Managing changes to computer system

• US 8,775,460 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Auvenshine, John J., Blackburn, Justin C., Fosdick, Nicolas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US11/296,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,134 Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Automated system, method and program for managing a change to a computer program. One or more servers which the changed computer program accesses or uses to perform one or more functions are determined. One or more other computer programs in one or more other servers which access the one or more servers are determined. People responsible for the one or more servers and the one or more other computer programs and/or the one or more other servers that the changed computer program has been changed are notified. Another automated system, method and program for managing a change to a computer program is disclosed. One or more servers which the changed computer program accesses are determined by automatically querying configuration files of the changed computer program. People responsible for the one or more servers are notified that the changed computer program has been changed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a change to a computer program in a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving notification of a changed computer program in said computer system;

determining, by automatically querying configuration files of said changed computer program, one or more first servers which said changed computer program accesses to perform one or more functions, wherein said querying is performed by running one or more agent programs in said one or more first servers, and wherein said determining of said one or more first servers which said changed computer program accesses includes determining a type of operating system utilized by said one or more first servers;

determining one or more other computer programs in one or more other servers which access said one or more first servers, wherein said determining of said one or more computer programs in said one or more other servers is performed by running one or more other agent programs in said one or more other servers that automatically query configuration files of said changed computer program, and wherein said determining of said one or more computer programs in said one or more other servers which access said one or more first servers includes determining a type of operating system utilized by said one or more other servers; and

generating a notification of said changed computer program to one or more interested owners of said one or more first servers and said one or more other servers determined to access said changed computer program in said computer system.

2. The computer implemented method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generating a notification step further comprises the step of:

filtering a list of potentially affected servers to identify a subset of potentially affected servers having one or more owners who have recorded an interest in receiving notification of said change to said computer program in said computer system.

3. The computer implemented method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

sending said notification of said changed computer program to said one or more owners of said subset of potentially affected servers who have recorded an interest in receiving said notification of said changed computer program in said computer system.

4. The computer implemented method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determining a type of operating system further comprises:

querying, using a known data gathering program function, a file stored within a respective server to identify a respective operating system running on said respective type of server.

5. The computer implemented method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of server running said type of operating system determined, wherein said type of server comprises at least one of;

a web server, an application server, a middleware server, a database server and a load balancing server.

6. A computer program product for managing a change to a computer program in a computer system, said computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device;

first program instructions to determine, by automatically querying configuration files of said changed computer program in said computer system, one or more first servers which said changed computer program accesses to perform one or more functions, wherein said first instructions include instructions to run one or more agent programs in said one or more first servers to automatically query said configuration files of said changed computer program, and wherein said first instructions include instructions to determine a type of operating system utilized by said one or more first servers;

second program instructions to determine one or more other computer programs in one or more other servers which access said one or more first servers, wherein said second instructions include instructions to run one or more other agent programs in said one or more other servers to automatically query configuration files of said changed computer program, and wherein said second instructions include instructions to determine a type of operating system utilized by said one or more other servers; and

third program instructions to generate a notification of said changed computer program to one or more interested owners of said one or more first servers and said one or more other servers determined to access said changed computer program in said computer system; and

wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said computer-readable storage device.

7. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

fourth program instructions to filter a list of potentially affected servers to identify a subset of potentially affected servers having one or more owners who have recorded an interest in receiving notification of said changed computer program in said computer system; and

wherein said fourth program instructions are stored on said media in functional form.

8. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to query, using a known data gathering program function in said computer system, a file stored within a respective server to identify a respective operating system running on a respective type of server specified by said respective owner interested in receiving notification of said changed computer program accessed by said respective type of server, and wherein said type of server comprises at least one of:

a web server, an application server, a middleware server, a database server and a load balancing server.

9. The computer program product as set forth in claim 6, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to query, using a known data gathering program function, a file stored within a respective other server to identify a respective operating system running on said respective type of server specified by said respective owner interested in receiving notification of said changed computer program accessed by said respective type of server.

10. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7, wherein said fourth program instructions include instructions to send said notification of said changed computer program to said one or more owners of said subset of potentially affected servers who have recorded an interest in receiving said notification of said changed computer program in said computer system.

11. A method for managing a change to a computer program, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically querying, responsive to a notification received of a changed computer program in a computer system, configuration files of one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program, wherein said querying is performed by running one or more agent programs in said one or more servers potentially affected and wherein said querying includes determining a type of operating system utilized by said one or more potential affected servers;

filtering a list of said one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program to identify a subset of potentially affected servers having one or more interested owners who have recorded an interest in receiving notification of said changed computer program in said computer system; and

generating a notification of said changed computer program to said interested owners of said subset of potentially affected servers, and said one or more other servers determined to access said changed computer program in said computer system.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

sending said notification of said changed computer program to respective owners of said subset of potentially affected servers who have recorded an interest in receiving said notification of said changed computer program in said computer system.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step of:

analyzing, using data gathered by said one or more agent programs running on a respective server, at least one file stored in a standard location within said respective server, wherein said at least one file provides indication of said type of server among said one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program, and

wherein said type of server comprises at least one of;

a web server, an application server, a middleware server, a database server and a load balancing server.

14. A distributed computer system for managing a change to a computer program, said distributed computer system comprising:

a network communications channel;

a client workstation coupled to said network communications channel via a firewall;

one or more servers coupled to said network communications channel, wherein said one or more servers handle one or more requests received from said client workstation via said network communications channel;

one or more computer programs running on said one or more servers coupled to said network communication channel;

one or more agent programs running on said one or more servers, wherein said one or more agent programs, responsive to a notification received of a changed computer program among said one or more computer programs in said distributed computer system, queries configuration files of one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program, and wherein said one or more agent programs, running on said one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program, query said one or more servers to determine a respective type of operating system utilized by a respective server of said one or more servers and wherein said one or more agent programs query said one or more servers to determine a respective type of server of said one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program; and

a subsystem for filtering a list generated of said one or more servers potentially affected by said changed computer program to identify a subset of potentially affected servers having one or more interested owners who have recorded an interest in receiving notification of said changed computer program in said computer system, said subsystem being configured to generate a notification of said changed computer program to said one or more interested owners of said subset of potentially affected servers,

generating a notification of said changed computer program to said interested owners of said subset of potentially affected servers.

15. The distributed computer system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said one or more servers comprises at least one of:

a web server, an application server, a middleware server, a database server and a load balancing server.

16. The distributed computer system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said subsystem is configured to notify said one or more interested owners of said subset of potentially affected servers of said changed computer program.