Installation relationship database

• US 7,181,739 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Harral, Adam L., Richardson, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US10/387,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 717174-177, 717168-171, 707/1, 707200-203, 709/203
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method and system for administering software product installation, removal and updating on a computer network according to a versioning database, including loading a software distribution set into a versioning database, the software distribution set comprising a software product having a plurality of files for operating the software product on a computer. Loading includes loading a first entity identifying the software distribution set into the versioning database, determining whether an identity of each of the plurality of files is currently identified as an entity currently provided on the versioning database, loading a plurality of second entities each corresponding to a respective file of the plurality of files, wherein only those files of the plurality of files determined not to be identified as an entity currently provided on the versioning database are loaded as second entities. The method and system further include storing the plurality of files, linking the first entity with the plurality of second entities, targeting a workstation in communication with the computer network for installation of the software product corresponding to the software distribution set and installing the software product on the targeted workstation.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating entities for a computer system to track relationships between files, comprising:

loading a first entity and a second entity on to a computer system;

providing a first node and a second node in an installation relationship database for representing the first entity and the second entity, respectively;

determining a relationship between the first entity of the first node and a second entity of a second node;

associating the determined relationship between the first entity and the second entity with the first node and the second node; and

installing the first entity and second entity on a workstation based at least on the determined relationship.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entity is selected from the group consisting of:

a file, a group of files, a directory and a software product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining comprises comparing at least one of a name, a creation date, a modification date, and a version number of the first and the second entities.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising linking the first node with the second node in either chronological or version order.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a location of an entity, with a respective node, on a workstation of a network.

6. A method for installing a software product on a workstation computer of a computer network to track relationships between files, the network including one or more workstation computers in communication with a server for controlling installation and removal of software products on the network, the method comprising:

loading a software product on the server, wherein the software product includes a plurality of files associated with a software distribution set for the software product;

storing each file in a location accessible by the network;

establishing a plurality of new nodes in an installation relational database corresponding to each of the plurality of files, wherein each new node includes a reference to the stored location of the corresponding file;

determining a relationship between one or more of the plurality of new nodes and one or more current nodes of the installation relationship database;

linking the one or more new nodes with a related current nodes of the installation relationship database;

targeting a first workstation for installing the software product;

establishing one or more first nodes for one or more first workstation files that are earlier versions of one or more of the plurality of files of the software product;

copying the one or more workstation files to a system first workstation software distribution set for restoration purposes; and

installing each file of the plurality of files on the first workstation based at least on the determined relationship between the one or more of the plurality of new nodes and the one or more current nodes wherein the installed files are not currently stored on the first workstation or are later versions of corresponding files currently stored on the first workstation.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each related current node includes a reference to the stored location of the file corresponding to the related new node.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising establishing a new node for the software product.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising establishing a deletion node for one or more new nodes and linking the deletion node to the respective new node.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising uninstalling the software product from the first workstation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein uninstalling comprises removing the first files from the first workstation and restoring the one or more first workstation files from the first system software distribution set to the first workstation and restoring one or more files of a second software product operation on the first workstation and related to one or more files of the software product.

12. A computer readable medium storing computer instructions thereon for enabling a computer system to perform a method for installing a software product on a workstation computer of a computer network to track relationships between files, the network including one or more workstation computers in communication with a server for controlling installation and removal of software products on the network, the method comprising:

loading a software product on the server, wherein the software product includes a plurality of files associated with a software distribution set for the software product;

storing each file in a location accessible by the network;

establishing a plurality of new nodes in an installation relational database corresponding to each of the plurality of files, wherein each new node includes a reference to the stored location of the corresponding file;

determining a relationship between one or more of the plurality of new nodes and one or more current nodes of the installation relationship database;

linking the one or more new nodes with related current nodes of the installation relationship database;

targeting a first workstation for installing the software product;

establishing one or more first nodes for one or more first workstation files that are earlier versions of one or more of the plurality of files of the software product;

copying the one or more workstation files to a system first workstation software distribution set for restoration purposes; and

installing each file of the plurality of files on the first workstation based at least on the determined relationship between the one or more of the plurality of new nodes and the one or more current nodes, wherein the installed files are not currently stored on the first workstation or are later versions of corresponding files currently stored on the first workstation.

13. An application program for enabling a computer system to perform a method for installing a software product on a workstation computer of a computer network to track relationships between files, the network including one or more workstation computers in communication with a server for controlling installation and removal of software products on the network, the method comprising:

loading a software product on the server, wherein the software product includes a plurality of files associated with a software distribution set for the software product;

storing each file in a location accessible by the network;

establishing a plurality of new nodes in an installation relational database corresponding to each of the plurality of files, wherein each new node includes a reference to the stored location of the corresponding file;

determining a relationship between one or more of the plurality of new nodes and one or more current nodes of the installation relationship database;

linking the one or more new nodes with related current nodes of the installation relationship database;

targeting a first workstation for installing the software product;

establishing one or more first nodes for one or more first workstation files that are earlier versions of one or more of the plurality of files of the software product;

copying the one or more workstation files to a system first workstation software distribution set for restoration purposes; and

installing each file of the plurality of files on the first workstation based at least on the determined relationship between the one or more of the plurality of new nodes and the one or more current nodes, wherein the installed files are not currently stored on the first workstation or are later versions of corresponding files currently stored on the first workstation.

14. A system computer software enable for installing a software product on a workstation computer of a computer network to track relationships between files, the network including one or more workstation computers in communication with a server for controlling installation and removal of software products on the network, the system comprising:

loading means for loading a software product on the server, wherein the software product includes a plurality of files associated with a software distribution set for the software product;

storing means for storing each file in a location accessible by the network;

establishing means for establishing a plurality of new nodes in an installation relational database corresponding to each of the plurality of files, wherein each new node includes a reference to the stored location of the corresponding file;

determining means for determining a relationship between one or more of the plurality of new nodes and one or more current nodes of the installation relationship database;

linking means for linking the one or more new nodes with related current nodes of the installation relationship database;

targeting means for targeting a first workstation for installing the software product;

establishing means for establishing one or more first nodes for one or more first workstation files that are earlier versions of one or more of the plurality of files of the software product;

copying means for copying the one or more workstation files to a system first workstation software distribution set for restoration purposes; and

installing means for installing each file of the plurality of files on the first workstation based at least on the determined relationship between the one or more of the plurality of new nodes and the one or more current nodes, wherein the installed files are not currently stored on the first workstation or are later versions of corresponding files currently stored on the first workstation.

15. A computer readable medium storing computer instructions thereon for allowing a computer system to perform a method for coordinating entities for a computer system to track relationships between files, the method comprising:

loading a first entity and a second entity on to a computer system;

providing a first node and a second node in an installation relationship database for representing a first entity and a second entity, respectively;

determining a relationship between the first entity of the first node and a second entity of a second node;

associating the determined relationship between the first entity and the second entity with the first node and the second node; and

installing the first entity and second entity on a workstation based at least on the relationship.

16. A computer application program for allowing a computer system to perform a method for coordinating entities for a computer system to track relationships between files, the method comprising:

loading a first entity and an second entity on to a computer system;

providing a first node and a second node in an installation relationship database for representing a first entity and the second entity, respectively;

determining a relationship between the entity of the first node and a second entity of a second node;

associating the determined relationship between the first entity and the second entity with the first node and the second node; and

installing the first entity and second entity on a workstation based at least on the determined relationship.

17. A system computer software enabled computer for coordinating entities for a computer system to track relationships between files, the system comprising:

loading means for loading a first entity and a second entity on to a computer system;

providing means for providing a first node and a second node in an installation relationship database for representing the first entity and the second entity, respectively;

determining means for determining a relationship between the first entity of the first node and a second entity of a second node;

associating means for associating the determined relationship between the first entity and the second entity with the first node and the second node; and

installing the first entity and second entity on a workstation based at least on the determined relationship.

18. A computer software enabled computer system for tracking relationships between files comprising:

a versioning database comprising a plurality of nodes each corresponding to an entity, wherein related nodes are relationally linked;

a software distribution set for a software product, the software distribution set including one or more files for operating the software product, wherein the versioning database includes a node corresponding to the software product relationally linked to each node for each of the files for operating the software product, and wherein the nodes for the files for operating the software product are relationally linked to nodes corresponding to other versions of such files; and

an installer application for installing and removing software products wherein upon installing a software product the application determines the related files to be installed by using the versioning database.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising at least one workstation for installing a software product thereon.

20. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a server, wherein the server and the at least one workstation communicate via network.