Computer configuration chronology generator

• US 7,698,545 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company), Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Campbell, Robert E., Unruh, Shane, Buck, Keith R., Zweifel, Evan R., Diamant, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/409,754
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 709/224, 709/221, 709/223
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/301 where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer system with a chronology generator for generating a chronology for a series of computer configurations.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a set of computers including at least one computer providing for running one or more virtual machines, said set progressing through a series of configurations including virtual machine configurations; and

a chronology generator for recording a chronology for said series of computer configurations in computer-readable media;

wherein a new virtual machine configuration can arise because a virtual machine is cloned, said chronology means generating a multi-generational genealogy of virtual machines in response to a genealogy command; and

wherein said chronology generator provides a measure of genetic diversity in said genealogy.

2. A computer system as recited in claim 1 wherein said modifications include upgrades, updates, or configuration changes.

3. A computer configuration chronology generation method comprising:

detecting first through nth configurations of a computer system at respective times Tn, where n is an integer greater than 1 and Tn is later than T(n−

1);

generating and recording in a chronology respective descriptions of said configurations in association with their respective times Tn so that said configurations are concurrently represented in said chronology; and

displaying a multi-generational genealogy indicating genealogical relations among cloned software entities characterized in said descriptions wherein said genealogy encompasses at least three generations, wherein generations can be distinguished by a cloning, an update, or a configuration change.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising generating a measure of diversity associated with said genealogy.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein said measure is a function of the greatest number of genealogical node connections between family members.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising measuring the diversity of said family members.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said measuring involves determining a number of node connections between pairs of said family members.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising changing the diversity of said family in the event said diversity measure meets a certain threshold.