Project-based configuration management method and apparatus

• US 6,973,466 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kaler, Christopher G., Lovell, Martyn S., Grier, Michael J., Kruy, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/851,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/201, 707/203
• US Class Current: 707/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A configuration management system creates (602) each configuration by assigning a configuration identifier to each configuration. In addition, relational information is computed (706) that indicates the relationships between the configuration and any configurations upon which it is based. The system then tracks (604) changes to files of the configuration by storing information associating each new file version with the configuration identifier. The system also tracks (1210) changes to file properties. A configuration is then reconstructed (608) as of a desired date, by identifying (2104, 2106) the file versions and properties associated with that configuration as of the desired date. A determination is made (2110) whether a user that has requested the file versions has access privileges by first checking a security cache (2600) for the user privileges information. If the information is not on the cache, it is computed from a security table (2800) and stored on the cache. The system automatically compresses (3118) and reconstitutes (3006) file versions that are stored in the version store.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a configuration management system, for tracking changes to a configuration of a project having multiple files, the method comprising:

tracking property information for properties that are modified in a first configuration of a software project;

pre-computing relational information that describes relationships between a second configuration and the first configuration; and

reconstructing a version of the second configuration by reusing the property information from the configuration wherein pre-computing the relational information comprises;

identifying the first configuration as a configuration upon which the second configuration is based; and

determining which changes along a history line for the first configuration are incorporated into the second configuration.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein tracking property information comprises:

determining that a change has been made to a property of a file that is associated with the first configuration; and

storing historical information describing the change, wherein the historical information includes a property identifier that identifies the property, a value of the property, and a file identifier that identifies the file.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein reconstructing the version of the second configuration comprises determining, from the property information, a set of properties and property values that applied to the version of the second configuration.

4. A method, performed by a configuration management system for tracking changes to a configuration of a project having multiple files, the method comprising:

determining that a change has been made to a property of a file that is associated with the configuration;

storing historical information describing the change, wherein the historical information includes a property identifier that identifies the property, a value of the property, and a file identifier that identifies the file; and

reconstructing the configuration as of a desired date by determining a set of properties and property values that applied to the configuration based on a configuration identifier and the historical information.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of storing the historical information comprises:

adding a record to a property contents table, wherein the property contents table includes information pertaining to each value of each property managed by the configuration management system;

storing the property identifier in a first field of the record;

storing the value in a second field of the record; and

storing the file identifier in a third field of the record.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

determining if the change is an addition of a new property to be associated with the file; and

if the change is the addition of the new property, storing information identifying the new property.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of storing the information identifying the new property comprises:

assigning the property identifier to the property;

adding a record to a properties table, wherein the properties table includes information identifying to property managed by the configuration management system;

storing the property identifier in a first field of the record; and

storing a property name in a second field of the record.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 4.

9. A method, performed by a configuration management system, for incorporating changes made to files of a first configuration of a project into files of a second configuration of the project, where the second configuration is related to the first configuration, the method comprising:

storing relational information describing a relationship between the files of the first configuration and the files of the second configuration;

tracking new changes to the files of the first configuration;

receiving a request to incorporate the new changes into the second configuration; and

modifying the relational information to reflect a new relationship between the files of the first configuration and the files of the second configuration, wherein the new relationship includes information reflecting incorporation of the new changes into the second configuration;

determining merge-related information which indicates prior file operations that might affect how the files of the first configuration are incorporated into the files of the second configuration; and

incorporating the changes to the files of the first configuration into the files of the second configuration using the merge-related information.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the relational information identifies which changes made within the first configuration should be incorporated into the second configuration, and modifying the relational information comprises indicating that the new changes are incorporated into the second configuration.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the relational information is stored in a relational table that includes information pertaining to relationships between each configuration managed by the configuration management system, and the step of modifying comprises:

adding one or more records to the relational table; and

storing the relational information in a field of the one or more records.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 9.