Generating an encoded package profile based on executing host processes

• US 9,003,389 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Vidal, Seth Kelby, Antill, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US12/787,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/453 Data distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

Embodiments relate to generating an encoded package profile based on executing host processes. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager and/or other logic can identify currently executing processes on the client, and determine which package(s) corresponding to that set of executing processes are hosted on the client. The package manager can generate a report to a package server and/or other remote management platform to perform management operations on the client, such as, for example, to terminate executing processes on a target client to permit package update processes to take place. Other network management actions, such as inventorying or grouping virtual machines in a cloud or other network, can likewise be performed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of executing host processes on a client;

identifying a set of software packages installed on the client that are associated with the plurality of executing processes by accessing package association information from a package association record between the plurality of executing host processes and the set of software packages, wherein the package association record comprises an identification of at least one software package of the set of software packages that is associated with at least one of the plurality of executing host processes and information related to one or more dependencies, a process identification (ID) of each of the plurality of executing host processes, and a package ID for each package of the set of packages; and

generating, by a processor, an encoded identifier in view of the identified set of software packages that correspond to the plurality of executing host processes on the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded identifier of the set of software packages comprises an encoded identifier in view of a set of attributes associated with the set of software packages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of attributes comprises at least one of a package name identifier, a package version identifier, a package epoch identifier, a package timestamp identifier, a package size identifier, a file name identifier, a file version identifier, a file timestamp identifier, or a file size identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoded identifier comprises a hash function output generated by performing a hash function on the set of attributes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of executing processes executing on the client comprises accessing an operating system of the client to identify the plurality of executing processes executing on the client.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of executing processes comprises an executing thread corresponding to executable files contained in the set of software packages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client comprises at least one of a physical machine or a virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an updated software package corresponding to a subsequently executing process on the client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the set of software packages corresponds to a scheduled package update.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the set of software packages corresponds to a scheduled package update, the method further comprises terminating the plurality of executing processes corresponding to the set of software packages to permit a package update process to be performed on the set of software packages.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the encoded identifier of the set of software packages to a management platform.

12. A system, comprising:

a data store to store a set of software packages on a client; and

a processor operatively communicably coupled to the data store, and to;

identify a plurality of executing host processes on a client,

identify the set of software packages on the client corresponding to the plurality of executing process on the client by accessing package association information from a package association record between the plurality of executing host processes and the set of software packages, wherein the package association record comprises an identification of at least one software package of the set of software packages that is associated with at least one of the plurality of executing host processes and information related to one or more dependencies, a process identification (ID) of each of the plurality of executing host processes, and a package ID for each package of the set of packages, and

generate an encoded identifier in view of the identified set of software packages that correspond to the plurality of executing host processes on the client.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the encoded identifier of the set of software packages comprises an encoded identifier in view of a set of attributes associated with the set of software packages.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the set of attributes comprises at least one of a package name identifier, a package version identifier, a package epoch identifier, a package timestamp identifier, a package size identifier, a file name identifier, a file version identifier, a file timestamp identifier, or a file size identifier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein when identifying the plurality of executing processes executing on the client, the processor is to access an operating system of the client to identify the plurality of executing processes on the client.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of executing processes comprises at least one executing thread corresponding to executable files contained in the set of software packages.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the client comprises at least one of a physical machine or a virtual machine.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further to determine whether the set of software packages corresponds to a scheduled package update.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein when the set of software packages corresponds to a scheduled package update, the processor is further to terminate the plurality of executing processes corresponding to the set of software packages to permit a package update process to be performed on the set of software packages.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

identify a plurality of executing host processes on a client;

identify a set of software packages installed on the client that are associated with the plurality of executing processes by, wherein the software package comprises a plurality of component files chosen to perform a task, accessing package association information from a package association record between the plurality of executing host processes and the set of software packages, wherein the package association record comprises an identification of at least one software package of the set of software packages that is associated with at least one of the plurality of executing host processes and information related to one or more dependencies, a process identification (ID) of each of the plurality of executing host processes, and a package ID for each package of the set of packages; and

generate, by a processor, an encoded identifier in view of the identified set of software packages that correspond to the plurality of executing host processes on the client.