Method and system for software installation

• US 7,823,146 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Surace, Luke Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell; Jason D
• Application Number:
  US10/983,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 717/100, 717168-178, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/218.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 370/356, 370/401, 370/355, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and system for software installation, includes detecting a software request, identifying a caller, determining a system history of the software request based on at least one of a caller identification and the software request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a valid software request, comprising:

detecting a first software request for a software component installed on a central computer system, the software component shared by a plurality of software applications on a single client computer system, the software request received from a selected one of the plurality of software applications on the single client computer system;

in response to detecting the first software request assigning a unique Caller ID to the software application requesting the software component, the unique Caller ID selected from a plurality of unique Caller IDs built into a software package including the software component;

detecting a second software request for the software component from the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

identifying the selected one of the plurality of software applications requesting the software component based on the unique Caller ID assigned to the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

determining a system history of the software request based on at least one of a caller identification and the second software request; and

using the system history of the second software request to validate the software request, by determining if the result of the first software request would allow the performance of the second software request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software request is an install request and wherein the second software request is at least one of an operation for remove, use, and upgrade software.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

modifying an installation database to match a unique set of identifiers based on the caller identification during the initial subsystem installation.

4. A method for executing a user request comprising:

detecting a first software request for a software component installed on a central computer system, the software component shared by a plurality of software applications on a single client computer system, the software request received from a selected one of the plurality of software applications on the single client computer system;

in response to detecting the first software request, assigning a unique Caller ID to the software application requesting the software component, the unique Caller ID selected from a plurality of unique Caller IDs built into a software package including the software component;

detecting a second software request for the software component from the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

identifying the selected one of the plurality of software applications requesting the software component based on the unique Caller ID assigned to the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

determining a system history of the second software request based on at least one of a caller identification and the first software request; and

executing the second software request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of updating the system history with the unique Caller ID.

6. A computer storage medium including computer executable code for determining a valid software request, comprising:

code for detecting a first software request for a software component installed on a central computer system, the software component shared by a plurality of software applications on a single client computer system, the software request received from a selected one of the plurality of software applications on the single client computer system;

code for assigning a unique Caller ID to the software application requesting the software component, the unique Caller ID assigned to the software application in response to detecting the first software request, the unique Caller ID selected from a plurality of unique Caller IDs built into a software package including the software component;

code for detecting a second software request for the software component from the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

code for identifying the selected one of the plurality of software applications requesting the software component based on the unique Caller ID assigned to the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

code for determining a system history of the software request based on at least one of a caller identification and the second software request; and

code for using the system history of the software request to validate the second software request, by determining if the result of the first software request would allow the performance of the second software request.

7. The computer recording medium of claim 6, wherein the first software request is an install request and wherein the second software request is at least one of an operation for remove, use, and upgrade software.

8. The computer recording medium of claim 6, further comprising code for modifying an installation database to match a unique set of identifiers based on the caller identification during an initial subsystem installation.

9. A computer storage medium including computer executable code for executing a user request comprising:

code for detecting a first software request for a software component installed on a central computer system, the software component shared by a plurality of software applications on a single client computer system, the software request received from a selected one of the plurality of software applications on the single client computer system;

code for assigning a unique Caller ID to the software application requesting the software component, the unique Caller ID assigned to the software application in response to detecting the first software request, the unique Caller ID selected from a plurality of unique Caller IDs built into a software package including the software component;

code for detecting a second software request for the software component from the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

code for identifying the selected one of the plurality of software applications requesting the software component based on the unique Caller ID assigned to the selected one of the plurality of software applications;

code for determining a system history of the second software request based on at least one of a caller identification and the first software request; and

code for assigning a unique identifier to the software request; and

code for executing the second software request.

10. The computer recording medium of claim 9, further comprising code for updating the system history with the unique Caller ID.

11. A system for executing a valid software request comprising:

a client computer system having a software package comprising a plurality of software applications, at least one of the plurality of software applications operable to transmit a first software request when seeking to install one or more shared components of the software package and a second software request when seeking to utilize the one or more shared components of the software package; and

a central computer system in communication with the client computer system, the central computer system operable to;

store a plurality of shared software components;

detect the first software request from the at least one of the plurality of software applications, the first software request requesting installation of the one or more shared components by the at least one of the plurality of software applications;

in response to detecting the first software request assign a unique Caller ID to the at least one of the plurality of software applications requesting the one or more shared components the unique Caller ID selected from a plurality of unique Caller IDs built into a software package including the one or more shared components;

receive the second software request from the at least one software application on the computer system, the software request seeking to utilize the one or more shared components;

identify the software application from which the software request is received based on the unique Caller ID assigned to the at least one of the plurality of software applications;

determine that the software application is authorized to perform the second software request; and

execute the second software request in response to determining that the software application is authorized to perform the second software request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first software request is an install request and wherein the second software request is at least one of an operation for remove, use, and upgrade software.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the central computer system is further operable to modify an installation database to match a unique set of identifiers based on the caller identification during an initial subsystem installation.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a system history database storing at least one history file including information linked to the software application, the history file including information about all of the shared components that the software application has utilized from the central computer system.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the central computer system is further operable to match the unique Caller ID to a unique software identifier, the unique software identifier differentiating between products and versions.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the central computer system is further operable to update a software history after executing the second software request.