System for estimating a software product release time from version information

• US 8,667,465 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accurev Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Accurev Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Poole, Damon B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYIM, SAMUEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/059,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Systems and processes for migration of data stored in a label-based software configuration management (CM) system to records of a time-based CM system in a manner that permits for identification, in the time-based system, of contents of releases. In some exemplary implementations, techniques operating according to some of the principles described herein will accept as input information relating to a listing of a label-based system and estimate, based on the software component versions in the listing and their corresponding creation times, a release time indicating a time a release was created. The release time may then be used, in some, but not necessarily all, implementations to create a data structure in the time-based system indicating contents of the version at the particular time. Some exemplary implementations may additionally determine, from the estimated release time, whether any software component versions should be explicitly included or excluded from the data structure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for estimating a creation time for a version of a software project, the version comprising a plurality of software components and at least some of said software components being available in two or more versions with only one version of a software component being included in a software project version, the method comprising:

(A) determining a first set of two or more software component versions and a second set of two or more software component versions, the first set of two or more software component versions comprising versions of software components which are included in the version of the software project and the second set of two or more software component versions comprising later versions of the software components, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) via at least one processor, examining the creation times of the software component versions of the first set and the second set to determine the creation time for the version of the software project by

(B1) comparing the creation times for each software component which has a version in each of the first set and the second set, and

(B2) selecting as the estimated creation time for the version of the software project that time which is the latest of the component creation times of versions of software components in the first set of two or more software component versions which is not later than a component creation time of a corresponding version of the software component in the second set of two or more software component versions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a creation time for the version of the software project further comprises sorting the first set of two or more software component versions and their component creation times into a first set according to an ascending order of component creation times, sorting the second set of two or more software component versions and their component creation times into a second set according to a descending order of component creation times, and iteratively comparing entries in the first set and second set to determine a latest component creation time for a software component version in the first set that is not greater than or equal to the component creation time in the corresponding entry in the second set.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the entries in the first set and second set compared in the act of iteratively comparing are entries corresponding by location in the first set and the second set.

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

(C) determining if there is a first software component in the second set for which a version existed prior to the estimated creation time determined in act (B) and for which a version is not included in the first set of two or more software component versions, and, if so, recording, in a data structure that identifies content of the version of the software project, at least one indication that the first software component is to be excluded from the version of the software project.

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

(C) determining if there is a second software component version included in the version of the software project that was created after the estimated creation time determined in act (B) and, if so, recording, in a data structure that identifies content of the version of the software project, at least one indication that the first software component version is to be included in the version of the software project.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a first set of software component versions and a second set of software component versions in act (A) comprises retrieving information on the first set and second set from records of a label-based software configuration management system.

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

(C) recording in a data structure the creation time for the version of the software project determined in act (B).

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the act (C) comprises creating the data structure to represent the version of the software project.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the data structure is a stream.

10. A computer-implemented method for converting a software project from a label-based system for use in a time-based system and determining which versions of software components to include in a version of the software project in the time-based system, each version of the software project comprising a plurality of said software components in some combination of versions, the method comprising:

(A) examining a first set of software component versions for two or more software components included in the version of the software project and a second set of later versions of the two or more software components to determine component creation times for each of the software component versions in the first set and the second set, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) via at least one processor, determining a creation time for the version of the software project by comparing the creation times for each software component which is present in both the first set and the second set;

(C) recording in a data structure the creation time for the version of the software project determined in act (B); and

(D) determining if any software component versions included in the version of the software project in the label-based system were created after the creation time determined in act (B) and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the software component versions so determined are included in the version of the software project.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining a creation time for the first version of the software project comprises:

selecting as the estimated creation time for the version of the software project that time which is the latest of the component creation times of versions of software components in the first set of software component versions, the latest of the component creation times being a component creation time for a version of a software component, which is not later than a component creation time of a corresponding version of the software component in the second set of software components.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining a creation time for the version of the software project comprises sorting the first set of software components and their component creation times according to an ascending order of component creation times, sorting the second set of software components and their component creation times according to a descending order of component creation times, and iteratively comparing entries in the first set and second set to determine a latest component creation time for a software component in the first set that is not greater than or equal to the component creation time in the corresponding entry in the second set.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the entries in the first set and second set compared in the act of iteratively comparing are entries corresponding by location in the first set and the second set.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

(E) determining if there are any excluded software components in the label-based system for which one or more versions existed prior to the creation time determined in act (B) and which are not included in the first set of software components, and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the one or more excluded software components are to be excluded from the version of the software project.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the act (A) comprises examining records of the label-based system.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the data structure is a component of the time-based system.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the data structure is a stream.

18. At least one non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method for estimating a creation time for a version of a software project, the version comprising a plurality of software components and at least some of said software components being available in two or more versions with only one version of a software component being included in a software project version, the method comprising:

(A) determining a first set of two or more software component versions and a second set of two or more software component versions, the first set of two or more software component versions comprising versions of software components which are included in the version of the software project and the second set of two or more software component versions comprising later versions of the software components, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) examining the creation times of the software component versions of the first set and the second set to determine the creation time for the version of the software project by

(B1) comparing the creation times for each software component which has a version in each of the first set and the second set, and

(B2) selecting as the estimated creation time for the version of the software project that time which is the latest of the component creation times of versions of software components in the first set of software component versions which is not later than a component creation time of a corresponding version of the software component in the second set of software component versions.

19. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining a creation time for the version of the software project further comprises sorting the first set of software component versions and their component creation times into a first set according to an ascending order of component creation times, sorting the second set of software component versions and their component creation times into a second set according to a descending order of component creation times, and iteratively comparing entries in the first set and second set to determine a latest component creation time for a software component version in the first set that is not greater than or equal to the component creation time in the corresponding entry in the second set.

20. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein the entries in the first set and second set compared in the act of iteratively comparing are entries corresponding by location in the first set and the second set.

21. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

(C) determining if there is a first software component version in the second set for which a version existed prior to the estimated creation time determined in act (B) and for which a version is not included in the first set of software component versions, and, if so, recording, in a data structure that identifies content of the version of the software project, at least one indication that the first software component version is to be excluded from the version of the software project.

22. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 18 or 21, wherein the method further comprises:

(C) determining if there is a second software component version included in the version of the software project that was created after the estimated creation time determined in act (B) and, if so, recording, in a data structure that identifies content of the version of the software project, at least one indication that the first software component version is to be included in the version of the software project.

23. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining a first set of software component versions and a second set of software component versions in act (A) comprises retrieving information on the first set and second set from records of a label-based software configuration management system.

24. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

(C) recording in a data structure the creation time for the version of the software project determined in act (B).

25. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 24, wherein the act (C) comprises creating the data structure to represent the version of the software project.

26. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 24, wherein the data structure is a stream.

27. At least one non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method for migrating a software project from a label-based system for use in a time-based system and determining which versions of software components to include in a version of the software project in the time-based system, each version of the software project comprising a plurality of said software components in some combination of versions of the software components, the method comprising:

(A) examining a first set of software component versions for two or more software components included in the version of the software project and a second set of later versions of the two or more software components to determine component creation times for each of the software component versions in the first set and the second set, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) determining a creation time for the version of the software project by comparing the creation times for each software component which is present in both the first set and the second set;

(C) recording in a computer-readable data structure the creation time for the version of the software project determined in act (B); and

(D) determining if any software component versions included in the version of the software project in the label-based system were created after the creation time determined in act (B) and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the software component versions so determined are included in the version of the software project.

28. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein determining a creation time for the first version of the software project comprises:

selecting as the estimated creation time for the version of the software project that time which is the latest of the component creation times of versions of software components in the first set of software component versions, the latest of the component creation times being a component creation time for a version of a software component, which is not later than a component creation time of a corresponding version of the software component in the second set of software components.

29. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein determining a creation time for the version of the software project comprises sorting the first set of software components and their component creation times according to an ascending order of component creation times, sorting the second set of software components and their component creation times according to a descending order of component creation times, and iteratively comparing entries in the first set and second set to determine a latest component creation time for a software component in the first set that is not greater than or equal to the component creation time in the corresponding entry in the second set.

30. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 29, wherein the entries in the first set and second set compared in the act of iteratively comparing are entries corresponding by location in the first set and the second set.

31. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:

(E) determining if there are any excluded software components in the label-based system for which one or more versions existed prior to the creation time determined in act (B) and which are not included in the first set of software components, and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the one or more excluded software components are to be excluded from the version of the software project.

32. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the act (A) comprises examining records of the label-based system.

33. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the data structure is a component of the time-based system.

34. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the data structure is a stream.

35. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method for estimating a creation time for a version of a software project, the version comprising a plurality of software components and at least some of said software components being available in two or more versions with only one version of a software component being included in a software project version, the method comprising;

(A) determining a first set of two or more software component versions and a second set of two or more software component versions, the first set of two or more software component versions comprising versions of software component versions which are included in the version of the software project and the second set of software components comprising later versions of the software components, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) examining the creation times of the software component versions of the first set and the second set to determine the creation time for the version of the software project by

(B1) comparing the creation times for each software component which has a version in each of the first set and the second set, and

(B2) selecting as the estimated creation time for the version of the software project that time which is the latest of the component creation times of versions of software components in the first set of two or more software component versions which is not later than a component creation time of a corresponding version of the software component in the second set of two or more software component versions; and

at least one processor to execute the method.

36. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method for migrating a software project from a label-based system for use in a time-based system and determining which versions of software components to include in a version of the software project in the time-based system, each version of the software project comprising a plurality of said software components in some combination of versions of the software components, the method comprising;

(A) examining a first set of software component versions for two or more software components included in the version of the software project and a second set of later versions of the two or more software components to determine component creation times for each of the software component versions in the first set and the second set, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) determining a creation time for the version of the software project by comparing the creation times for each software component which is present in both the first set and the second set;

(C) recording in a data structure the creation time for the version of the software project determined in act (B); and

(D) determining if any software component versions included in the version of the software project in the label-based system were created after the creation time determined in act (B) and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the software component versions so determined are included in the version of the software project; and

at least one processor to execute the method.

37. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method for migrating a software project from a label-based system for use in a time-based system and determining which versions of software components to include in a version of the software project in the time-based system, each version of the software project comprising a plurality of said software components in some combination of versions of the software components, the method comprising;

(A) examining a first set of software component versions for two or more software components included in the version of the software project and a second set of later versions of the two or more software components included in the version of the software project to determine component creation times for each of the software component versions in the first set and the second set, wherein at least one software component version in the first set is not present in the second set;

(B) recording in a data structure a creation time for the version of the software project; and

(C) determining if any software component versions included in the version of the software project in the label-based system were created after the creation time and, if so, recording in the data structure indications that the software component versions so determined are included in the version of the software project;

at least one processor to execute the method; and

means for estimating the creation time for the software project by comparing the creation times for each software component which is present in both the first set and the second set.