System and method for updating a software program

• US 7,913,246 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Redmond, Daniel J., Hammond, Brad T., Giaquinto, Todd J., Higgins, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Marina
• Application Number:
  US10/974,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 717/173, 717/172, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A system and method of provided for automatically update a system'"'"'s software. In one example, the software is updated without requiring user intervention. Further, a system is provided that is capable of performing a software update on a non-PC system, such as a networking device, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or other system. In another example, a system and method is provided for updating multiple components of a system by a proxy system responsible for downloading and applying updates.

Claims

1. A method for updating software in a system comprising an update server, a secondary server and at least one managed device, the update server being adapted to store one or more software updates, the secondary server being adapted to communicate with the update server using a first protocol and to communicate with the at least one managed device using a second protocol, the method comprising acts of:

receiving, by the secondary server from the update server using the first protocol, a catalog of updates available from the update server;

determining, by the secondary server managing at least one managed device, that at least one available update referenced in the catalog of updates applies to the at least one managed device, the at least one available update including an operating system component and a management component, the at least one managed device being an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) not capable of communicating using the first protocol;

downloading, using the first protocol, the at least one available update to the secondary server; and

applying, by the secondary server using the second protocol, the at least one available update to the at least one managed device by applying the operating system component to the at least one managed device prior to applying the management component to the at least one managed device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acts of:

maintaining a local catalog of updates; and

merging the received catalog of updates with the local catalog of updates.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the secondary server from the update server via the first protocol, includes receiving using internet protocol, and applying, by the secondary server using the second protocol, includes applying using a serial protocol.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the secondary server performs one or more updates for a plurality of managed devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of managed devices are each components of a UPS system, and wherein the secondary server applies the one or more updates to selected components of the UPS system.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein applying using a serial protocol includes applying using a universal serial bus protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining comprises an act of comparing filename information of a file associated with the at least one available update to filename information of a current portion of software associated with the at least one managed device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the act of comparing filename information of the file associated with the at least one available update to the filename information to the current portion of software of the at least one managed device includes an act of comparing revision level information of the file associated with the at least one available update with revision level information of the current portion of software of the at least one managed device, and determining whether the at least one managed device should be updated based on the comparison.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of determining whether the revision level of the at least one available update is a later revision of software as compared to the revision level file associated with the at least one available update to the filename information to the current portion of software of the at least one managed device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of sending at least one file to the at least one managed device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of verifying that at least one file associated with the at least one available update is not corrupted, and wherein the act of verifying is performed prior to the act of applying.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the acts of verifying and applying are each performed by a secondary server.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of determining, on behalf of a plurality of devices, whether an update exists on the update server.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of applying the at least one available update further comprises an act of applying the management component to a manager of the at least one managed device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of applying the management component to the manager includes an act of applying the management component to the manager while the at least one managed device is coupled to a private network.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of applying the management component to the manager includes an act of applying the management component to a manager adapted to apply the at least one available update.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of applying the management component includes an act of applying the management component to the at least one managed device while the at least one managed device is coupled to a public network.

18. A system for updating a software component, the system comprising:

an update server including a first memory device and a first processor configured to store a plurality of available updates and to communicate using a first protocol; and

a secondary server including a second memory device and a second processor adapted to manage a plurality of devices and to communicate using a first protocol and a second protocol, wherein the secondary server is adapted to determine that at least one available update of the plurality of available updates should be applied to at least one of the plurality of devices, the at least one available update including an operating system component and a management component, and to download, using the first protocol, the at least one available update to the secondary server and to apply at least one of the plurality of updates to the at least one of the plurality of devices using the second protocol by applying the operating system component to the at least one of the plurality of devices prior to applying the management component to the at least one of the plurality of devices, the at least one of the plurality of devices being an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) not capable of communicating using the first protocol.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the secondary server is adapted to compare filename information of a file associated with the at least one available update to filename information of a current portion of software of the at least one of the plurality of devices, and is adapted to determine whether the at least one of the plurality of devices should be updated based on the comparison.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the secondary server comprises an interface adapted to receive a catalog of available updates from the update server.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the second memory device stores a local catalog of updates, and wherein the secondary server is adapted to merge the received catalog of updates with the local catalog of updates.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the secondary server is adapted to compare filename information of a file associated with the at least one of the plurality of updates to filename information of a current portion of software associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the secondary server is adapted to determine whether the at least one of the plurality of devices should be updated based on the comparison.

24. The system according to claim 18, wherein the secondary server is adapted to load at least one file associated with the at least one of the plurality of updates to the at least one of the plurality of devices.

25. The system according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of devices are each components of a UPS system, and wherein the secondary server is adapted to apply the at least one update to one or more selected components of the UPS system.