Diagnostic notification via package update manager

• US 9,116,802 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• 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, Antill, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrmanesh, Elmira
• Application Number:
  US12/714,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20110214018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 714/26, 714/27, 714/38.1, 714/38.14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for diagnostic notification via a package update manager. 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. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user'"'"'s selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database and/or current state of the client machine. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, and the notification tool can re-analyze any potential faults after an update is completed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a set of installed software packages on a client;

identifying a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client;

identifying, using a processor, a potential fault condition related to a prospective installation of the set of package updates on the client by accessing a diagnostic database; and

generating a notification to a user of the client of the potential fault condition, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline continued execution of an executing process on the client associated with the identified potential fault condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the potential fault condition comprises accessing a state of the client machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein accessing the state of the client machine comprises accessing an event log generated by an operating system of the client machine.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the state of the client machine comprises at least one of a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine, or a storage state of the client machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the potential fault condition comprises at least one of a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault, or a security fault.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the initiating of the additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client comprises accessing a remote repository to download the set of package updates.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying an additional potential fault condition related to the modified set of installed packages by accessing a diagnostic database; and

generating a notification to a user of the client of the additional potential fault condition in view of the modified set of installed packages.

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

10. A system comprising:

a memory comprising a set of installed software packages on a client; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor to;

identify a set of installed software packages on a client,

identify a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client,

identify a potential fault condition related to a prospective installation of the set of package updates on the client by accessing a diagnostic database, and

generate a notification to a user of the client of the potential fault condition, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline continued execution of an executing process on the client associated with the identified potential fault condition.

11. The system of claim 10, the processor to identify the potential fault condition by accessing a state of the client machine.

12. The system of claim 11, the processor to access the state of the client machine by accessing an event log generated by an operating system of the client machine.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the client machine comprises at least one of a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine, or a storage state of the client machine.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one potential fault condition comprises at least one of a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault, or a security fault.

15. The system of claim 10, the processor to initiate an additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client.

16. The system of claim 15, the processor to initiate the additional set of package updates to generate a modified set of installed packages on the client by accessing a remote repository to download the set of package updates.

17. The system of claim 15, the processor to:

identify an additional potential fault condition related to the modified set of installed packages by accessing a diagnostic database, and

generate a notification to a user of the client of the additional potential fault condition in view of the modified set of installed packages.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the client comprises at least one of a virtual machine or a physical machine.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

identify a set of installed software packages on a client;

identify a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client;

identify, by the processor, a potential fault condition related to a prospective installation of the set of package updates on the client by accessing a diagnostic database; and

generate a notification to a user of the client of the potential fault condition, wherein the notification comprises a set of selections to accept or decline continued execution of an executing process on the client associated with the identified potential fault condition.