SYSTEM FOR INSPECTING INFORMATION PROCESSING UNIT TO WHICH SOFTWARE UPDATE IS APPLIED

• US 20120254850A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hido, Shohei, Munetoh, Seiji, Suzuki, Shoko, Uramoto, Naohiko, Yoshihama, Sachiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and an inspection apparatus for inspecting an information processing unit to which software update is applied. The apparatus includes a collection component configured to collect the behavior, for a plurality of times of software update, of the information processing unit to which one software update is applied. The apparatus also includes a determination component configured to compare the behavior collected for the plurality of times of software update to one another to determine whether the behavior of the information processing unit after the one software update is applied thereto is normal.

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting an information processing unit to which a software update is applied, the apparatus comprising:

a collection component configured to collect behavior, for a plurality of times of software update, of the information processing unit to which the software update is applied; and

a determination component configured to compare the behavior collected for the plurality of times of software update to one another to determine whether behavior of the information processing unit after the software update is applied thereto is normal.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update component configured to apply the software update to a same kind of a plurality of information processing units,

wherein the collection component collects behavior of the plurality of information processing units to which the software update is applied.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the update component applies the software update to the plurality of information processing units, wherein at least one of a system configuration, a setting, and an operating environment is common for the plurality of information processing units.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update component configured to repeat a process of backing up a state of the information processing unit, applying the software update, restoring the information processing unit to the state before the software update, and further applying the software update a plurality of times,

wherein the collection component collects the behavior of the information processing unit for the plurality of times of the software update applied to the information processing unit.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the update component repeats a process of storing an image of a virtual machine that virtually implements a configuration of the information processing unit and applys the software update to the virtual machine of the stored image a plurality of times;

and

the collection component collects behavior of the virtual machine.

6. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update component configured to apply the software update to the information processing unit and apply the software update to a virtual machine that virtually implements the processing of the information processing unit before the software update is applied,

wherein the collection component collects the behavior of the information processing unit to which the software update is applied and behavior of the virtual machine to which the software update is applied.

7. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the update component applies the software update to some of a plurality of information processing units in an information system and applies the software update to other information processing units in the information system under a condition that the determination component determines that behavior of the some of the information processing units to which the software update is applied is normal.

8. The inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the determination component determines whether behavior of the other information processing units after the software update is applied is normal based on a criterion changed from a criterion for determining whether the behavior of the some of the information processing units is normal after the software update is applied thereto.

9. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determination component compares the behavior collected for the plurality of times of software update after the software update is applied until at least a change occurs in the behavior due to the software update.

10. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects behavior of data transmission and reception of the information processing unit as the behavior of the information processing unit.

11. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects behavior of a program and function that the information processing unit implements as the behavior of the information processing unit.

12. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects behavior of writing to and reading from a memory of the information processing unit as the behavior of the information processing unit.

13. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects the state of a resource constituting the information processing unit as the behavior of the information processing unit.

14. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects behavior of calling a system call in the information processing unit as the behavior of the information processing unit.

15. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the collection component collects behavior of a physical quantity influenced by operation of a device that the information processing unit controls as the behavior of the information processing unit.

16. The inspection apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a detection component provided in correspondence with the information processing unit and configured to detect the behavior of a physical quantity influenced by operation of a device controlled by the corresponding information processing unit or operation of the corresponding information processing unit itself,

wherein the collection component acquires parameters from the detection component provided in correspondence with the information processing unit to which the software update is applied.

18. A program product that causes a computer to function as an inspection apparatus according to claim 1.

17. A method for inspecting an information processing unit to which a software update is applied, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting behavior, for a plurality of times of software update, of the information processing unit to which the software update is applied; and

comparing the behavior collected for the plurality of times of software update to one another to determine whether behavior of the information processing unit after the software update is applied thereto is normal.

19. A program product that causes a computer to perform the method according to claim 17.