Method and system for upgrading and rolling back versions

• US 6,996,817 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valve Corporation
• Original Assignee: Valve Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Paul David, Newcombe, Christopher Richard, Birum, Derrick Jason, Thompson, Mikel Howard, Ellis, Richard Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US10/317,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-173, 717175-178, 709/220, 709/226, 709/229, 709/203, 707202-204, 707/1, 703/2
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and system for versioning of applications is provided. A version of an application may be updated or rolled back transparently to the client. A list of resources in a current version of an application is created and compared to the list of resources in a new version. When a resource is not included in the current version but is included in the new version, a notation is made to include the resource in the new version. When an extra resource is in the current version but not in the new version, a notation is made to purge the resource so that it is not included in the new version. These notations may be created in a purge list used by the client to request the resources needed to change versions. No interaction is needed by the client to change versions.

Claims

1. A method for changing a version of an application transparently on a client, comprising:

determining a list of resources to enable the client to change the version of the application, wherein the list of resources enables, at least in part, an upgrade to a new version and a rollback from a current version of the application;

providing the client with at least a subset of the resources associated with the list of resources;

changing at least a portion of the version of the application using, in part, a purge list and the list of resources; and

executing at least a portion of the changed version of the application on the client before all of the resources associated with the changed version are available on the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the list of resources, further comprises:

determining the purge list that indicates at least one resource to purge from the current version, the at least one purged resource remaining accessible to the client independent of accessing a server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the purge list further comprises at least one resource to add to the current version to change to the new version of the application.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the purge list to the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a list of resources further comprises identifying at least one resource associated with the current version of the application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the version may be changed on the client in a background.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the version of the application further enables multiple versions of a shared resource to reside on the client.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein executing at least a portion of the changed version of the application further comprises:

determining a minimum set of resources needed to execute the changed version.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the list of resources, at least a subset of the resources, or a purge list is encrypted.

10. A server for changing a version of an application on a client, comprising:

a network interface component for receiving and sending information;

a processor, in communication with the network interface component, that includes machine instructions that cause the processor to perform operations, including;

providing the client with a list of resources to enable the client to change the version of the application;

providing the client with a purge list that enables an upgrade to a new version and a rollback from a current version of the application;

enabling a modification of at least a portion of the version of the application on the client based on the purge list and the list of resources, wherein the client is enabled to execute at least a portion of the changed version of the application before all of the resources associated with the changed version are available on the client.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the purge list further comprises at least one resource to purge from the current version, the at least one purged resource remaining accessible to the client independent of accessing a server.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the purge list further comprises at least one resource to add to the current version when upgrading to the new version of the application.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the purge list further comprises at least one resource to add or to remove when rolling back the current version of the application.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein providing a list of resources further comprises identifying at least one resource associated with the current version of the application.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein enabling a modification of at least a portion of the version further comprises changing at least the portion of the version of the application on the client in a background.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein enabling a modification of at least a portion of the version of the application further comprises determining a minimum set of resources needed to enable the client to execute at least a portion of the changed version of the application.

17. A client for changing a version of an application on a client, comprising:

a network interface component for receiving and sending information;

a processor, in communication with the network interface component, that includes machine instructions that cause the processor to perform operations, including;

receiving a list of resources to enable the client to change the version of the application;

receiving a purge list that enables an upgrade to a new version or a rollback from a current version of the application;

modifying at least a portion of the version of the application on the client based on the purge list and the list of resources; and

executing at least a portion of the changed version of the application before all of the resources associated with the changed version are available on the client.

18. The client of claim 17, wherein receiving a list of resources further comprises receiving a list of at least one resource associated with the current version of the application.

19. The client of claim 17, wherein modifying at least a portion of the version of the application further comprises modifying at least the portion on the client in a background.

20. The client of claim 17, wherein modifying at least a portion of the version of the application further comprises enabling multiple versions of a shared resource to reside on the client.

21. An apparatus for changing a version of an application on a client, comprising:

means for determining a list of resources to enable a client to change the version of the application;

means for determining a purge list that enables an upgrade to a new version or a rollback from a current version of the application on the client;

means for providing the purge list and the list of resources to the client;

means for providing the client with at least a subset of the resources associated with the list of resources;

means for enabling a modification of at least a portion of the version of the application using purge list and the list of resources, wherein the client is enabled to execute at least a portion of the changed version of the application before all of the resources associated with the changed version are available on the client.