Automatic selection of lowest configuration feature level by functionality exploited

• US 8,930,901 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bolton, Stephen P., Webster, Matthew A., Winchester, Joseph R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyons, Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US13/209,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20130047136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 717/121
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Methods and systems of generating product configuration files may involve receiving an identification of a set of features for a software product via a file editor interface. The lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features may be determined, wherein a configuration file can be generated based on the lowest version. In one example, the configuration file identifies the set of features and includes the lowest version as an attribute of the configuration file.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and

computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium, where, if executed by a processor, the computer usable code causes a computer to;

output one or more prompts via a file editor interface;

receive an identification of a set of features for a software product via the file editor interface, wherein the set of features is to include one or more application programming interface (API) functions and the software product is to include a server;

automatically determine, via the file editor interface, a lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features from among a plurality of versions of the software product;

automatically assign, via the file editor interface, the lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features to a configuration file in response to the automatic determination of the lowest version by adding an attribute to the configuration file that is to indicate the lowest version of the software product as a level of compatibility, wherein the lowest version of the software product is to be automatically assigned even when the file editor interface is compatible with a version of the software product that supports the set of features which is higher than the lowest version of the software product; and

automatically generate, via the file editor interface, the configuration file for the software product, wherein the configuration file is to include an event binding file, identify the set of features, and indicate the lowest version via the attribute of the configuration file.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to exclude version information from the one or more prompts.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to:

maintain a list of a plurality of features and corresponding version levels for the software product; and

compare the set of features to the list.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the server is to include a custom information control system server.

13. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the one or more prompts are to display a plurality of features from which the set of features are to be selected and exclude the version information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the file editor interface is to allow a user to select the set of features without regard to a version level of an execution environment.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the file editor interface is to allow the user to select the set of features without having to explicitly set the version level of the execution environment.

16. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of versions is to include two or more versions of the software product that support the set of features, and wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to automatically determine and automatically assign, via the file editor interface, the lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features from among the two or more versions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the plurality of versions is to include one or more versions of the software product that do not support the set of features and one or more versions of the software product that supports an unneeded feature.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to exclude the one or more versions of the software product that do not support the set of features and the one or more versions of the software product that supports the unneeded feature to automatically determine the lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features.

19. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to provide the configuration file to an execution environment, wherein the configuration file is to be installed based on a determination that the lowest version of the software product is compatible with a current version of the software product at the execution environment.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to generate a plurality of configuration files for a plurality of execution environments, wherein the plurality of execution environments is to include a runtime environment and a development environment.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and

computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium, where, if executed by a processor, the computer usable code causes a computer to;

receive an identification of a set of features for a software product via a file editor interface;

automatically determine, via the file editor interface, a lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features from among a plurality of versions of the software product;

automatically assign, via the file editor interface, the lowest version of the software product that supports the set of features to a configuration file in response to the automatic determination of the lowest version by adding an attribute to the configuration file that is to indicate the lowest version of the software product as a level of compatibility, wherein the lowest version of the software product is to be automatically assigned even when the file editor interface is compatible with a version of the software product that supports the set of features which is higher than the lowest version of the software product; and

automatically generate, via the file editor interface, the configuration file for the software product, wherein the configuration file is to identify the set of features and is to indicate the lowest version via the attribute of the configuration file.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to output one or more prompts for entry of the identification of the set of features via the file editor interface.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to exclude version information from the one or more prompts.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to:

maintain a list of a plurality of features and corresponding version levels for the software product; and

compare the set of features to the list.

9. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the set of features is to include one or more application program interface (API) functions.

10. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the configuration file is to include an event binding file.

11. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the software product is to include a server.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the server is to include a custom information control system server.