Changable deployment conditions

• US 8,473,942 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Heidel, Stephan, Mayer, Martin, Quentel, Juergen, Rosenkranz, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Tina
• Application Number:
  US12/325,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses receive a plurality of files including a software package having code to execute a program on a system with specific attributes, the software package to contain a list identifying specific system attributes required to execute the program. An installation process for the software package is initialized on a system with at least one system attribute that is compatible with the program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package, the installation process to identify the system attributes and configured to fail if the system attributes differ from the list in the software package. The installation process identifies an external list of system attributes from the plurality of files separate from the software package wherein the external list of attributes identifies the compatible attribute. The installation process is then executed based on the external list of system attributes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of system software installation files including a software package having an installable program executable on a system with specific system attributes, wherein the software package to contain a list identifying specific system attributes required to execute the installable program and an external list of system attributes separate from the software package;

and wherein the external list to include at least one system attribute that is compatible with the installable program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package;

initiating an installation process for the software package on the system with at least one system attribute that is compatible with the installable program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package by performing operations including;

detecting the external list of system attributes;

when the external list of system attributes is detected;

determining if the external list of system attributes is applicable to the list of specific system attributes included in the software package;

determining the installation based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if there are no different attributes between the external list of system attributes and the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system using attributes in the software package; and

determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes if the system attributes of the external list differ from the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package; and

executing the installation process based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if the external list is not detected, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using attributes contained in the list in the software package for attributes not contained in the external list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external list contains more attributes than the list included in the software package and wherein the installation process is further configured to fail if the system attributes differ from the additional attributes identified by the external list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises replacing the list of attributes included in the software package with the external list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the external list is applicable to other software packages and further includes system attributes applicable to other software packages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of system software installation files further comprises a plurality of external lists and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using a most recent version of the external list.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of external lists includes a version number, and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using only the external list that includes the highest version number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of system software installation files further comprises a plurality of external lists and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using the plurality of external lists collectively.

9. A system comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of identifiable specific system attributes comprising hardware, software and infrastructure attributes;

a plurality of system software installation files, including a software package having an installable program executable on the system, the software package to contain a list identifying specific system attributes required to execute the installable program, the list to include at least one system attribute that is compatible but not contained in the system;

an external list of system attributes separate from the software package that identifies the at least one compatible attribute of the system; and

an installation tool configured to receive the software package and the external list, to initiate an installation process for the software package on the system with at least one system attribute that is compatible with the installable program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package by performing operations including;

detecting the external list of system attributes;

when the external list of system attributes is detected;

determining if the external list of system attributes is applicable to the list of

specific system attributes included in the software package;

determining the installation based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if there are no different attributes between the external list of system attributes and the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package; and

determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes if the system attributes of the external list differ from the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package, and to execute an installation process based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if the external list is not detected, wherein the installation is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises compares the system'"'"'s attributes with the list in the software package for attributes not contained in the external list.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the external list contains more attributes than the list included in the software package, and wherein the installation process is further configured to fail if the system attributes differ from the additional attributes identified by the external list.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises replacing the list of attributes included in the software package with the external list.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the external list is applicable to other software packages and further includes system attributes applicable to other software packages.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of external lists, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes is based on a most recent version of the external list received by the installation tool.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of external lists includes a version number, and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes is based on only the external list that includes the highest version number.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of external lists, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes is based on all of the plurality of external lists.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine readable storage medium having content stored thereon to provide instructions to cause a machine to perform operations including:

receiving a plurality of system software installation files including a software package having an installable program executable on a system with specific system attributes, wherein the software package to contain a list identifying specific system attributes required to execute the installable program and an external list of system attributes separate from the software package and wherein the external list to include at least one system attribute that is compatible with the installable program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package;

initiating an installation process for the software package on the system with at least one system attribute that is compatible with the installable program but not identified by the list of system attributes in the software package by performing operations including;

detecting the external list of system attributes;

when the external list of system attributes is detected;

determining if the external list of system attributes is applicable to the list of specific system attributes included in the software package;

determining the installation based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if there are no different attributes between the external list of system attributes and the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package; and

determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes if the system attributes of the external list differ from the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package; and

executing the installation process based on the list of specific system attributes contained in the software package if the external list is not detected, wherein the installation process is configured to fail if the at least one system attribute differs from the list of system attributes in the software package.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using attributes contained in the list in the software package for attributes not contained in the external list.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the external list contains more attributes than the list included in the software package and wherein the installation process is further configured to fail if the system attributes differ from the additional attributes identified by the external list.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises replacing the list of attributes included in the software package with the external list.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the external list is applicable to other software packages and further includes system attributes applicable to other software packages.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of system software installation files further comprises a plurality of external lists and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using a most recent version of the external list.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of external lists includes a version number, and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using only the external list that includes the highest version number.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of system software installation files further comprises a plurality of external lists and wherein determining the installation based on the external list of system attributes comprises using the plurality of external lists collectively.