Configuration management file rename utility

• US 7,251,668 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Oakes, Steven Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/464,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20040260693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 6, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method that allows any user to perform a file name match in any Configuration Management (CM) environment. Given any source control tool, the present invention allows a user to access and retrieve previous names used of any file (or batch of files) for any specified version or all versions of a particular file or files.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising the steps of:

installing a plug-in to modify a source control tool of the configuration management environment to include a renaming utility, wherein the source control tool did not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed prior to installing the pug-in;

extracting a first file that has been renamed from the source control tool of the configuration management environment using the renaming utility;

matching the first file to a second file using the renaming utility, wherein the second file is a previous version of the first file having a different name, wherein the different name does not follow a versioning feature of the source control tool for the first file, wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the first file that has been renamed and the previous version of the first file, and wherein both the first file and the second file exist in the source control tool.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

altering a path to the first file to be the same as a path to the second file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of altering the path to the first file is done locally.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of altering the path to the first file is performed automatically to compare the first file and second file using a source line of code counter program.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of altering the path to the first file is automatically done by the source control tool upon identifying the first file and second file.

6. A computer implemented method of managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising the steps of:

modifying a source control tool of the configuration management environment to include a renaming utility, wherein the source control tool did not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed prior to modifying the source control tool;

identifying a first file using the renaming utility;

comparing the first file to a list of files including files that have been renamed using the renaming utility;

matching the first file to a second file from the list of files using the renaming utility, wherein the first file is a renamed version of the second file, wherein the renamed version of the second file does not follow a versioning feature in the configuration management environment for the second file, wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the first file and the second file, and wherein both the first file and the second file exist in the configuration management environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the list of files is from a repository of the configuration management environment.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the list of files is maintained outside the configuration management environment.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

altering a path to the first file so the path to the first file matches the path to the second file; and

comparing the altered path to the first file and the path to the second file using a source line of code counter program to determine that the first file is a renamed version of the second file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the path to the first file is altered manually.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the path to the first file is altered by the source line of code counter program.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the matching step further comprises:

tracking the renamed files and links to previous names of the renamed files using the list of files, wherein the list of files is produced by identifying all previous names of the first file including renamed versions of the first file using the renaming utility.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

selecting a path the first file should be renamed to when extracted from a source control tool.

14. A computer implemented system for managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising:

a source control tool in the configuration management environment having a repository, wherein the source control tool does not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed;

a program that modifies the source control tool of the configuration management environment to include a renaming utility;

a first file having a first full path;

a second file having a second full path, wherein the second file is identified as a previous version of the first file with a different name, and wherein the different name does not follow a versioning feature of the source control tool for the first file, and wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the first file and the second file

wherein the first file and second file are expected from the repository; and

wherein the first full path is renamed to the second full path such that the source control tool can compare the first file and second file as different versions of the same file using the renaming utility.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first full path is renamed manually.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first full path is renamed automatically by the source control tool.

17. A computer program product executed by a processor for managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising:

first instructions for modifying a source control tool of the configuration management environment to add a renaming utility, wherein prior to adding the renaming utility, the source control tool did not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed;

second instructions for identifying a first file using the renaming utility;

third instructions for comparing the first file to a list of files including files that have been renamed using the renaming utility;

wherein the list of files is produced by identifying all previous names of the first file;

fourth instructions for matching the first file to a second file from the list of files using the renaming utility, wherein the first file is a renamed version of the second file, wherein the renamed version of the second file does not follow a versioning feature in the configuration management environment for the second file, wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the first file and the second file; and

wherein both the first file and the second file exist in the configuration management environment.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the list of files is from a repository of the configuration management environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the list of files is maintained outside the configuration management environment.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions for altering a path to the first file so the path to the first file matches the path to the second file; and

instructions for comparing the altered path to the first file and the path to the second file using a source line of code counter program to determine that the first file is a renamed version of the second file.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the path to the first file is altered manually.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the path to the first file is altered by the source line of code counter program.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the matching step further comprises:

instructions for tracking the renamed files and links to previous names of the renamed files using the list of files, wherein the list of files is produced by identifying all previous names of the first file including renamed versions of the first file using the renaming utility.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

instructions for selecting a path the first file should be renamed to when extracted from a source control tool.

25. A computer implemented system for managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising:

means for modifying a source control fool of the configuration management environment to include a renaming utility, wherein the source control tool did not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed prior to modifying the source control tool;

means for identifying a first file using the renaming utility;

means for comparing the first file to a list of files including files that have been renamed using the renaming utility;

means for matching the first files to a second file from the list of files using the renaming utility, wherein the first file is a renamed version of the second file, wherein the renamed version of the second file does not follow a versioning feature in the configuration management environment for the second file, wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the first file and the second file, and wherein both the first file and the second file exist in the configuration management environment.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the list of files is from a repository of the configuration management environment.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the list of files is maintained outside the configuration management environment.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for altering a path to the first file so the path to the first file matches the path to the second file; and

means for comparing the altered path to the first file and the path to the second file using a source line of code counter program to determine that the first file is a renamed version of the second file.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the path to the first file is altered manually.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the path to the first file is altered by the source line of code counter program.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for tracking the renamed files and links to previous names of the renamed files using the list of files, wherein the list of files is produced by identifying all previous names of the first file including renamed versions of the first file using the renaming utility.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for selecting a path the first file should be renamed to when extracted from a source control tool.

33. A computer implemented system for managing renamed files in a configuration management environment, comprising:

a source control tool, wherein the source control tool does not provide tracking of version history for files that have been renamed;

a program that modifies the source control tool of the configuration management environment to include a user interface;

a repository of files;

wherein the user interface includes an option that executes on files of the repository that have been extracted from the source control tool and matches files that have been renamed to previous versions of files, wherein the files that have been renamed do no follow a versioning feature of the source control tool for the previous versions of files, and wherein a version tracking history does not exist between the files that have been renamed and the previous versions of files.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the path of at least a first file is altered to match that of a second file;

and wherein the path of the first file is altered manually by a user through the user interface.