Software appliance installation systems and methods

• US 8,990,798 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Pohlmann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): FINKLEY, RESHAUN
• Application Number:
  US13/631,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20140096128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 717/176
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Systems and methods of installing a software appliance via a computer network are shown and described. Such a method may include detaching, by at least one processing circuit, the software appliance from an operating system of a computing device. The method may further include establishing a network connection with a virtual server in a cloud computer system. The method may also include attaching the software appliance to an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of installing a software appliance via a computer network, comprising:

detaching, by at least one processing circuit, the software appliance from an operating system of a computing device by unregistering a software stack and a database in the software appliance from the operating system of the computing device, wherein the software appliance includes at least the software stack and the database;

storing, by the at least one processing circuit, information of the software appliance into files;

establishing a network connection with a virtual server in a cloud computer system;

determining the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system based at least in part on the information of the software appliance stored in the files;

configuring network settings and network interfaces of the virtual server of the cloud computer system for the software appliance based at least in part on results of the determining that the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

activating virtual hostnames for the software appliance on the virtual server of the cloud computer system; and

attaching the software appliance to an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system by registering the software stack and the database in the software appliance with the operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system, wherein the registration of the software stack comprises creating users for the software stack, configuring access control lists for the software stack and the database, creating network port settings for the software stack, configuring kernel parameters for supporting the software stack, starting the database, and starting the software appliance using the software stack.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the software appliance for the operating system of the first computing device prior to the detaching step;

wherein the configuration is complete for the operation of the virtual server once the attachment step is complete, and wherein the attachment avoids the need to reconfigure the appliance for the operating system of the virtual server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining the software appliance is compatible with an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

checking network settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining the software appliance is compatible with hardware of the computing device underlying the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining file system layout and permissions of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining the virtual server of the cloud computer system has sufficient memory space for the software appliance;

determining a correct time server of the cloud computer system; and

determining correct user-management of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring of the network settings further comprises:

if the cloud computer system supports Domain Name System, configuring network settings based on the Domain Name System;

if the cloud computer system does not support Domain Name System, configuring network settings based on local machine settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring of the network settings further comprises:

if the cloud computer system supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, configuring network settings based on the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol;

if the cloud computer system does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, configuring network settings based on static IP addressing.

6. A system of installing a software appliance via a computer network, comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:

detach the software appliance from an operating system of a computing device by unregistering a software stack and a database in the software appliance from the operating system of the computing device, wherein the software appliance includes at least the software stack and the database;

store information of the software appliance into files;

establish a network connection with a virtual server in a cloud computer system;

determine the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system based at least in part on the information of the software appliance stored in the files;

configure network settings and network interfaces of the virtual server of the cloud computer system for the software appliance based at least in part on results of the determining that the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

activate virtual hostnames for the software appliance on the virtual server of the cloud computer system; and

attach the software appliance to an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system by registering the software stack and the database in the software appliance with the operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system, wherein the registration of the software stack comprises creating users for the software stack, configuring access control lists for the software stack and the database, creating network port settings for the software stack, configuring kernel parameters for supporting the software stack, starting the database, and starting the software appliance using the software stack.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to receive a request for installing the software appliance to the cloud computer system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

determine the software appliance is compatible with an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

check network settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determine the software appliance is compatible with hardware of the computing device underlying the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determine file system layout and permissions of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determine the virtual server of the cloud computer system has sufficient memory space for the software appliance;

determine a correct time server for the cloud computer system; and

determine correct user-management of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

configure network settings based on the Domain Name System if the cloud computer system supports Domain Name System; and

configure network settings based on local machine settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system if the cloud computer system does not support Domain Name System.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

configure network settings based on the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol if the cloud computer system supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; and

configure network settings based on static IP addressing if the cloud computer system does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detaching a software appliance from an operating system of a computing device by unregistering a software stack and a database in the software appliance from the operating system of the computing device, wherein the software appliance includes at least the software stack and the database;

storing information of the software appliance into files;

establishing a network connection with a virtual server in a cloud computer system;

determining the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system based at least in part on the information of the software appliance stored in the files;

configuring network settings and network interfaces of the virtual server of the cloud computer system for the software appliance based at least in part on results of the determining that the software appliance is compatible with the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

activating virtual hostnames for the software appliance on the virtual server of the cloud computer system; and

attaching the software appliance to an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system by registering the software stack and the database in the software appliance with the operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system, wherein the registration of the software stack comprises creating users for the software stack, configuring access control lists for the software stack and the database, creating network port settings for the software stack, configuring kernel parameters for supporting the software stack, starting the database, and starting the software appliance using the software stack.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining the software appliance is compatible with an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

checking network settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining the software appliance is compatible with hardware of the computing device underlying the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining file system layout and permissions of the virtual server of the cloud computer system;

determining the virtual server of the cloud computer system has sufficient memory space for the software appliance;

determining correct time server of the cloud computer system; and

determining correct user-management of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

if the cloud computer system supports Domain Name System, configuring network settings based on the Domain Name System;

if the cloud computer system does not support Domain Name System, configuring network settings based on local machine settings of the virtual server of the cloud computer system.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

if the cloud computer system supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, configuring network settings based on the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol;

if the cloud computer system does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, configuring network settings based on static IP addressing.

15. A computer-implemented method of installing a software appliance via a computer network, comprising:

detaching, by at least one processing circuit, the software appliance from an operating system of a computing device by unregistering a software stack and a database in the software appliance from the operating system of the computing device;

establishing a network connection with a virtual server in a cloud computer system; and

attaching the software appliance to an operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system by registering the software stack and the database in the software appliance with the operating system of the virtual server of the cloud computer system, wherein the registration of the software stack comprises creating users for the software stack, configuring access control lists for the software stack and the database, creating network port settings for the software stack, configuring kernel parameters for supporting the software stack, starting the database, and starting the software appliance using the software stack.