Methods and systems for dynamically building a software appliance

• US 8,458,658 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Faus, Norman Lee, Huff, David P., Kearney, Bryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Ben C
• Application Number:
  US12/040,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

An application support module can be configured to dynamically build software appliances for users. The application support module can be configured to build the software appliances based on a request by a user. The request can include a desired pre-built appliance or available applications to be included in a custom appliance. Once the requested appliance is built, the application support module can be configured determine operating requirements for the complete software appliance. The operating requirements can include the minimum necessary computing requirements to utilize the software appliance, such as required storage space, required processing power, required execution memory. The application support module can be configured to provide the software appliance to the user, if the user accepts the software appliance. Additionally, the application support module can be configured to repeat the building process if the user requests reconfiguration.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a request from an initiator, the request comprising functionality to be performed by a software appliance;

locating in a repository, by the processing device, an application capable of performing the requested functionality;

locating in the repository, by the processing device, a subset of components of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the identified application;

combining, by the processing device, the identified application and the subset of components of the operating system to form the software appliance;

appending, by the processing device, an identifier to the software appliance;

determining, by the processing device, operational requirements for the software appliance, the operational requirements comprising a minimum amount of computing resources to support the software appliance;

providing, by the processing device, the operational requirements to the initiator of the request; and

receiving, by the processing device, a response to the operational requirements from the initiator of the request, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the software appliance or a request to modify the software appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the processing device, the software appliance to the initiator when the response comprises the confirmation to provide the software appliance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the software appliance is a binary image of data embodying the software appliance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

storing, by the processing device, the binary image in the repository; and

providing, by the processing device, a link to a location of the binary image in the repository.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

transmitting, by the processing device, the binary image to the initiator of the request.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the software appliance comprises:

storing, by the processing device, the binary image on a computer readable medium.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a modified request for a modified software appliance when the response comprises the request to modify the software appliance, the request comprising modified functionality to be performed by the modified software appliance or a modified subset of components of the operating system;

building, by the processing device, the modified software appliance, the modified software appliance comprising;

a second application capable of performing the modified functionality and a subset of components of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the second application, or

the application and the modified subset of components of the operating system;

determining, by the processing device, modified operational requirements for the modified software appliance, the modified operational requirements comprising a second minimum amount of computing resources to support the modified software appliance;

providing, by the processing device, the modified operational requirements to the initiator of the request; and

receiving, by the processing device, a second response to the modified operational requirements, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the modified software appliance or a request to modify the modified software appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein building the software appliance comprises;

locating, by the processing device, a recipe of a pre-built software appliance in the repository, the recipe comprising instructions for constructing the pre-built software appliance; and

appending, by the processing device, an identifier to the pre-built software appliance.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processing device;

a program interface executable by the processing device to receive a request, the request comprising functionality to be performed by a software appliance,

a building module executable by the processing device, the building module to;

locate, in a repository, an application capable of performing the requested functionality,

locate, in the repository, a subset of components of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application,

combine the application and the subset of components of the operating system to form the software appliance, and

append an identifier to the software appliance;

a control module executable by the processing device coupled to the program interface and the building module, the control module to determine operational requirements for the software appliance, the operational requirements comprising a minimum amount of computing resources to support the software appliance;

the program interface to provide the operational requirements to an initiator of the request and to receive a response to the operational requirements from the initiator of the request, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the software appliance or a request to modify the software appliance.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, the program interface to provide the software appliance to an initiator of the request when the response comprises the confirmation.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the program interface to provide a link to a location of a binary image of data embodying the software appliance in the repository.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the program interface to transmit a binary image of data embodying the software appliance to the initiator of the request.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, the program interface to receive a modified request for a modified software appliance when the response comprises the request to modify the software appliance, the request comprising modified functionality to be performed by the modified software appliance or a modified subset of components of the operating system;

the building module to build the modified software appliance, the modified software appliance comprising;

a second application capable of performing the modified functionality and a subset of components of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the second application, or

the application and the modified subset of components of the operating system; and

the control module to determine modified operational requirements for the modified software appliance, the modified operational requirements comprising a second minimum amount of computing resources to support the modified software appliance, to provide the modified operational requirements to the initiator of the request, and to receive a second response to the modified operational requirements, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the modified software appliance or a request to modify the modified software appliance.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, the building module to locate a recipe of the pre-built software appliance in the repository, the pre-built recipe comprising instructions for creating the pre-built software appliance and to append an identifier to the pre-built software appliance.

15. A system comprising:

a hardware network portal coupled to a network, the hardware network portal to provide products and services to the plurality of users, wherein the hardware network portal further comprises;

a program interface to receive a request for a software appliance, the request comprising functionality to be performed by the software appliance;

a building module to;

locate, in a repository, an application capable of performing the requested functionality,

locate, in the repository, a subset of components of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application,

combine the application and the subset of components of the operating system to form the software appliance, and

append an identifier to the software appliance,

a control module coupled to the program interface and the building module, the control module to determine operational requirements for the software appliance, the operational requirements comprising a minimum amount of computing resources to support the software appliance;

the program interface to provide the operational requirements to an initiator of the request and to receive a response to the operational requirements from the initiator of the request, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the software appliance or a request to modify the software appliance.

16. The system of claim 15, the program interface to provide the software appliance to an initiator of the request when the response comprises the confirmation.

17. The system of claim 16, the program interface to transmit a binary image of data embodying the software appliance to the initiator of the request.

18. The system of claim 15, the program interface to receive a modified request for a modified software appliance when the response comprises the request to modify the software appliance, the request comprising modified functionality to be performed by the modified software appliance or a modified subset of components of the operating system;

the building module to build the modified software appliance, the modified software appliance comprising;

a second application capable of performing the modified functionality and a subset of components of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the second application, or

the application and the modified subset of components of the operating system; and

the control module to determine modified operational requirements for the modified software appliance, the modified operational requirements comprising a second minimum amount of computing resources to support the modified software appliance, to provide the modified operational requirements to the initiator of the request, and to receive a second response to the modified operational requirements, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the modified software appliance or a request to modify the modified software appliance.

19. The system of claim 15, the control module to locate a pre-built recipe of a pre-built software appliance in the repository, the pre-built recipe comprising instruction for creating the pre-built appliance;

and

the building module to append the identifying information of the initiator to the pre-built software appliance.

20. The system of claim 15, the program interface to provide a link to a location of a binary image of data embodying the software appliance in the repository.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a request for a software appliance from an initiator, the request comprising functionality to be performed by the software appliance;

locating in a repository, by the processing device, an application capable of performing the requested functionality;

locating in the repository, by the processing device, a subset of components of an operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the application;

combining, by the processing device, the application and the subset of components of the operating system to form the software appliance;

appending, by the processing device, an identifier to the software appliance;

determining, by the processing device, operational requirements for the software appliance, the operational requirements comprising a minimum amount of computing resources to support the software appliance;

providing, by the processing device, the operational requirements to the initiator of the request; and

receiving, by the processing device, a response to the operational requirements from the initiator of the request, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the software appliance or a request to modify the software appliance.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a modified request for a modified software appliance, the request comprising modified functionality to be performed by the modified software appliance or a modified subset of components of the operating system;

building, by the processing device, the modified software appliance, the modified software appliance comprising;

a second application capable of performing the modified functionality and a subset of components of the operating system necessary to provide an execution platform for the second application, or

the application and the modified subset of components of the operating system;

determining, by the processing device, modified operational requirements for the modified software appliance, the modified operational requirements comprising a second minimum amount of computing resources to support the modified software appliance;

providing, by the processing device, the modified operational requirements to the initiator of the request; and

receiving, by the processing device, a second response to the modified operational requirements, the response comprising at least one of a confirmation to provide the modified software appliance or a request to modify the modified software appliance.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein building the software appliance comprises:

locating, by the processing device, a recipe of a pre-built software appliance in the repository, the recipe comprising instructions for constructing the pre-built software appliance; and

appending, by the processing device, an identifier to the pre-built software appliance.