Global software deployment/remediation management and associated analytics

• US 9,176,728 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Dixit, Amit, Ahmed, Syed Luqman, Malireddy, Nandakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US14/539,536
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for an automated infrastructure management and remediation in an enterprise-type computing infrastructure that provides for automated deployment of critical updates/patches to enterprise-wide computing servers to insure that such updates occur and within prescribed time limits. Further, the invention provides for automatic extraction data from the various different data sources that contain data relevant to the update/patch process, consolidation and transformation of the data to accommodate reporting needs and analytical research and relying on the data to automatically determine the current state of the servers for the subsequent purpose of determining which of enterprise-wide servers require a pending update/patch. Additionally, the data is relied upon to automatically determine optimal times for deploying the update/patch to each of the servers, scheduling of an optimal time for deployment and subsequent automated deployment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for globally managing computing network infrastructure remediation, the apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including a memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory; and

an infrastructure remediation module stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to;

receive, from a plurality of data sources, data associated with deploying software updates on a plurality of globally distributed computing servers in a networked infrastructure;

based on an indication that an updated version of a software application requires deployment, determine from the data (a) which of the plurality of computing servers implement the software application, (b) a current version of the software application being executed on each of the computing servers that implement the software application, and (c) based on the current version, which of the plurality of computing servers that implement the software application meet a version pre-requisite for installing the updated version;

determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version of the determined software application to the computing servers requiring the update version;

generate and initiate communication of software update deployment notifications to each entity controlling each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, wherein the notifications include the one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version;

in response to communicating the notifications, receive a scheduling input from each of the entities that confirms or selects one of the recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version; and

deploy the updated version of the software application to each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite in accordance with the scheduling inputs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to consolidate and aggregate the received data into a standardized data format, wherein the standardized data format is used to generate infrastructure status reports and perform analytics.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to perform the analytics on the standardized formatted data by segmenting the data according to one of software application, production environment, operating system, and line-of-business (LOB).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further to configured to deploy requisite intermediary versions to each of the computing servers determined to not be meeting the version pre-requisite for installing the updated version.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, an optimal ordered sequence for deploying the updated version based on a criticality level assigned to one or more of the plurality of servers implementing the software application.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, one or more recommended optimal dates and time for deploying the updated version, wherein the determination is based on minimizing computing server downtime.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version, wherein the determination provides for seeking to consolidate other pending downtime-related activities required to be performed on the computing server with the deployment of the updated version.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to update one or more systems of records after deployment of the updated version to reflect the updated version status and details related to the deployment.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to provide a dashboard user-interface that indicates a current status of the deployment of the updated version per at least one of operating system or line-of-business.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure remediation module is further configured to provide a dashboard user-interface that indicates one or more of (1) an ordered listing of most vulnerable computing servers and (2) quantity of computing servers successfully and unsuccessfully updated over predetermined periods of time.

11. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable memory device comprising:

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive, from a plurality of data sources, data associated with deploying software updates on a plurality of globally distributed computing servers in a networked infrastructure;

a second set of codes for causing a computing device to, based indication that an updated version of a software application requires deployment, determine from the data (a) which of the plurality of computing servers implement the software application, (b) a current version of the software application being executed on each of the computing servers that implement the software application, and (c) based on the current version, which of the plurality of computing servers that implement the software application meet a version pre-requisite for installing the updated version;

a third set of codes for causing a computer to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version of the determined software application to the computing servers requiring the update version;

a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to generate and communicate software update deployment notifications to each entity controlling each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, wherein the notifications include the one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version;

a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to, in response to communicating the notifications, receive a scheduling input from each of the entities that confirms or selects one of the recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version; and

a sixth set of codes for causing a computer to deploy the updated version of the software application to each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite in accordance with the scheduling inputs.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable memory device further includes a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to (1) consolidate and aggregate the received data into a standardized data format, (2) generate infrastructure status reports, and (3) perform analytics.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to perform the analytics on the standardized formatted data by segmenting the data according to one of software application, production environment, operating system, and line-of-business (LOB).

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to deploy requisite intermediary versions to each of the computing servers determined to not be meeting the version pre-requisite for installing the updated version.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, an optimal ordered sequence for deploying the updated version based on a criticality level assigned to one or more of the plurality of servers implementing the software application.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, the one or more recommended optimal dates and time for deploying the updated version based on minimizing computing server downtime.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, the one or more recommended optimal dates and time for deploying the updated version, wherein the determination provides for seeking to consolidate other pending downtime-related activities required to be performed on the computing server with the deployment of the updated version.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable memory device further includes a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to provide a dashboard user-interface that indicates at least one of (1) a current status of the deployment of the updated version per at least one of operating system or line-of-business, (2) an ordered listing of most vulnerable computing servers, and (2) a quantity of computing servers successfully and unsuccessfully updated over predetermined periods of time.

19. A method for globally managing computing network infrastructure remediation, the method comprising:

receiving, at a centralized computing device database, data associated with deploying software updates on a plurality of globally distributed computing servers in a networked infrastructure that is communicated from a plurality of data sources;

based on an indication that an updated version of a software application requires deployment, determining, by a computing device processor, from the data (a) which of the plurality of computing servers implement the software application, (b) a current version of the software application being executed on each of the computing servers that implement the software application, and (c) based on the current version, which of the plurality of computing servers that implement the software application meet a version pre-requisite for installing the updated version;

determining, by a computing device processor, for each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version of the determined software application to the computing servers requiring the update version;

generating, by a computing device processor, and initiating electronic communication of, software update deployment notifications to each entity controlling each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite, wherein the notifications include the one or more recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version;

in response to communicating the notifications, receiving, by a computing device processor, a scheduling input from each of the entities that confirms or selects one of the recommended optimal dates and times for deploying the updated version; and

deploying, by a computing device processor, the updated version of the software application to each of the computing servers meeting the version pre-requisite in accordance with the scheduling inputs.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

consolidating and aggregating, by a computing device, the received data into a standardized data format;

generating, by a computing device processor, infrastructure status reports based on the standardized formatted data; and

performing, by a computing device processor, analytics on the standardized formatted data.