Managing software package updates using communication pipes

• US 9,092,295 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): ABAD, FARLEY J
• Application Number:
  US12/714,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20110214116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 717/137, 717/171, 717/173, 714/48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing software package updates using communication pipes. According to aspects, one or more client machines can initiate package update activity, for instance a software package update using a package manager. In aspects, instead of accessing a package repository directly via the update manager or utility, the package manager can be configured to communicate with a set of communication pipes, such as inter-process communication (IPC) sockets, pipes, or other resources. The user can thereby invoke a pipeable update process, perform enhanced update activity, and share the results with various programs or threads. For example, the user can set the update process to generate a report of prospective or available update activity, without actually implementing the updates. Error codes during these and other types of diagnostic processing can be generated and logged for debugging purposes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a processor, a source of a software package update associated with a first process;

instantiating, by an operating system, a sharable inter-process communication channel from the source to associate the software package update with a client machine;

receiving an update parameter indicating a diagnostic activity;

configuring the update parameter in view of the sharable inter-process communication channel, the sharable inter-process communication channel permitting sharing of the update parameter;

performing the diagnostic activity on the software package update;

accessing an option for generating update activity on the client machine in view of the software package update, wherein the option comprises generating a report associated with a test-only download of the software package update;

downloading the software package update;

initiating, by the processor, the update activity on the client machine via the sharable inter-process communication channel in view of the report associated with the test-only download of the software package update and in view of the diagnostic activity; and

sharing the software package update with a second process connected to the sharable inter-process communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source comprises an update repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-process communication channel comprises an authorization layer to authorize the update activity on the client machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client machine comprises a physical machine or a virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the option comprises a report-only option to generate a report of results of update activity while performing the update activity in a test mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the option comprises a dry-run option to generate a report of results of prospective update activity without performing the update activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the option comprises a logging option to log update activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the logging option comprises an error reporting log to record errors during the update activity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the error reporting log comprises an error code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the option comprises a selection to select one of installing a software package update, updating a software package update, or removing a software package update.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the update activity comprises downloading a software package update for installation on the client machine via the inter-process communication channel.

12. A system comprising:

a sharable inter-process communication channel instantiated by an operating system to communicate with a source of a software package update associated with a first process; and

a processor to communicate with the source of the software package update via the sharable inter-process communication channel, the processor to;

associate the software package update with a client machine,

receive an update parameter to indicate a diagnostic activity,

configure the update parameter in view of the inter-process communication channel, the inter-process communication channel permitting sharing of the update parameter,

perform the diagnostic activity on the software package update,

access an option to generate update activity on the client machine in view of the software package update, wherein the option comprises to generate a report associated with a test-only download of the software package update,

download the software package update;

initiate the update activity on the client machine via the inter-process communication channel in view of the report associated with the test-only download of the software package update and in view of the diagnostic activity; and

share the software package update with a second process connected to the sharable inter-process communication channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the source comprises an update repository.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the inter-process communication channel comprises an authorization layer to authorize the update activity on the client machine.

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

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the option comprises a report-only option to generate a report of results of update activity while performing the update activity in a test mode.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the option comprises a dry-run option to generate a report of results of prospective update activity without performing the update activity.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the option comprises a logging option to log update activity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the logging option comprises an error reporting log to record errors during the update activity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the error reporting log comprises an error code.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the option comprises a selection to select one of to install a software package update, to update a software package update, or to remove a software package update.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the update activity comprises to download a software package update for installation on the client machine via the inter-process communication channel.

23. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

identify, by the processor, a source of a software package update associated with a first process;

instantiate, by an operating system, a sharable inter-process communication

channel from the source to associate the software package update with a client machine;

receive an update parameter indicating a diagnostic activity;

configure the update parameter in view of the sharable inter-process communication channel, the sharable inter-process communication channel permitting sharing of the update parameter;

perform the diagnostic activity on the software package update;

access an option for generating update activity on the client machine in view of the software package update, wherein the option comprises to generate a report associated with a test-only download of the software package update;

download the software package update;

instantiate, by the processor, the update activity on the client machine via the inter-process communication channel in view of the report associated with the test-only download of the software package update and in view of the diagnostic activity; and

share the software package update with a second process connected to the sharable inter-process communication channel.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the source comprises an update repository.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the inter-process communication channel comprises an authorization layer to authorize the update activity on the client machine.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the client machine comprises a physical machine or a virtual machine.