Peer-to-peer software update distribution network

• US 8,316,364 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Stein, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US11/712,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 717/177, 717/172, 717/173, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A software package of interest is identified, and information about a latest version of the package is retrieved. Then, data corresponding to the latest version are downloaded from a peer-to-peer network, and the downloaded package is installed. Alternative methods and systems for use in particular environments are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for distributing software packages in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a first peer in a peer-to-peer network, a software package of interest, the first peer having a first version of the software package installed thereon;

retrieving, by the first peer, information about a second version of the software package;

determining, based on the information about the second version of the software package, whether the first version of the software package installed at the first peer corresponds to the second version of the software package; and

if the first version of the software package installed at the first peer does not correspond to the second version of the software package,

retrieving, by the first peer, the second version of the software package from a plurality of other peers in the peer-to-peer network, the plurality of other peers comprising at least two different peers storing different segments of the second version of the software package, wherein the first peer receives a first segment of the second version of the software package from one of the plurality of other peers upon providing a second segment of the latest version to the one of the plurality of other peers; and

providing the second version of the software package to a virtual machine hosted by the first peer for installation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding the second version of the software package after the installation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the second version of the software package to peers in the peer-to-peer network after the installation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reviewing a software configuration of a client machine to determine what software packages are installed, wherein

the identifying operation is to identify one of the installed software packages.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

receiving a software update query from a client machine; and

extracting an identity of the software package of interest from the software update query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer network is a first peer-to-peer network, the method further comprising:

distributing the second version of the software package to peers in a second peer-to-peer network, and wherein the installation is performed by a peer in the second peer-to-peer network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the installation alters a software configuration of the virtual machine.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing data and instructions to cause a programmable processor to perform operations for distributing software packages in a peer-to-peer network, the operations comprising:

retrieving information about a latest version of a software package;

determining, based on the information about the latest version of the software package, whether an installed version of the software package corresponds to the latest version of the software package;

if the installed version of the software package does not correspond to the latest version of the software package, retrieving a first portion of the latest version of the software package from a first peer in the peer-to-peer network; and

retrieving a second portion of the latest version of the software package from a second, different peer in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the latest version of the software package are received from the first peer and the second peer upon providing one or more other portions of the latest version of the software package to the first peer and the second peer; and

transmitting the first and second portions of the latest version of the software package to a virtual machine of an update target system for installation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the virtual machine is instantiated by instructions and data controlling the programmable processor.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the peer-to-peer network is a first peer-to-peer network, and wherein the update target system is a peer in a second, different peer-to-peer network.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein retrieving information about the latest version of the software package comprises obtaining the information from a web server.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the retrieving operations are to occur over a first network connection, and the transmitting operation is to occur over a second network connection.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing data and instructions to cause a programmable processor to perform operations for distributing software packages in a peer-to-peer network, the operations comprising:

retrieving information about a latest version of a software package;

determining, based on the information about the latest version, whether an installed version of the software package corresponds to the latest version of the software package;

if the installed version of the software package does not correspond to the latest version of the software package, retrieving a first portion of the latest version of the software package from a first peer in a peer-to-peer network; and

retrieving a second portion of the latest version of the software package from a second, different peer in the peer-to-peer network; and

transmitting the first and second portions of the data object latest version of the software package to a virtual machine of an update target system for installation;

wherein retrieving the information about the latest version of a software package comprises;

obtaining a first portion of the information from a third peer in the peer-to-peer network; and

obtaining a second portion of the information from a fourth peer in the peer-to-peer network, wherein

the first peer, second peer, third peer and fourth peer comprise at least two different peers.

14. A computer system for a first peer to distribute software packages in a peer-to-peer network, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, to;

identify a software package of interest, the computer system for the first peer having a first version of the software package installed thereon;

retrieve information about a second version of the software package;

determine, based on the information about the second version of the software package, whether the first version of the software package corresponds to the second version of the software package; and

if the first version of the software package installed at the first peer does not correspond to the second version of the software package, retrieve the second version of the software package from a plurality of other peers in the peer-to-peer network, the plurality of other peers comprising at least two different peers storing different segments of the second version of the software package, wherein the first peer receives a first segment of the second version of the software package from one of the plurality of other peers upon providing a second segment of the latest version to the one of the plurality of other peers; and

providing the second version of the software package to a virtual machine of the first peer for installation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further to:

discard the second version of the software package after the installing operation.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further to:

distribute the second version of the software package to peers in the peer-to-peer network after the installing operation.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further to:

review a software configuration of a client machine to determine what software packages are installed.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is to identify the software package of interest by:

receiving a software update query from a client machine; and

extracting an identity of the software package of interest from the software update query.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the installation alters a software configuration of the virtual machine.