Service image notifications

• US 8,776,043 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thimsen, John Daniel, Zipkin, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US13/248,852
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

An electronic marketplace for service images permits users to browse descriptions of service images implementing desired functionalities of a virtual machine image. The described service images may contain one or more software applications and may be further offered for purchase through an electronic service image marketplace. Notifications, such as updates, regarding software applications contained within a service image can be uploaded to the electronic service image marketplace. The electronic service image marketplace identifies customers associated with service images containing outdated software applications and generates notifications for the customers.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing notification through an electronic marketplace that a software application of a service image offered in the electronic marketplace is out of date, wherein the service image comprises at least one software application and an identifier associated with the at least one software application, and wherein the service image executes on a hosted computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices implement service images on behalf of customers;

said computer implemented method comprising;

under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,

receiving at the hosted computing environment an indication of an outdated software application from a second computing device that is under control of a third party,

wherein the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of a customer, and provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image, and

wherein the virtual computing device implements functionality corresponding to the selected service image and is distinct from additional virtual computing devices generated on behalf of additional customers;

determining whether the outdated software application corresponds to a first software application of a first service image executing on the hosted computing environment;

following determining that the outdated software application corresponds to the first software application, determining whether an identifier associated with the first software application corresponds to one or more identifiers associated with the outdated software application; and

following determining that the identifier associated with the first software application corresponds to one or more identifiers associated with the outdated software application, generating a notification to a customer associated with the first service image that the first software application is out of date, wherein the notification is made available to the customer associated with the first service image via a client computing device that is distinct from the hosted computing environment.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a software version number.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a result of hashing the first software application.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first software application is the first service image.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the indication of the outdated software application occurs as a result of polling a service that provides indications of outdated software applications.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the indication of the outdated software application comprises receiving a push message from a service that provides indications of outdated software applications.

7. A computer implemented method for providing notification that a software application of a service image executing on a hosted computing environment, is out of date, wherein the service image comprises at least one software application, wherein said hosted computing environment comprises a plurality of computing devices, and wherein at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices implement service images on behalf of customers, said computer implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices with specific executable instructions,

receiving at the hosted computing environment an indication of an outdated software application from a second computing device that is under control of a third party,

wherein the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of a customer, and provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image, and

wherein the virtual computing device implements functionality corresponding to the selected service image and is distinct from additional virtual computing devices generated on behalf of additional customers;

identifying a first service image in an electronic catalog including the outdated software application;

identifying a customer associated with the first service image including the outdated software application; and

generating a notification to the customer associated with the first service image including the outdated software application that the outdated software application is out of date, wherein the notification is made available to the customer associated with the first service image via a client computing device that is distinct from the hosted computing environment.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the identifying the first service image comprises comparing an identifier associated with the outdated software application with an identifier associated with a first software application of the first service image.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a software version number.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a result of hashing the first software application.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the outdated software application is the first service image.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises a security update.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises an indication that an update for the outdated software application of the first service image is available.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises one or more updates for the outdated software application of the first service image.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises an indication that the outdated software application of the first service image has been updated.

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

receiving an indication from a first computing device associated with the customer to update the outdated software application of the first service image; and

updating the outdated software application of the first service image.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the indication of the outdated software application occurs as a result of polling a service that provides indications of outdated software applications.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the indication of the outdated software application comprises receiving a push message from a service that provides indications of outdated software applications.

19. A system having one or more processors for providing notification that a software application of a service image is out of date, the system comprising:

an electronic catalog configured to store a plurality of service images, wherein each service image of the plurality of service images is capable of being executed in a hosted computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices implement service images on behalf of customers, and wherein each service image comprises at least one software application and an identifier associated with the at least one software application; and

a computing device in communication with the electronic catalog, the computing device configured to;

receive an indication of an outdated software application from a second computing device that is under control of a third party,

wherein the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of a customer, and provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image, and

wherein the virtual computing device implements functionality corresponding to the selected service image and is distinct from additional virtual computing devices generated on behalf of additional customers;

determine whether an identifier associated with a first software application of a first service image corresponds to one or more identifiers associated with the outdated software application; and

following the determination that the identifier associated with the first software application corresponds to one or more identifiers associated with the outdated software application, generate a notification to a customer associated with the first service image that the first software application is out of date, wherein the notification is made available to the customer associated with the first service image via a client computing device that is distinct from the hosted computing environment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a software version identifier.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a result of hashing the first software application.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification comprises an indication that an update for the outdated software application is available.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification comprises one or more updates for the outdated software application.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification comprises an indication that the first software application has been updated.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

receive an indication from a customer computing device associated with the customer to update the first software application of the first service image; and

update the first software application of the first service image.

26. A computer readable, non-transitory storage medium having one or more computer executable modules for providing notification that a software application of a service image is out of date, the one or more computer executable modules comprising:

a marketplace module in communication with an electronic catalog configured to store a plurality of service images, wherein each service image of the plurality of service images is capable of being executed in a hosted computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices implement service images on behalf of customers, and wherein each service image comprises at least one software application and an identifier associated with the at least one software application, the marketplace module configured to;

receive an indication of an outdated software application from a second computing device that is under control of a third party,

wherein the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of a customer, and provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image, and

wherein the virtual computing device implements functionality corresponding to the selected service image and is distinct from additional virtual computing devices generated on behalf of additional customers;

determine whether an identifier associated with the outdated software application corresponds to an identifier associated with a first software application of a first service image stored in the electronic catalog;

following the determination that the identifier associated with the first software application corresponds to the identifier associated with the outdated software application, identify a customer associated with the first service image; and

generate a notification to the customer associated with the first service image that the first software application is out of date, wherein the notification is made available to the customer associated with the first service image via a client computing device that is distinct from the hosted computing environment.

27. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier associated with the first software application is a result of hashing the first software application.

28. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the notification comprises an indication that an update for the outdated software application is available.

29. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the marketplace module is further configured to:

receive an indication from a first computing device associated with the customer to update the first software application of the first service image; and

update the first software application of the first service image.