Update scanning

• US 8,959,504 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Sean Thomas, Hennessey, David Cris
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyons, Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US13/275,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 717/171
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems allow for updates (e.g., questions) to be provided via sync calls to a server (e.g., in determining whether (non-question) software updates should be installed on a client device), where the total number of updates exceeds single sync call server limitations. For example, relationships between updates may be determined and updates may be grouped into two or more sets based upon the relationships, where different sets can independently be transmitted to the server in different sync calls. Grouping updates according to the policies provided mitigates errors that may otherwise occur when making multi-sync calls (e.g., asking a second question before a first question where the second question should follow the first question because the relevance of the second question depends upon an answer to the first question).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

preparing a sync call for transmission to an updating service, the sync call comprising a set of questions posed to a client by the updating service and a set of answers to the set of questions;

determining that a characteristic of the sync call is not compliant with a requirement of the updating service, the determining comprising determining that at least one of;

a number of questions in the set of questions exceeds a question limit of the updating service;

or

a number of answers in the set of answers exceeds an answer limit of the updating service; and

dividing the set of questions and the set of answers into two or more sync calls responsive to the determining, a first sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a first subset of questions and a first subset of answers to the first subset of questions and a second sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a second subset of questions and a second subset of answers to the second subset of questions.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending the first sync call and the second sync call to the updating service.

3. The method of claim 1, the determining comprising:

determining that a data size of the sync call exceeds a data limit of the updating service.

4. The method of claim 1, at least one of:

a first question of the set of questions comprised in both the first subset of questions and the second subset of questions, or

a first answer of the set of answers comprised in both the first subset of answers and the second subset of answers.

5. The method of claim 1, the dividing comprising:

selecting a first basis question from the set of questions;

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions that are preconditions for the first basis question; and

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the first basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question.

6. The method of claim 5, the first subset of questions comprising the first basis question, the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question, and the zero or more questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the first basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question.

7. The method of claim 6, the dividing comprising:

selecting a second basis question from the set of questions;

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions that are preconditions for the second basis question; and

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the second basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the second basis question.

8. The method of claim 7, the second subset of questions comprising the second basis question, the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the second basis question, and the zero or more questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the second basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the second basis question.

9. The method of claim 8, the first subset and the second subset having at least one question of the set of questions in common.

10. The method of claim 1, the dividing comprising:

generating a dependency tree, a first node in the dependency tree representing a first question of the set of questions and a second node in the dependency tree representing a second question of the set of questions and a dependency between the first question and the second question represented by a line connecting the first node to the second node.

11. The method of claim 2, the sending comprising:

sending the first sync call to a first server associated with the updating service; and

sending the second sync call to a second server associated with the updating service.

12. A system, comprising:

one or more processing units; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by at least some of the one or more processing units perform a method comprising;

identifying a set of questions used to identify one or more software updates for a client;

determining that a sync call comprising the set of questions does not satisfy a requirement of an updating service providing the one or more software updates, the determining comprising determining that a number of questions in the set of questions exceeds a question limit of the updating service; and

dividing the set of questions into two or more sync calls responsive to the determining, a first sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a first subset of questions and a second sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a second subset of questions.

13. The system of claim 12, the method comprising:

labeling questions of the first subset of questions with a first label; and

labeling questions of the second subset of questions with a second label.

14. The system of claim 12, the identifying performed at the updating service.

15. The system of claim 12, the identifying performed at the client.

16. The system of claim 12, the dividing comprising:

selecting a first basis question from the set of questions;

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions that are preconditions for the first basis question; and

identifying zero or more questions of the set of questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the first basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question.

17. The system of claim 16, the first subset of questions comprising the first basis question, the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question, and the zero or more questions whose preconditions are satisfied by at least one of the first basis question or the zero or more questions that are preconditions for the first basis question.

18. The system of claim 12, the determining comprising:

determining that a number of answers in a set of answers to the set of questions exceeds an answer limit of the updating service.

19. The system of claim 12, the determining comprising:

determining that a data size of the sync call exceeds a data limit of the updating service.

20. A computer readable medium, excluding signals, comprising instructions that when executed perform a method comprising:

preparing a sync call for transmission to an updating service, the sync call comprising a set of questions posed to a client by the updating service and a set of answers to the set of questions;

determining that a characteristic of the sync call is not compliant with a requirement of the updating service, the determining comprising determining that a number of answers in the set of answers exceeds an answer limit of the updating service; and

dividing the set of questions and the set of answers into two or more sync calls responsive to the determining, a first sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a first subset of questions and a first subset of answers to the first subset of questions and a second sync call of the two or more sync calls comprising a second subset of questions and a second subset of answers to the second subset of questions.