Method and apparatus for installing and upgrading an application in a computer system

• US 7,458,074 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Favre, James E., Hanson, Shawn Michael, Dull, Samuel Daniel III
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/821,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 717/116, 717168-178, 717/115, 707100-204
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A method of distributing and executing upgrade/installation instructions as data objects. These instructions can then be completed automatically requesting user interaction only when required. This method would allow someone with little knowledge of the application and/or internal implementation of said application to perform an upgrade to the application.

Claims

1. A method of upgrading a computer program installed on a first computer system, the computer program including a script processing module, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of upgrade objects associated with the computer program, each said upgrade object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by the script processing module to upgrade the computer program, the script being not independently executable without the script processing module, each said upgrade object being generated on a second computer system remote from said first computer system and transmitted from said second computer system to said first computer system, wherein each said upgrade object contains a respective sequence number, wherein at least one said upgrade object contains at least one respective prerequisite, and wherein not all said upgrade objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite;

with respect to each said upgrade object containing at least one respective prerequisite, automatically determining whether the at least one respective prerequisite has been met; and

performing an upgrade of said computer program by compiling and executing each said script on said first computer system with the script processing module, wherein, with respect to each said upgrade object containing at least one respective prerequisite, the respective script contained in the object is not compiled and executed until the respective at least one prerequisite contained in the object has been met, and wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence;

wherein at least one said upgrade object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when compiled and executed with said script processing module, instructs a user to manually perform an operation for performing said upgrade.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the script processing module to execute the script.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically reporting from said first computer system to said second computer system that the script has been executed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upgrade objects are transmitted from said second computer system to said first computer system by electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of configuring the first computer system to perform the steps of receiving a plurality of upgrade objects, automatically determining whether the at least one respective prerequisite has been met, and performing an upgrade of said computer program by compiling and executing each said script.

6. A method of upgrading a computer program installed on a first computer system, the computer program including a script processor, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of upgrade objects associated with the computer program on a second computer system remote from said first computer system, each said upgrade object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by the script processor to upgrade the computer program, the script being not independently executable without the script processor, wherein each said upgrade object contains a respective sequence number, wherein at least one said upgrade object contains at least one respective prerequisite, and wherein not all said upgrade objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite, each prerequisite to be determined as being met by said script processor before compiling and executing the script contained in the corresponding upgrade object;

transmitting the plurality of upgrade objects from the second computer system to the first computer system; and

instructing an end user to perform an upgrade of said computer program by compiling and executing each said script with the script processor, wherein, with respect to each said upgrade object containing a least one respective prerequisite, the respective script contained in the object is not compiled and executed until the respective at least one prerequisite contained in the object has been met, and wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence;

wherein at least one said upgrade object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when compiled and executed with said script processor, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for performing said upgrade.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one said upgrade object presents the end user with instructions to perform a task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one said upgrade object prompts the end user to indicate that the task has been performed.

9. A method of maintaining a first computer system, comprising:

(i) installing a computer program on the first computer system, the computer program including a script processing module;

(ii) receiving a plurality of maintenance objects for performing one or more maintenance operations on said first computer system, each said maintenance object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by the script processing module and a respective sequence number, at least one said maintenance object containing a prerequisite field containing one or more prerequisites for executing the script, wherein not all said maintenance objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite, each said maintenance object being generated on a second computer system remote from said first computer system and transmitted from said second computer system to said first computer system; and

(iii) instructing the computer program to process each said maintenance object, whereby each said maintenance object causes the first computer system to;

if the maintenance objects contains one or more prerequisites, determine if the one or more prerequisites have been met; and

instruct the script processing module to execute the script if all prerequisites, to the extent there are any, contained in the maintenance object have been met, wherein at least one said maintenance object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when executed with said script processing module, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for maintaining said first computer system; and

report that the script has been executed,

wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said maintenance objects, when executed by said script processing module, perform at least one maintenance operation with respect to said first computer system chosen from:

(a) defragmenting a hard disk drive of said first computer system, (b) scanning said first computer system for computer viruses, and (c) backup up data of said first computer system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said maintenance objects, when executed by said script processing module, perform at least one maintenance operation chosen from:

(a) installing a new program on said first computer system, (b) deleting an existing program from said first computer system, and (c) upgrading an existing program on said first computer system.

12. A method of installing a computer program into an instruction processing environment on a first computer system, the instruction processing environment including a script processing module, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of installation objects associated with the computer program, each said installation object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by the script processing module to install the computer program into the instruction processing environment on said first computer system, the script being not independently executable without the script processing module, each said installation object being generated on a second computer system remote from said first computer system and transmitted from said second computer system to said first computer system, wherein each said installation object contains a respective sequence number, wherein at least one said installation object contains at least one respective prerequisite, and wherein not all said installation objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite;

with respect to each said installation object containing at least one respective prerequisite, automatically determining whether the at least one respective prerequisite has been met; and

installing said computer program into said instruction processing environment by compiling and executing each said script with the script processing module, wherein, with respect to each said installation object containing at least one respective prerequisite, the respective script contained in the installation object is not compiled and executed until the respective at least one prerequisite contained in the installation object has been met, and wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence

wherein at least one said installation object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when compiled and executed with said script processing module, instructs a user to manually perform an operation for performing said installation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising reporting that at least one said script has been executed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each said installation object is transmitted from said second computer system to said first computer system by electronic mail.

15. A method of installing a computer program into an instruction processing environment on a first computer system, the instruction processing environment including a script processing module, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of installation objects associated with the computer program on a second computer system remote from said first computer system, each said installation object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by the script processing module to install the computer program into the instruction processing environment on said first computer system, the script being not independently executable without the script processing module, wherein each said installation object contains a respective sequence number, wherein at least one said installation object contains at least one respective prerequisite, and wherein not all said installation objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite, each prerequisite to be determined as being met by said script processing module before compiling and executing the script contained in the corresponding installation object;

transmitting the plurality of installation objects from the second computer system to the first computer system; and

instructing an end user to install said computer program into said instruction processing environment by compiling and executing each said script with the script processing module, wherein, with respect to each said installation object containing a least one respective prerequisite, the respective script contained in the installation object is not compiled and executed until the respective at least one prerequisite contained in the installation object has been met, and wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence;

wherein at least one said installation object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when compiled and executed with said script processing module, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for performing said installation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one said installation object presents the end user with instructions to perform a task.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one said installation object prompts the end user to indicate that the task has been performed.