Automated patch detection notification process

• US 7,831,966 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kasarla, Ravi S., Costanza, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US11/477,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

An automated patch detection notification process detects the effects and impacts of application patches on application objects, including but not limited to custom code when applied to the Enterprise Platform Delivery (“EPD”) software platform. It detects and notifies any and all affected parties that a patch, once installed, may overwrite or otherwise affect application objects that are dependent on the software application code that was patched. A list of files/objects that are of concern to the EPD group is assembled. This list names which objects that we would like notification if and when a patch touches it. A snap shot of the EPD software application platform is taken before and after a patch is applied. These snap shots are used to compare and comprehend the changes with the list of objects provided by the EPD team. Once a potential impact has been detected, an e-mail is sent to the responsible parties.

Claims

1. An automated patch detection notification process for use in an information management system, the process including:

(a) for each application that is comprised in an included application server, populate a corresponding set of objects of interest;

(b) for each application, store the corresponding set of objects of interest;

(c) for each application, create an object list file which includes the set of objects of interest corresponding to the each application;

(d) for each application, pull the corresponding object list file and store the corresponding set of objects of interest included therein in the application server, thus forming pulled and stored sets of objects of interest;

(e) receive a patch for a target application comprised in the application server;

(f) identify the set of objects of interest corresponding to the target application as comprised in the pulled and stored sets of objects of interest, thus forming an identified set of objects of interest;

(g) for each object in the identified set of objects of interest, determine a corresponding first state in the target application;

(h) install the patch in the target application;

(i) for each object in the identified set of objects of interest, determine a corresponding second state in the target application;

(j) for each object in the identified set of objects of interest, compare the each object'"'"'s first and second states in the target application; and

(k) for each object in the identified set of objects of interest, when the each object'"'"'s first and second states in the target application differ, notify one or more interested parties.

2. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 1, where each application comprises an ORACLE software application.

3. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 2, where the patch comprises an ORACLE software application patch.

4. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 1, including a step of storing the set of objects of interest for each application in a table, where the table corresponds to the each application.

5. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 4, where the table is comprised in an included development web server.

6. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 1, where the set of objects of interest populating step (a) is performed by at least one of the one or more interested parties.

7. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 6, where the set of objects of interest storing step (b) is performed by the at least one of the one or more interested parties.

8. The automated patch detection notification process of claim 7, where the one or more interested parties comprise an Enterprise Plafform Delivery team.