Systems and methods for a bootstrap mechanism for software execution

• US 7,100,039 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fisher, Jeffrey O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Dennis M.
• Application Number:
  US10/637,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A mechanism to acquire and deploy (“bootstrap”) software files, particularly testcase files, across multiple hosts and platforms is provided. A software package is created and a predetermined bootstrap executable file is built into the package. A process on each host on which the software files are to be deployed extracts the bootstrap file and executes it. Each bootstrap executable builds corresponding software files into the software package. The process then extracts the files corresponding to its particular process from the software package.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied in a tangible storage medium, the program product for bootstrapping application execution, the program product including programming instructions for:

acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on a set of hosts, said programming instructions for acquiring said file set comprising a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package;

building each selected file into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

executing said bootstrap file.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 and further comprising programming instruction for creating an event operable for triggering in response to a completion of an assembly of the software package on each host.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 and further comprising programming instructions for starting construction of said software package.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 and further comprising programming instructions for building said bootstrap executable into said software package.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 further comprising programming instructions for extracting said bootstrap executable file from said software package.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 and further comprising programming instructions for extracting files from the software package onto a corresponding host.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 and further comprising programming instructions for reading metadata to determine a command for executing said bootstrap file.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 and further comprising programming instructions for acquiring a location of said bootstrap executable file.

9. A method for bootstrapping a software application comprising:

acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on corresponding hosts, said step of acquiring said file set performed in response to a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package;

building each selected file into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

executing said bootstrap file.

10. The method of claim 9 and further comprising creating an event operable for triggering in response to a completion of an assembly of the software package on each host.

11. The method of claim 9 and further comprising extracting files from the software package onto a corresponding host.

12. The method of claim 11 and further comprising starting construction of said software package.

13. The method of claim 12 and further comprising building said bootstrap executable into said software package.

14. The method of claim 13 and further comprising extracting said bootstrap executable file from said software package.

15. The method of claim 9 and further comprising reading metadata to determine a command for executing said bootstrap file.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising acquiring a location of said bootstrap executable file.

17. A data processing system for bootstrapping a software application comprising:

circuitry operable for acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on corresponding hosts, wherein said acquiring said file set is performed in response to a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package;

circuitry operable for building each selected file into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

circuitry operable for executing said bootstrap file.

18. The data processing system claim of 17 and further comprising circuitry operable for creating an event operable for triggering in response to a completion of an assembly of the software package on each host.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 and further comprising circuitry operable for starting construction of said software package.

20. The data processing system of claim 19 and further comprising circuitry operable for building said bootstrap executable into said software package.

21. The data processing system of claim 20 and further comprising circuitry operable for extracting said bootstrap executable file from said software package.

22. The data processing system of claim 17 and further comprising circuitry operable for extracting files from the software package onto a corresponding host.

23. The data processing system of claim 17 and further comprising circuitry operable for reading metadata to determine a command for executing said bootstrap file.

24. The data processing system of claim 17 and further comprising circuitry operable for acquiring a location of said bootstrap executable file.

25. A computer program product embodied in a tangible storage medium, the program product for bootstrapping application execution, the program product including programming instructions for:

acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on a set of hosts, said programming instructions for acquiring said file set comprising a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package, said programming instructions for copying one or more selected files from said acquired file set to each host;

for each host, building each selected file from said acquired file set into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

executing said bootstrap file.

26. A method for bootstrapping a software application comprising the steps of:

acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on corresponding hosts, said step of acquiring said file set performed in response to a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package, said programming instructions for copying one or more selected files from said acquired file set to each host;

for each host, building each selected file from said acquired file set into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

executing said bootstrap file.

27. A data processing system for bootstrapping a software application comprising:

circuitry operable for acquiring a file set for an application operable across multiple processes deployed on corresponding hosts, wherein said acquiring said file set is performed in response to a set of instructions in a bootstrap executable file included in a software package, said programming instructions for copying one or more selected files from said acquired file set to each host;

circuitry operable for building each selected file from said acquired file set into said software package wherein programming instructions for building each file of said file set into said software package are included in said bootstrap executable file; and

circuitry operable for executing said bootstrap file.