Intelligent update agent

• US 6,976,251 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Meyerson, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roche, Trenton J.
• Application Number:
  US09/867,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method of updating computer software includes downloading software update information through a network, such as the Internet, to a user'"'"'s computer. The download is preferably done periodically and automatically. If available, a criticality check program identified in the software update information is then automatically downloaded and executed to determine the configuration of the user'"'"'s computer. The criticality and applicability of available software updates are evaluated by the criticality check program in light of the specific software and/or hardware configuration of the user'"'"'s computer. The software updates may then be downloaded and installed automatically, if previously authorized by the user, by comparing the criticality of the updates to the user, as determined by the criticality check program, to stored user preference information specifying a user criticality threshold. Software updates determined to be more critical than the user criticality threshold are installed automatically and the user is notified of the availability of less critical updates.

Claims

1. A method of updating computer software on a computer comprising:

downloading software update information through a network to the computer;

determining if a software update is available from the software update information;

downloading a criticality check program through the network to the computer;

executing the criticality check program on the computer;

evaluating the criticality of the software update from an output of the criticality check program and the software update information;

accessing stored user preference information that includes a user criticality threshold; and

determining if the software update should be automatically downloaded and installed by comparing the user criticality threshold of the user preference information and the evaluated criticality of the software update.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the software update information includes a criticality rating.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of executing the criticality check program on the computer includes determining the configuration of the computer and the step of evaluating the criticality of the software update includes adjusting the criticality rating from the software update information dependent upon the configuration of the computer to produce the evaluated criticality of the software update.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the software update information includes a location for downloading the criticality check program.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of downloading the criticality check program includes downloading the criticality check program from the criticality check program location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the software update information includes a location for downloading the software update.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the steps of:

downloading the software update from the software update location; and

automatically installing the software update.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of producing a notification that the software update has been installed.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of determining if a computer reboot is necessary and including a request in the notification that the computer be rebooted if a computer reboot is necessary.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the step of notifying the user of the availability of additional software updates.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the step of producing a notification if it is determined from the user preference information and the evaluated criticality of the software update that the software update should not be automatically downloaded and installed.

12. The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining from the software update information whether to skip the steps of downloading and executing the criticality check program and evaluating the criticality of the software update, and wherein the step of determining if the software update should be automatically downloaded and installed comprises comparing the user criticality threshold included in the user preference information with a criticality rating included in the software update information.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of downloading software update information comprises periodically automatically downloading software update information through the network to the computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of downloading software update information includes sending a software update query through the network requesting the software update information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the software update query includes software identification information identifying software to be updated and the software update information relates to the software to be updated identified in the software identification information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the software update query includes software publisher information identifying a publisher of software to be updated and the software update information includes a list of software updates available for software published by the publisher identified in the software identification information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining if a software update is available from the software update information comprises determining from the list of software updates if a software update is available for software on the computer.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the software update query includes software publisher information identifying at least one additional publisher of software to be updated and the software update information includes a list of software updates available for software published by each publisher identified in the software identification information.

19. A method of updating computer software on a computer comprising:

downloading software update information through a network to the computer, the software update information including a criticality rating for a software update identified in the software update information;

accessing stored user preference information, the user preference information including a criticality threshold set by a user of the computer;

determining if the software update is a critical software update by comparing the criticality rating to the criticality threshold;

automatically downloading the software update if the software update is a critical software update; and

automatically installing the software update if the software update is a critical software update.

20. A method of updating computer software on a computer comprising:

periodically automatically downloading software update information through a network to the computer, the software update information including;

a location for downloading a software update, a criticality rating for the software update, and a location for downloading a criticality check program;

automatically downloading the criticality check program through the network to the computer;

executing the criticality check program on the computer;

evaluating the criticality of the software update from an output of the criticality check program and the criticality rating;

accessing stored user preference information containing a user criticality threshold; and

determining if the software update should be automatically downloaded and installed by comparing the user criticality threshold and the evaluated criticality of the software update.

21. A computer program product for updating computer software on a computer, said computer program product having:

computer readable program code means for downloading software update information through a network to the computer;

computer readable program code means for determining if a software update is available from the software update information;

computer readable program code means for downloading a criticality check program through the network to the computer;

computer readable program code means for executing the criticality check program on the computer;

computer readable program code means for evaluating the criticality of the software update from an output of the criticality check program and the software update information;

computer readable program code means for accessing stored user preference information that includes a user criticality threshold; and

computer readable program code means for determining if the software update should be automatically downloaded and installed by comparing the user criticality threshold of the user preference information and the evaluated criticality of the software update.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for updating computer software on a computer, said method steps comprising:

downloading software update information through a network to the computer;

determining if a software update is available from the software update information;

downloading a criticality check program through the network to the computer;

executing the criticality check program on the computer;

evaluating the criticality of the software update from an output of the criticality check program and the software update information;

accessing stored user preference information that includes a user criticality threshold; and

determining if the software update should be automatically downloaded and installed by comparing the user criticality threshold of the user preference information and the evaluated criticality of the software update.

23. A computer program product for updating computer software on a computer, said computer program product having:

computer readable program code means for downloading software update information through a network to the computer, the software update information including a criticality rating for a software update identified in the software update information;

computer readable program code means for accessing stored user preference information, the user preference information including a criticality threshold set by a user of the computer;

computer readable program code means for determining if the software update is a critical software update by comparing the criticality rating to the criticality threshold;

computer readable program code means for automatically downloading the software update if the software update is a critical software update; and

computer readable program code means for automatically installing the software update if the software update is a critical software update.

24. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for updating computer software on a computer, said method steps comprising:

downloading software update information through a network to the computer, the software update information including a criticality rating for a software update identified in the software update information;

accessing stored user preference information, the user preference information including a criticality threshold set by a user of the computer;

determining if the software update is a critical software update by comparing the criticality rating to the criticality threshold;

automatically downloading the software update if the software update is a critical software update; and

automatically installing the software update if the software update is a critical software update.