Automatically resolving conflicts after installation of selected updates in a computer system

• US 9,665,359 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Satish, Bennett, Caleb, Nachimuthu, Arunpriyaa, Srinivasan, Sri
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US14/151,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/423 Preprocessors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44552 Conflict resolution, i.e. enabling coexistence of conflicting executables

Abstract

An update installer generates an update display for a user that allows the user to select updates to be applied to a computer system. Conflicts that arise because of application of the updates to the computer system are automatically resolved and the results of the conflict resolution are displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a first conflict between a customized version of a computer system and an update to the customized version of the computer system;

automatically resolving the first conflict comprising;

conducting a three-way comparison of the customized version of the computer system, a base version of the computer system that is different than the customized version, and the update; and

based on the comparison, modifying the customized version of the computer system to automatically resolve the first conflict;

identifying a second conflict between the customized version of the computer system and the update to the customized version of the computer system that has not been automatically resolved;

generating a representation of a conflict resolution result user interface display showing a conflict resolution result corresponding to the automatic resolution of the first conflict and identifying the modification to the customized version, the conflict resolution result user interface display including a user actuatable unresolved indicator representing the second conflict that has not been automatically resolved;

receiving an indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved indicator; and

based on the indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved indicator, generating a representation of a conflict details user interface display that displays details corresponding to the second conflict that has not been automatically resolved.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the customized version of the computer system comprises a user-customized version of the computer system that is customized based on a user-defined customization, and wherein the base version of the computer system comprises a version of the computer system without the user-defined customization.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein automatically resolving the first conflict comprises:

instructing a display device to display an auto resolution user input mechanism that is actuated to selectively enable the automatically resolution of the first conflict;

receiving an indication of user actuation of the auto resolution user input mechanism; and

automatically resolving the first conflict based on the indication of the user actuation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:

storing the conflict resolution result on a life cycle system for later access.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, and further comprising:

identifying a plurality of conflicts between the customized version and a set of updates applied to the user customized version; and

automatically resolving a set of the conflicts, wherein generating a representation of a conflict resolution result user interface display showing a conflict resolution result comprises instructing the display device to display resolved indicators corresponding to the set of conflicts that have been automatically resolved.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a representation of a conflict details user interface display comprises:

navigating the user to a portion of the computer system where the second conflict that has not been automatically resolved exists.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, and further comprising:

based on the indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved indicator, modifying the customized version of the computer system to resolve the second conflict;

wherein the conflict details user interface display identifies details of the resolution of the second conflict.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first conflict comprises a conflict between existing code in the computer system and code in the update.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein automatically resolving comprises performing a code merge of the existing code in the computer system and the code in the update, and wherein the conflict resolution result identifies a result of the code merge.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computer system to;

instruct a display device to display an update selection user interface display with a selection user input mechanism;

receive an indication of a user selection input from the selection user input mechanism that selects an update to be applied to an application;

install the selected update to the application;

identify an unresolved conflict that occurs from applying the selected update to the application;

instruct the display device to display a user actuatable unresolved conflict indicator that corresponds to the unresolved conflict;

receive an indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved conflict indicator; and

based on the indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved conflict indicator,

navigate the user to a portion of the computer system where the unresolved conflict corresponding to the user actuatable unresolved conflict indicator exists; and

instruct the display device to display a conflict resolution user input mechanism that is actuatable by the user to resolve the unresolved conflict.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the identified conflict comprises a conflict between existing code in the computer system and code in the selected update.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the instructions configure the computer system to:

identify a second conflict that occurs from applying the selected update to the application;

automatically resolve the second conflict;

instruct the display device to display a conflict resolution result user interface display showing a conflict resolution result indicating the automatic resolution of the second conflict.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the instructions configure the computer system to:

identify a plurality of conflicts that occur from applying the selected update to the application;

automatically resolve a first set of the identified conflicts, wherein a second set of the identified conflicts are not automatically resolved;

instruct the display device to display a set of resolved indicators, each corresponding to a conflict in the first set that was automatically resolved; and

instruct the display device to display a set of unresolved indicators, each corresponding to a conflict in the second set that remains unresolved.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the set of unresolved indicators each comprise a navigable link which, when actuated by a user, navigates the user to a portion of the application where the corresponding unresolved conflict exists.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a first conflict between existing code in a computer system and update code in an update applied to the computer system;

instructing a display device to display an auto resolution user input mechanism;

receiving an indication of user actuation of the auto resolution user input mechanism;

based on the indication of user actuation of the auto resolution user input mechanism, utilizing a computer processor to automatically modify code in the computer system to resolve the first conflict;

identifying a second conflict between the existing code in the computer system and the update code; and

instructing the display device to display a conflict resolution result user interface display showing a conflict resolution result that identifies how the first conflict has been automatically resolved and including a user actuatable unresolved indicator representing the second conflict that has not been automatically resolved;

receiving an indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved indicator; and

based on the indication of user actuation of the user actuatable unresolved indicator,

navigate the user to a portion of the computer system where the second conflict that has not been automatically resolved exists.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein the computer system comprises a user customized version of a base system, and the method further comprising:

storing the conflict resolution result on a life cycle system for later access.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises:

receiving an indication of a user input manually resolving the second conflict.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein automatically modifying code comprises performing a code merge of the existing code in the computer system and the code in the identified update, and wherein the conflict resolution result identifies a result of the code merge.