Comparing system engram with product engram to determine compatibility of product with system

• US 9,354,902 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, Eric V., Kline, Gabriel L. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Ben C
• Application Number:
  US14/574,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• 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

A system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system is received. The existing configuration includes one or more of hardware and software of the target system. The system engram is originally acquired by a first processing device and is received by a second processing device. The second processing device compares the system engram with a product engram encoding a required configuration of the target system for a product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The required configuration includes one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The second processing device can output, as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a first processing device and received by a second processing device, the second processing device is specific to a product, the second processing device stores a product engram for the product without having previously received selection of the product insofar as the second processing device is related to the product, such that the second processing device implicitly receives selection of the product via receiving the system engram, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system; and

comparing, by the second processing device, the system engram with the product engram;

outputting, as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram, by the second processing device,

wherein the first processing device is part of the target system and is a different processing device from the second processing device,

and wherein receiving the system engram comprises one of;

electronically receiving the system engram from an electronic medium removably attached to the second processing device by a user and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the first processing device;

electronically receiving the system engram by the second processing device in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, such that an engram acquisition computer program executed by the first processing device acquires the system engram.

2. A system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium to store a computer program executable by the processor, and to store a product engram for a product with which the system is related and to which the system is specific, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system; and

a receiving component to receive a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a processing device, wherein the product is implicitly selected via the receiving component of the system receiving the system engram,

wherein the computer program is to compare the system engram with the product engram,

wherein the system is part of the target system and is different from the processing device,

and wherein the receiving component is to receive the system engram by one of;

electronically receiving the system engram from an electronic medium removably attached to the processing device by a user and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the system;

electronically receiving the system engram by the processing device in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, such that the computer program executed by the first processing device acquires the system engram.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer program is further to:

where the product can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

offer a user an opportunity to purchase the product;

list first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

where the product cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

indicate one or more first corrective actions that can be undertaken in relation to the target system for the product to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list the first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list second other products that cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system but that require one or more second corrective actions to be undertaken in relation to the target system for the second other products to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, where the second corrective actions are less costly than the first corrective actions.

4. A computer program product comprising:

a storage memory device storing computer-readable code executable by a second processing device, the computer-readable code executed by the second processing device to;

receive a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a first processing device, the second processing device is specific to a product, the second processing device stores a product engram for the product without having previously received selection of the product insofar as the second processing device is related to the product, such that the second processing device implicitly receives selection of the product via receiving the system engram, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

compare the system engram with the product engram; and

output as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram,

wherein the first processing device is part of the target system and is a different processing device from the second processing device,

and wherein the code is executable to receive the system engram by one of;

electronically receiving the system engram from an electronic medium removably attached to the second processing device by a user and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the first processing device;

electronically receiving the system engram by the second processing device in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, such that an engram acquisition computer program executed by the first processing device acquires the system engram.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer-readable code is executed by the second processing device to further:

where the product can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

offer a user an opportunity to purchase the product;

list first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

where the product cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

indicate one or more first corrective actions that can be undertaken in relation to the target system for the product to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list the first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list second other products that cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system but that require one or more second corrective actions to be undertaken in relation to the target system for the second other products to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, where the second corrective actions are less costly than the first corrective actions.