System and method for remotely updating software applications

• US 20030066065A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Larkin, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for remotely updating a software application on both thin client and non-thin client workstations while the software application is open on the client workstation. The system includes a server-side module and a client-side module. The software application may either be requested by a client to be automatically installed from the server-side module or clients may register with the server for automatic push-type installation of the software application from the client-side module. The method involves the server receiving the new software application and then either automatically pushing it onto each client or receiving a request from a registered client to have the new software program installed. The state of the user'"'"'s application may optionally be saved during the install and restored after the automatic upgrading and installing of the segment of the software application. After the new software application has been successfully installed, the cache from the previous application is invalidated. Control is then transferred back to the client.

Claims

1. A method of remotely installing and automatically updating software applications, the method comprising:

automatically installing a segment of a software application from a remote station while the software application is open on a client; and

automatically restoring the software application to a usable state after installing the segment of the software application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is a version of a Java™

-based application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically installing a segment of a software application is conducted without restarting the software application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote station is a server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user with an option of automatically installing a segment of a software application on one of a thin client workstation and a non-thin client workstation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calling the remote station from the client and registering for a push to make the remote station aware of the client'"'"'s location on a network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at the remote station that a new version of the software application is available.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the segment of a software application is a new version update and further comprising generating a list of at least one object to update and push upon the client from the remote station.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a client update module resident on the client, the client update module configured to receive the update object from the remote station.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the current state is persistent and where the current state is to be stored in response to receiving the update object.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the client state to the remote station for preservation during the installing of the software application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the software application comprises an application cache, the application cache storing parameters and characteristics of the software application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising invalidating the application cache of the software application.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising restoring the client state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising reconciling data version changes present in the client state.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising restoring control to the client after installing the segment of an application and allowing the client to resume work without restarting the application.

17. A method of remotely updating a software application from a remote station while the software application is open on a client, the method comprising:

providing an option of automatically upgrading and installing an update to a Java™

-based application on one of a thin client workstation and a non-thin client workstation.

calling the remote server from the client and registering for a push such that the remote server becomes aware of the clients'"'"' location;

recognizing at the remote server that a new version of the software application is available;

generating a list of at least one object to update and push upon the client from the remote server;

transmitting the client state to the remote server for preservation during the installing of the segment of a Java™

-based software application;

invalidating an application cache of the software application;

automatically installing the at least one update objects from a remote server while the software application is open on a client; and

restoring control to a client without restarting the application and without restarting the client workstation.

18. A system for remotely installing and automatically updating software programs, the system comprising:

a server-side update module configured to automatically install a segment of a software application; and

a client-side update module located remote to the server-side update module across a network and configured to restore the current state of the application after installation of segment of the software application has been executed.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software program is a Java™

-based application.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a client-side update module configured to provide a user with an option of automatically upgrading and installing a segment of a Java™

application on one of a thin-client and a non-thin client workstation.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a server communication module configured to call the server-side update module from a client-side update module and register for a push to make the server-side module aware of the clients'"'"' location on a network.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the server-side update module is configured to become aware of any newer versions of the software applications which are available and automatically install the newer versions on remote clients.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the client-side update module further comprises a current state transfer module, the current state transfer module configured to determine whether the current state is persistent and to transfer the current state to the server to be temporarily stored.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the server-side update module further comprises a current state receiver module, the current state receiver module configured to receive and temporarily store a current state sent from the current state transfer module.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the server-side update module further comprises a:

new object installation module, the new object installation module configured to update and push the segment of the software application upon the client-side update module.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the client-side module further comprises a new object receipt module, the new object receipt module configured to allow the segment of the software application to be installed on the client.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a cache invalidation module configured to invalidate an application cache of the software application.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising a current state transfer module configured to transfer a current state back to the client-side module.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the client-side update module is configured to receive the current state from the current state transfer module.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the client-side update module is configured to correct invalid fields in the client state after installation of the segment of a software application.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein the server-side update module is configured to transfer control back to client-side update module after installing the segment of an application and to allow the client to resume the application without restarting the application.

32. A method of remotely installing and software applications, the method comprising:

automatically installing a software application from a remote station while the software application is open on a client; and

automatically placing the software application in a usable state after installing the software application.