Managing application resources

• US 8,024,433 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc.
• Inventors: Mason, W. Anthony, Viscarola, Peter G., Cariddi, Mark J., Noone, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US11/789,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

Methods of managing application resources in a computer system. The methods may comprise the steps of determining a configuration of the computer system and receiving a request to access an application resource. The methods may also comprise the step of directing the request to a data file. The data file may include a plurality of streams, and each of the plurality of streams may comprise a configuration-specific version of the application resource. In various embodiments, the methods may also comprise the step of directing the request to a first stream of the plurality of streams. The first stream may comprise version of the application resource specific to the configuration. Various system embodiments are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of managing application resources in a computer system, the method comprising:

determining a configuration of the computer system;

receiving a request to access an application resource;

directing the request to a data file, wherein the data file includes a plurality of streams, and wherein each of the plurality of streams includes a configuration-specific version of the application resource;

directing the request to a first stream of the plurality of streams, wherein the first stream includes a version of the application resource specific to the configuration, wherein the configuration comprises a software configuration describing at least one of the group consisting of an operating system of the computer system and a network parameter of the computer system; and

directing the request to a second data file, wherein the second data file includes a version of the application resource directed to the configuration, if none of the plurality of streams includes a version of the application resource directed to the hardware configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises at least one aspect of a hardware configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one aspect of the hardware configuration describes a processor family of the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing the request to a first stream is performed by a file system filter driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing the request to a first stream is performed by an operating system.

6. A system for managing application resources in a computer system, the system comprising:

data storage, the data storage comprising a data file, wherein the data file comprises a plurality of streams, wherein each of the plurality of streams includes a configuration-specific version of an application resource, and wherein the data storage further comprises a plurality of files, wherein each of the plurality of files comprises a configuration-specific version of the application resource;

an application resource module configured to;

receive a request for the application resource and direct the request to a first stream of the plurality of streams, wherein the first stream includes a version of the application resource specific to a configuration of the computer system, wherein the configuration comprises a software configuration describing at least one of the group consisting of an operating system of the computer system and a network parameter of the computer system; and

direct the request to one of the plurality of data files comprising a version of the application resource specific to a configuration of the computer system, if none of the plurality of streams comprise an appropriate version of the application resource.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data storage further comprises a second data file comprising a second plurality of streams, and wherein each of the second plurality of streams includes a configuration-specific version of a second application resource, and wherein the application resource module is further configured to receive a second request for the second application resource and direct the second request to a stream of the second plurality of streams, wherein the stream includes a version of the application resource specific to the configuration of the computer system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the configuration comprises at least one aspect of a hardware configuration.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one aspect of the hardware configuration describes a processor family of the computer system.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the application resource module comprises a file system filter driver.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the application resource module is a part of an operating system of the computer system.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the data file comprises a second stream, and wherein the application resource module is embodied as a generally executable code present at the second stream.

13. A method of managing application resources in a computer system, the method comprising:

directing a request for an application resource to a data file, wherein the data file comprises a plurality of streams comprising configuration-specific versions of the application resource and a second stream comprising an executable code;

executing the executable code, wherein executing the executable code causes at least one processor associated with the computer system to perform the following steps;

determining a configuration of the computer system;

selecting a stream of the data file that comprises a version of the application resource specific to the configuration; and

returning the version of the application resource specific to the configuration in response to the request

calling a second executable code specific to the configuration, wherein the second executable code causes the processor associated with the computer system to perform the steps of;

selecting a stream of the data file that comprises a version of the application resource specific to the configuration; and

returning the version of the application resource specific to the configuration in response to the request.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising directing a second request for a second application component to a second data file, wherein the second data file comprises a plurality of streams comprising configuration-specific versions of the second application resource and a default stream comprising a second executable code.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises at least one aspect of a hardware configuration.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one aspect of the hardware configuration describes a processor family of the computer system.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises a software configuration describing at least one of the group consisting of an operating system of the computer system and a network parameter of the computer system.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the executable code comprises at least one of the group consisting of a script and an executable capable of being executed by a plurality of hardware configurations.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the executable code is a generally executable script.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the second stream is a default stream of the data file.

21. A method of managing application resources in a computer system, the method comprising:

directing a request for an application resource to a data file, wherein the data file comprises a plurality of streams comprising configuration-specific versions of the application resource and a second stream comprising an executable code;

executing the executable code, wherein executing the executable code causes at least one processor associated with the computer system to perform the following steps;

determining a configuration of the computer system;

selecting a stream of the data file that comprises a version of the application resource specific to the configuration; and

returning the version of the application resource specific to the configuration in response to the request;

wherein the selecting and the returning comprise calling a second executable code specific to the configuration, wherein the second executable code causes the processor associated with the computer system to perform the steps of;

selecting the stream of the data file that comprises a version of the application resource specific to the configuration; and

returning the version of the application resource specific to the configuration in response to the request.