Centrally Controlled Proximity Based Software Installation

• US 20120331460A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Manahan, Peter R., Nigul, Leho
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for a centrally controlled proximity based software installation receives a request to install a software package, sends a list of machines associated with the received request to a rules engine and generates a set of proximity groups using the list of machines. The computer-implemented process uploads the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups, instructs the selected machine to install the software package and instructs the remaining machines associated with the proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine and to install the software package. Responsive to a determination that no more requests exist, the computer-implemented process reports to a central installer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for a centrally controlled proximity based software installation, the computer-implemented process comprising:

receiving a request to install a software package;

generating a set of proximity groups using a list of machines;

uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups;

instructing (a) the selected machine to install the software package and (b) the remaining machines associated with the proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine;

instructing the remaining machines to install the software package; and

responsive to a determination that no more requests exist, reporting to a central installer.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein generating a set of proximity groups using the list of machines further comprises:

sending the list of machines associated with the received request to a rules engine;

determining whether the list of machines can be categorized into a set of proximity groups; and

responsive to a determination that the list of machines cannot be categorized into a set of proximity groups, reporting to a central installer.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein generating a set of proximity groups using the list of machines further comprises:

receiving a set of user-defined rules that includes a set of proximity definitions, wherein the set of user-defined rules is processed by a plug-in of the rules engine.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups further comprises:

selecting one of an upload instruction and a download instruction for transmission to the selected machine, wherein the download instruction includes a specified pre-determined software repository from which the selected machine can download the software package.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups further comprises:

selecting a machine in a proximity group as the selected machine, wherein the selected machine provides a seed for a download of the software package to remaining machines in the proximity group.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein instructing the selected machine to install the software package and the remaining machines associated with a proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine further comprises:

leveraging a peer-to-peer mechanism to populate installations within the proximity group of the selected machine.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the set of proximity groups is dynamically formed using the received request and the list of machines, and the set of proximity groups have a transient property.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to upload the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups and further directs the apparatus to:

select a machine in a proximity group as the selected machine, wherein the selected machine provides a seed for a download of the software package to remaining machines in the proximity group.

8. A computer program product for a centrally controlled proximity based software installation, the computer program product comprising:

a computer storage device containing computer executable program code stored thereon, the computer executable program code comprising;

computer executable program code for receiving a request to install a software package;

computer executable program code for generating a set of proximity groups using the list of machines;

computer executable program code for uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups;

computer executable program code for instructing the selected machine to install the software package and remaining machines associated with the proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine;

computer executable program code for instructing the remaining machines to install the software package; and

computer executable program code responsive to a determination no more requests exist, for reporting to a central installer.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein computer executable program code for generating a set of proximity groups using the list of machines further comprises:

computer executable program code for sending the list of machines associated with the received request to a rules engine;

computer executable program code for determining whether the list of machines can be categorized into a set of proximity groups; and

computer executable program code responsive to a determination that the list of machines cannot be categorized into a set of proximity groups, for reporting to a central installer.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein computer executable program code for generating a set of proximity groups using the list of machines further comprises:

computer executable program code for receiving a set of user-defined rules using a set of proximity definitions, wherein the set of user-defined rules is processed by a plug-in of the rules engine.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein computer executable program code for uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups further comprises:

computer executable program code for selecting one of an upload instruction and a download instruction for transmission to the selected machine, wherein the download instruction includes a specified pre-determined software repository from which the selected machine can download the software package.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein computer executable program code for uploading the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups further comprises:

computer executable program code for selecting a machine in a proximity group as the selected machine, wherein the selected machine provides a seed for a download of the software package to remaining machines in the proximity group.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein computer executable program code for instructing the selected machine to install the software package and remaining machines associated with a proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine further comprises:

computer executable program code for leveraging a peer-to-peer mechanism to populate installations within the proximity group of the selected machine.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the set of proximity groups is dynamically formed using the received request and the list of machines and the set of proximity groups have a transient property.

15. An apparatus for a centrally controlled proximity based software installation, the apparatus comprising:

a communications fabric;

a memory connected to the communications fabric, wherein the memory contains computer executable program code;

a communications unit connected to the communications fabric; and

a processor unit connected to the communications fabric, wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to direct the apparatus to;

receive a request to install a software package to form a received request;

generate a set of proximity groups using the list of machines;

upload the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups;

instruct the selected machine to install the software package and remaining machines associated with the proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine;

instruct the remaining machines to install the software package; and

responsive to a determination no more requests exist, report to a central installer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor unit executing the computer executable program code to generate a set of proximity groups using the list of machines includes the processor unit executing program code that further directs the apparatus to:

send a list of machines associated with the received request to a rules engine;

determine whether the list of machines can be categorized into a set of proximity groups; and

responsive to a determination that the list of machines cannot be categorized into a set of proximity groups, report to a central installer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor unit executing the computer executable program code to generate a set of proximity groups using the list of machines includes the processor unit executing program code that further directs the apparatus to:

receive a set of user-defined rules using a set of proximity definitions, wherein the set of user-defined rules is processed by a plug-in of the rules engine.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to upload the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups and further directs the apparatus to:

select one of an upload instruction and a download instruction for transmission to the selected machine, wherein the download instruction includes a specified pre-determined software repository from which the selected machine can download the software package.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to instruct the selected machine to install the software package and remaining machines associated with a proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine and further directs the apparatus to:

leverage a peer-to-peer mechanism to populate installations within the proximity group of the selected machine.