DYNAMIC ADDITION OF PRODUCTS AND REMOVAL OF SOFTWARE PRODUCTS ON A DISTRIBUTION SERVER

• US 20080163198A1
• Filed: 12/30/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rao, Siddhartha Ashok
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A system and method for adding and/or removing a software product to a distribution server is provided. Upon identification that a software product desired is not indexed in the installation server database of the distribution server, then adding the software product to the distribution server. The distribution server maintains multiple products, every product components of the multiple products is indexed by the installation server database of the distribution server. Removal of a software product requires removal of the software product from the index maintained by the installation server database of the distribution server.

Claims

1. A method of adding a software product to a distribution server, comprising:

identifying an external software product;

determining whether the distribution server contains the software product;

if the distribution server does not contain the software product, then adding the software product to the distribution server,

wherein the determining whether the distribution server contains the software product includes reading an installation server database of the distribution server, the installation server database having an index of all added product databases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding the software product to the distribution server is adding a link to the software product located elsewhere.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding the software product to the distribution server is a copying of components associated with the software product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising indexing any components of the software product being added in the installation server database of the distribution server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising if the distribution server does contain the software product, then sending an alert to an administrator of the distribution server.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending an alert to an administrator of the distribution server when the software product has been added.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the distribution server maintains multiple software products, each of the multiple software products being indexed in the installation server database of the distribution server.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the indexing is automatically triggered when the components are being added to the distribution server.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein a software product is a component of the software product.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the software product is located on at least one of a different server, an internet site, a media, a CDROM, a DVD, a flash memory, and an email attachment.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

associating a user access security so that only an authorized user may add a software product, wherein the user access security is stored in the installation server database.

12. A method of removing a software product from a distribution server, comprising

identifying the software product to be removed;

determining whether the distribution server contains the software product;

if the distribution server does contain the software product, then removing the software product from the index of the installation server database of the distribution server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising if the distribution server does not contain the software product, then an alert is communicated to an administrator of the distribution server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing the software product from the distribution server.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determination of whether the distribution server contains the software product includes a checking of the indexing of the installation server database.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the distribution server maintains multiple software products, each of the multiple software products being indexed in the installation server database of the distribution server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein multiple products may be removed from the distribution server.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a software product is a component of the software product.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating a user access security so that only an authorized user may remove a software product, wherein the user access security is stored in the installation server database.

20. A computer-readable medium storing instructions for execution by a processor, which when executed by the processor perform:

identifying an external software product;

determining whether the distribution server contains the software product;

if the distribution server does not contain the software product, then adding the software product to the distribution server,

wherein the determining whether the distribution server contains the software product includes reading an installation server database of the distribution server, the installation server database having an index of all added product databases.