Tracking application installation among a plurality of client devices

• US 8,381,208 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, Michael R., Campion, Nicholas F., Peterson, Joseph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US12/482,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide the ability to determine whether a particular application may be safely added to a client computing device. Further, embodiments of the invention also allow for performing a rollback operation on clients experiencing a decrease of performance due to an addition of new software. For example, after a client updates to a new piece of software, a server may monitor the performance of the first client by analyzing a plurality of updates received from the first client. Each update may include a performance indicator. Using the updates, the server may detect a decrease in the performance of the first client. Upon detecting the decrease in the performance, the server may initiate a rollback to a previous state on the first client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for performing an operation on a first client device among a plurality of client devices, comprising:

receiving a request to install a first application on the first client device;

determining, by operation of one or more computer processors, whether the first application is currently installed on a second client device among the plurality of client devices;

upon determining that the first application is currently installed on a second client device, accessing a database to determine whether one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond a first specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the second client device;

upon determining that one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond the first specified threshold as a result of installing the first application on the second client device, determining whether a level of similarity between the first client device and the second client device exceeds a second specified threshold; and

upon determining that the level of similarity does not exceed the second specified threshold, allowing installation of the first application on the first client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, upon allowing installation of the first application on the first client device, the method further comprises:

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device;

determining whether the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond a third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device; and

upon determining that the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond the third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device, initiating an operation to roll back installation of the first application on the first client device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon initiating the operation to roll back installation of the first application on the first client device, requesting authorization from a user of the first client device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the level of similarity exceeds the second specified threshold, sending a notification to the first client device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the first client device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation indicating risk associated with installing the first application on the first client device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of similarity between the first client device and the second client device comprises comparing a combination of applications installed on the first client device with a combination of applications installed on the second client device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more performance metrics of each of the first client device and the second client device include at least one of a number of errors, system speed, memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program which, when executed, performs an operation on a first client device among a plurality of client devices, the operation comprising:

receiving a request to install a first application on the first client device;

determining whether the first application is currently installed on a second client device among the plurality of client devices;

upon determining that the first application is currently installed on a second client device, accessing a database to determine whether one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond a first specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the second client device;

upon determining that one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond the first specified threshold as a result of installing the first application on the second client device, determining whether a level of similarity between the first client device and the a second client device exceeds a second specified threshold; and

upon determining that the level of similarity does not exceed the second specified threshold, allowing installation of the first application on the first client device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein, upon allowing installation of the first application on the first client device, the operation on the first client device further comprises:

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device;

determining whether the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond a third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device; and

upon determining that the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond the third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device, initiating an operation to roll back installation of the first application on the first client device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operation on the first client device further comprises:

upon initiating the operation to roll back installation of the first application on the first client device, requesting authorization from a user of the first client device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operation on the first client device further comprises:

upon determining that the level of similarity exceeds the second specified threshold, sending a notification to the first client device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the first client device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation indicating risk associated with installing the first application on the first client device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining the level of similarity between the first client device and the second client device comprises comparing a combination of applications installed on the first client device with a combination of applications installed on the second client device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more performance metrics of each of the first client device and the second client device include at least one of a number of errors, system speed, memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the processor performs an operation on a first client device among a plurality of client devices, the operation comprising;

receiving a request to install a first application on the first client device;

determining whether the first application is currently installed on a second client device among the plurality of client devices;

upon determining that the first application is currently installed on a second client device, accessing a database to determine whether one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond a first specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the second client device;

upon determining that one or more performance metrics of the second client device decreased beyond the first specified threshold as a result of installing the first application on the second client device, determining whether a level of similarity between the first client device and the second client device exceeds a second specified threshold; and

upon determining that the level of similarity does not exceed the second specified threshold, allowing installation of the first application on the first client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, upon allowing installation of the first application on the first client device, the operation on the first client device further comprises:

monitoring one or more performance metrics of the first client device;

determining whether the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond a third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device; and

upon determining that the one or more performance metrics of the first client device have decreased beyond the third specified threshold as a result of installing of the first application on the first client device, initiating an operation to roll back installation of the first application program on the first client device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operation on the first client device further comprises:

upon initiating the operation to roll back installation of the first application on the first client device, requesting authorization from a user of the first client device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operation on the first client device further comprises:

upon determining that the level of similarity exceeds the second specified threshold, sending a notification to the first client device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the notification declines the request to install the first application on the first client device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation indicating risk associated with installing the first application on the first client device.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein determining the level of similarity between the first client device and the second client device comprises comparing a combination of applications installed on the first client device with a combination of applications installed on the second client device.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more performance metrics of each of the first client device and the second client device include at least one of a number of errors, system speed, memory usage, CPU usage, disk accesses, and network latency.