System and method for performing patch installation via a graphical user interface

• US 7,823,148 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanam, Gerald J., Mann, Nancy, Deshpande, Alka K., DiRico, Nicholas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar; Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US10/222,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20030218628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,994 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system and method of installing a software patch on a selected electronic device using a graphical user interface is disclosed. The user utilizes a graphical user interface (GUI) to select a patch to install and selects an electronic device, the “target” device, upon which to install the patch. Patch dependencies on the target device are programmatically determined and checked to ensure that software required for the patch is present on the target device. The installation of the patch is then performed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention also enables the removal of a patch from a targeted device following a determination of which applications on the target device are dependant upon the patch, and subsequent user authorization of the removal operation.

Claims

1. In a network with an interfaced electronic device having a target application, a method, comprising the steps of:

providing a software patch for said target application at a location interfaced with said network, said software patch being an update for said target application;

determining programmatically, prior to installing said software patch, whether said software patch is suitable for installing for said target application at said electronic device;

determining programmatically a set of dependencies required by said software patch, said dependencies being installed software required for installation of said software patch;

querying said electronic device to determine whether said electronic device includes said set of dependencies prior to installing said software patch;

in response to determining that said electronic device does not include one or more particular dependencies of said set of dependencies;

for each particular dependency of the one or more particular dependencies;

locating a respective source from which an additional software patch corresponding to the particular dependency is accessible; and

accessing said respective source to install said additional software patch on said electronic device; and

installing said software patch for said target application on said electronic device after determining that said electronic device includes said set of dependencies.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for a user interfaced with said network;

displaying a message to said user with said GUI indicating results of said querying prior to installing said software patch; and

performing said installing of said software patch following a receipt of an authorization from said user received after said displaying of said message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said message indicates that said software patch requires a missing patch which is stored in a location accessible over said network.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising the further step of:

retrieving said missing patch from said location accessible over said network; and

installing said missing patch prior to installing said software patch, said installing of said missing patch occurring after user authorization.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising the further step of:

determining programmatically that said missing patch required by said software patch has a dependency;

retrieving said dependency for said missing patch from a location accessible over said network; and

installing said dependency for said missing patch on said electronic device prior to installing said missing patch, said installing of said dependency for said missing patch occurring following user authorization.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said message indicates that said software patch requires a missing patch which is stored in a location that is not accessible over said network.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said message indicates that said software patch conflicts with a different patch located on said electronic device.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said message indicates that said software patch is already located on said electronic device.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said message indicates that said software patch is rendered obsolete by a patch that is already located on said electronic device.

10. The method of claim 2, comprising the further step of:

wherein said determining programmatically, prior to installing said software patch, whether said software patch is suitable for installing for said target application at said electronic device comprises comparing, to a pre-defined parameter, at least one of;

a target application attribute, said target application attribute describing a version of said target application,

an operating system attribute, said operating system attribute describing a type and a version of an operating system in use at said electronic device, and

an architecture attribute, said architecture attribute describing an architecture of said electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to determining that said architecture attribute is not compatible with said pre-defined parameter, displaying a message via said GUI indicating that said software patch will not be installed because said software patch requires the electronic device to have a different architecture.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to determining that said target application attribute is not compatible with said pre-defined parameter, displaying a message via said GUI indicating that said software patch will not be installed because said software patch requires said target application on said electronic device to have a different target application attribute.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to determining that said operating system attribute is not compatible with said pre-defined parameter, displaying a message via said GUI indicating that said software patch will not be installed because the software patch requires the operating system on said electronic device to have a different operating system attribute.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein an authorization level of said user to install said software patch on said electronic device is verified prior to installing said patch.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more particular dependencies comprise a first dependency and a second dependency, wherein the first dependency corresponds to a first additional software patch and the second dependency corresponds to a second additional software patch, wherein the first additional software patch is accessed from a first source, wherein the second additional software patch is accessed from a second source, wherein the first source differs from the second source.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving programmatic approval to locate and install a plurality of additional software patches corresponding to the one or more particular dependencies without requiring separate user interactions for each additional software patch of the plurality of additional software patches; and

in response to receiving said programmatic approval, locating the respective sources and accessing the respective sources to install the additional software patches without separate user interactions for each additional software patch.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said locating the respective source comprises:

querying a software library accessible via said network to determine whether the software library comprises the additional software patch; and

in response to determining that the software library comprises the additional software patch, identifying the software library as the respective source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said locating the respective source further comprises:

in response to determining that the software library does not comprise the additional software patch, querying a user via a user interface to specify a location of the additional software patch; and

in response to input provided by the user via the user interface specifying a location, identifying the location as the respective source.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input via a target device specification interface specifying a plurality of additional electronic devices accessible via said network at which said software patch is to be installed without user supervision; and

performing said querying and said installing of said software patch on each additional electronic device of the plurality of additional electronic devices without user supervision.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said receiving input comprises receiving an identification of a text file comprising a list of names of the plurality of additional electronic devices.

21. A non-transitory storage medium storing program instructions computer-executable to perform steps for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

providing, at a location interfaced with a network, a software patch for a target application on an electronic device interfaced with said network, said software patch being an update for said target application;

determining programmatically, prior to installing said software patch, whether said software patch is suitable for installing for said target application at said electronic device;

determining programmatically a set of dependencies required by said software patch, said dependencies being installed software required for installation of said software patch;

querying said electronic device to determine whether said electronic device includes said set of dependencies prior to installing said software patch;

in response to determining that said electronic device does not include one or more particular dependencies of said set of dependencies;

for each particular dependency of the one or more particular dependencies;

locating a respective source from which an additional software patch corresponding to the particular dependency is accessible; and

accessing said respective source to install said additional software patch on said electronic device; and

installing said software patch for said target application on said electronic device after determining that said electronic device includes said set of dependencies.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for a user interfaced with said network;

displaying a message to said user with said GUI indicating results of said querying prior to installing said software patch; and

performing said installing of said software patch following a receipt of an authorization from said user received after said displaying of said message.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

determining programmatically that said software patch requires a missing patch;

retrieving said missing patch required for said software patch from a location accessible over said network; and

installing said missing patch prior to installing said software patch, said installing of said missing patch occurring after user authorization.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

determining programmatically that said missing patch required by said software patch has a dependency;

retrieving said dependency required for said missing patch from a location accessible over said network; and

installing said dependency required for said missing patch on said electronic device prior to installing said missing patch, said installing of said dependency for said missing patch occurring following user authorization.

25. A method, comprising the steps of:

using a computer to perform;

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for a user interfaced with a network interfaced electronic device, said electronic device holding a software patch, and said software patch being an update for a particular application on said electronic device that was previously applied to the particular application to update the particular application subsequent to its initial installation;

receiving instructions from said user via said GUI to remove said software patch from said electronic device;

determining programmatically one or more applications on said electronic device other than the particular application that are also dependent on said software patch prior to removing said software patch; and

in response to said determining;

displaying with said GUI a listing identifying said one or more applications on said electronic device dependent on said software patch to said user;

prompting said user, via said GUI, to authorize removal of the software patch;

receiving, via said GUI, input from said user indicating that removal of the software patch is authorized; and

removing said software patch from said electronic device in response to the input from said user that indicates that the removal of the software patch is authorized.

26. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to said processor, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the processor to;

obtain a software patch for a target application at an electronic device accessible via a network, said software patch being an update for said target application;

determine programmatically, prior to installing said software patch, whether said software patch is suitable for installing for said target application at said electronic device;

determine programmatically a set of dependencies required by said software patch, said dependencies being installed software required for installation of said software patch;

query said electronic device to determine whether said electronic device includes said set of dependencies;

in response to determining that said electronic device does not include one or more particular dependencies of said set of dependencies;

for each particular dependency of the one or more particular dependencies;

identify a respective source from which an additional software patch corresponding to the particular dependency is accessible; and

access said respective source to install said additional software patch on said electronic device; and

install said software patch for said target application on said electronic device after determining that said electronic device includes said set of dependencies.