fourth means for installing code in the update file in the program using the updated installer.

37. The system as recited in claim 36, wherein the third means comprise extracting files from the updated installer, overwriting corresponding older files extracted from the existing installer to form updated files, and repackaging the updated files to form the updated installer.

38. The system as recited in claim 36, wherein the update file, the program, the installer, the existing installer, and the update installer comprise object-oriented code.

39. The system as recited in claim 38, wherein the object-oriented code is java.