Conflict resolution of software customizations based on product dependencies

• US 7,840,941 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huck, Jason A, Froslie, David S., Bramel, Paul R., Brookins, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): UNG, LANNY N
• Application Number:
  US11/515,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20080127087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Customizations are applied to a software product by determining whether any of the customizations to be applied are in conflict with one another. If so, product dependency information, which identifies a product that the customizations are based on, is used to reduce a number of conflicting customizations to be made to the software product. Any remaining conflicts are resolved, and the customizations are applied.

Claims

1. A method of customizing base software product, comprising:

obtaining a set of conflicting customizations to be made to a same element of the base software product;

accessing dependency information associated with each of the conflicting customizations in the set, the dependency information identifying a product upon which the associated conflicting customization is based;

generating a dependency graph based on the dependency information, the dependency graph identifying dependencies between conflicting customizations in the set;

removing any other conflicting customizations from the set that are on a dependency path between a first conflicting customization and the base software product in the dependency graph; and

applying one of the set of conflicting customizations based on the dependency information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a dependency graph comprises:

identifying the dependency information within each of the conflicting customizations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a dependency graph comprises:

generating the dependency structure prior to running the software product.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a dependency graph comprises:

generating the dependency structure while running the software code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein applying one of the conflicting customizations comprises:

applying all the conflicting customizations in reverse-dependency order along the dependency path.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

prior to applying, resolving any remaining conflicts between conflicting customizations.

7. A system for customizing a software product, comprising:

a memory storage device; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage device, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

store a set of conflicting customizations to the software product and dependency information indicating a dependency among conflicting customizations in the set;

generate a dependency graph based on the dependency information, the dependency graph identifying dependencies between conflicting customizations in the set;

remove any other conflicting customizations from the set that are on a dependency path between a first conflicting customization and the base software product in the dependency graph; and

apply one of the set of conflicting customizations based on the dependency information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

identify a first conflicting customization in the set located at one end of a dependency path in the dependency graph.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

identify any other conflicting customizations between the first conflicting customization and base software product along the dependency path and to remove the other conflicting customizations from the set.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

resolve any remaining conflicts between conflicting customizations in the set.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

generate the dependency graph as a directed acyclic graph with the conflicting customizations as nodes in the directed acyclic graph.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a set of conflicting customizations to be made to a same element of the base software product;

accessing dependency information associated with each of the conflicting customizations in the set, the dependency information identifying a product upon which the associated conflicting customization is based;

generating a dependency graph based on the dependency information, the dependency graph identifying dependencies between conflicting customizations in the set;

removing any other conflicting customizations from the set that are on a dependency path between a first conflicting customization and the base software product in the dependency graph; and

applying one of the set of conflicting customizations based on the dependency information.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the method comprises:

applying customizations to the software product based on a location of the customizations in the dependency structure.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein applying customizations comprises:

preferentially applying a dependent customization relative to a parent customization on which the dependent customization depends.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the method comprises:

resolving conflicts between the customizations.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the steps of obtaining, accessing and generating are performed prior to running the software product.