Feature usage based target patching

• US 20060101450A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Saha, Debashis, Datta, Sudip
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for applying patches to one or more applications is provided. The method includes receiving a patch for a feature where the patch includes applicability requirements. The applicability requirements detail requirements that should be met for the patch to be applied. Usage information for the feature is then determined. For example, it is determined if a feature has been used by a client. The patch is then applied to an application if the usage information meets the applicability requirements for the feature.

Claims

1. A method for applying patches to one or more targets, the method comprising:

receiving a patch, the patch including applicability requirements for a feature;

determining usage information for a target in the one or more targets;

determining if the usage information meets the applicability requirements for the feature; and

applying the patch to the target in the one or more targets if the usage information for the target meets the applicability requirements for the feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the feature comprises a component in the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the applicability requirements comprises a set of rules, the set of rules based on usage information for the feature associated with the patch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the applicability requirements are sent with the patch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the applicability requirements comprise metadata associated with the patch.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the applicability requirements are for a plurality of targets, the method further comprising:

determining second usage information for a second target in the one or more targets;

wherein determining if the usage information comprises determining if the usage information and the second usage information meet the applicability requirements for the feature; and

wherein applying the patch to the target comprises applying the patch to the target and the second target if the usage information and the second usage information for the target and the second target meet the applicability requirements for the feature.

8. A method for defining a patch, the method comprising:

defining applicability requirements for a patch, the applicability requirements based on usage information for a feature; and

sending the patch to one or more devices, wherein the patch is applied by the one or more devices if usage information collected for the feature meets the applicability requirements for applying the patch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising attaching the applicability requirements to the patch as metadata.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the one or more devices in which to send the patch from a plurality of devices.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more devices are configured to apply the patch to one or more targets using the feature.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more targets are using the feature.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the feature comprises a product.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the feature comprises a component in the product.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the applicability requirements comprises a set of rules, the set of rules based on usage information for the feature associated with the patch.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the applicability requirements are for usage information for a plurality of devices in the one or more devices.

17. A system for applying patches to one or more applications, the system comprising:

a patch generator configured to distribute a patch, the patch including applicability requirements for a feature;

one or more targets, each target including one or more features;

a usage information collector configured to collect usage information from the one or more targets for the one or more features;

a patch applier configured to receive the patch from the patch generator, the patch applier configured to determine if a patch should be applied to a target in the one or more targets if usage information from the one or more targets for the feature meets the applicability requirements associated with the patch.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more targets comprise clients coupled to the patch applier.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a storage device configured to store the collected usage information.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the feature comprises a product.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the feature comprises a component in the product.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the applicability requirements comprises a set of rules, the set of rules based on usage information for the feature associated with the patch.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the applicability requirements are for a plurality of targets in the one or more targets.

24. An information storage medium having a plurality of instructions adapted to direct an information processing device to perform a set of steps including:

receiving a patch, the patch including applicability requirements for a feature;

determining usage information for a target in the one or more targets;

determining if the usage information meets the applicability requirements for the feature; and

applying the patch to the target in the one or more targets if the usage information for the target meets the applicability requirements for the feature.

25. The information storage medium of claim 24, wherein the feature comprises a product.

26. The information storage medium of claim 25, wherein the feature comprises a component in the product.

27. The information storage medium of claim 24, wherein the applicability requirements comprises a set of rules, the set of rules based on usage information for the feature associated with the patch.

28. The information storage medium of claim 24, wherein the applicability requirements are sent with the patch.

29. The information storage medium of claim 24, wherein the applicability requirements comprise metadata associated with the patch.

30. The information storage medium of claim 24, wherein the applicability requirements are for usage information for a plurality of devices in the one or more devices.

31. An information storage medium having a plurality of instructions adapted to direct an information processing device to perform a set of steps including:

defining applicability requirements for a patch, the applicability requirements based on usage information for a feature; and

sending the patch to one or more devices, wherein the patch is applied by the one or more devices if usage information collected for the feature meets the applicability requirements for applying the patch.

32. The information storage medium of claim 31, further comprising attaching the applicability requirements to the patch as metadata.

33. The information storage medium of claim 31, further comprising determining the one or more devices in which to send the patch from a plurality of devices.

34. The information storage medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more devices are configured to apply the patch to one or more targets using the feature.

35. The information storage medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more targets are using the feature.

36. The information storage medium of claim 31, wherein the feature comprises a product.

37. The information storage medium of claim 36, wherein the feature comprises a component in the product.

38. The information storage medium of claim 31, wherein the applicability requirements comprises a set of rules, the set of rules based on usage information for the feature associated with the patch.

39. The information storage medium of claim 31, wherein the applicability requirements are for usage information for a plurality of devices in the one or more devices.