Installing and Upgrading an Application in a Computer System

• US 20090037897A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Favre, James E., Hanson, Shawn Michael, Dull, Samuel Daniel III
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A method of distributing and executing upgrade/installation instructions as data objects. These instructions can then be completed automatically requesting user interaction only when required. This method would allow someone with little knowledge of the application and/or internal implementation of said application to perform an upgrade to the application.

Claims

1. A maintenance package for software maintenance of a first computer system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of maintenance objects for performing one or more software maintenance operations on said first computer system, each said maintenance object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by a script processing module and a respective sequence number, at least one said maintenance object containing a prerequisite field containing one or more prerequisites for executing the script, wherein not all said maintenance objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite, each said maintenance object being generated remotely from said first computer system and transmitted to said first computer system, wherein each said maintenance object causes the first computer system to;

(i) if the maintenance object contains one or more prerequisites, determine if the one or more prerequisites have been met, wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence, and

(ii) instruct the script processing module to execute the script if all prerequisites, to the extent there are any, contained in the maintenance object have been met, wherein at least one said maintenance object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when executed with said script processing module, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for maintaining said first computer system; and

(b) tangible computer-readable media bearing the maintenance package.

2. The maintenance package of claim 1, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise upgrading at least one computer program previously installed on said first computer system.

3. The maintenance package of claim 1, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise installing at least one computer program on said first computer system.

4. The maintenance package of claim 1, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise at least one maintenance operation with respect to said first computer system chosen from:

(a) defragmenting a hard disk drive of said first computer system, (b) scanning said first computer system for computer viruses, and (c) backup up data of said first computer system.

5. The maintenance package of claim 1, wherein at least one said maintenance object further causes the first computer system to report to at least one remote computer system that a maintenance operation has been performed.

15. The maintenance package of claim 1, wherein at least one said script further causes the first computer system to report to at least one remote computer system that a maintenance operation has been performed.

6. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory for storing programs executable on said at least one processor;

a script processing module embodied as a program storable in said memory and executable by said at least one processor, said script processing module adapted to receive script instructions of a pre-defined script instruction set and execute said script instructions; and

a plurality of maintenance objects for performing one or more software maintenance operations on said computer system, each said maintenance object including a respective script comprising a plurality of script instructions of said pre-defined script instruction set and a respective sequence number, at least one said maintenance object containing a prerequisite field containing one or more prerequisites for executing the script, wherein not all said maintenance objects have the same at least one respective prerequisite, each said maintenance object being generated remotely from said computer system and transmitted to said computer system, wherein each said maintenance object causes the computer system to;

(i) if the maintenance object contains one or more prerequisites, determine if the one or more prerequisites have been met, wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of sequence, and

(ii) instruct the script processing module to execute the script if all prerequisites, to the extent there are any, contained in the maintenance object have been met, wherein at least one said maintenance object includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when executed with said script processing module, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for maintaining said computer system.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise upgrading at least one computer program previously installed on said computer system.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise installing at least one computer program on said computer system.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise at least one maintenance operation with respect to said computer system chosen from:

(a) defragmenting a hard disk drive of said computer system, (b) scanning said computer system for computer viruses, and (c) backup up data of said computer system.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein at least one said maintenance object further causes the computer system to report to at least one remote computer system that a maintenance operation has been performed.

11. A maintenance package for software maintenance of a first computer system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of scripts for performing one or more software maintenance operations on said first computer system, each said script comprising a respective at least one script instruction of a pre-defined script instruction set adapted for use by a script processing module, said plurality of scripts having a preferred sequential order of execution, at least one said script having an associated one or more prerequisites for executing the script, wherein not all said scripts have the same one or more respective prerequisites, said maintenance package being generated remotely from said first computer system and transmitted to said first computer system, wherein each said script causes the first computer system to;

(i) if the script has one or more prerequisites, determine if the one or more prerequisites have been met, wherein the at least one prerequisite allows at least one script to be executed out of said preferred sequential order, and

(ii) instruct the script processing module to execute the script if all prerequisites, to the extent there are any, associated with the script have been met, wherein at least one said script includes at least one script instruction of said pre-defined script instruction set which, when executed with said script processing module, instructs the end user to manually perform an operation for maintaining said first computer system; and

(b) tangible computer-readable media bearing the maintenance package.

12. The maintenance package of claim 11, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise upgrading at least one computer program previously installed on said first computer system.

13. The maintenance package of claim 11, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise installing at least one computer program on said first computer system.

14. The maintenance package of claim 11, wherein said one or more software maintenance operations comprise at least one maintenance operation with respect to said first computer system chosen from:

(a) defragmenting a hard disk drive of said first computer system, (b) scanning said first computer system for computer viruses, and (c) backup up data of said first computer system.