Method and apparatus for multiplatform migration

• US 7,356,816 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Messier, Scott, Walker, Jon, Goodman, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tecklu; Isaac
• Application Number:
  US10/203,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,611 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/100
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method and system for migrating a computing environment from a source computing platform to a destination computing platform. A script defines at least one software system or application stored on the source computing platform. The script is parsed by a scripting engine to resolve specific user-selectable settings of each source software system or application. Genetic data is generated to represent the resolved settings of the source software systems and/or applications. The genetic data is then selectively applied to corresponding software systems or applications stored on the destination computing platform to automatically provide similar settings thereon.

Claims

1. A method of migrating from a source computing environment to a destination computing environment, the source computing environment having at least one software system or application stored thereon, the method comprising:

resolving settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment using an instruction set;

generating genetic data that represents the resolved settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generating differential genetic data that represents differences between the genetic data and settings of at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment; and

applying the differential genetic data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment, thereby replicating the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment on the destination computing environment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction set comprises executable software code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying selectively migrates settings of individual software systems or applications stored on the source computing environment to the destination computing environment based on the differential genetic data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the genetic data in a memory.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving the genetic data from the memory, the genetic data reflecting upgrades to the at least one software system or application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the genetic data electronically over a network that connects the source computing environment with the destination computing environment.

7. A system for migrating from a source computing environment to a destination computing environment, the source computing environment having at least one software system or application stored thereon, the destination computing environment having at least one corresponding software system or application stored thereon, the system comprising:

a host computing environment having a migration utility stored thereon, the migration utility including an instruction set operable to;

connect the source computing environment to the destination computing environment via a network;

resolve settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generate genetic data that represents the resolved settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generate differential genetic data that represents differences between the genetic data and the settings of the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment; and

apply the differential genetic data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment, thereby replicating the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment on the destination computing environment.

8. The system of claim 7, the migration utility further operable to generate the differential genetic data by comparing the settings of the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment with the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment.

9. The system of claim 7, the source computing environment having an operating system that is different from the destination computing environment.

10. The system of claim 7, the host computer environment having a memory for storing the genetic data, wherein the host computing environment transmits the genetic data electronically over the network in response to a request received from a computing environment connected to the network.

11. A method of migrating from a source computing environment to a destination computing environment, the source computing environment having at least one software system or application stored thereon, the method comprising:

selecting one or more settings of the software system or application stored on the source computing environment using a data set associated the at least one software system or application;

generating personality data that represents the one or more selected settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generating differential personality data that represents differences between the personality data and settings of at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment; and

applying the differential personality data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment, thereby replicating the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment on the destination computing environment.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically detecting the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment; and

awaiting an indication from a user before selecting the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining migration errors after applying the differential personality data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting an Internet protocol address associated with the destination computing environment; and

establishing a connection between the source computing environment and the destination computing environment based on the detected Internet protocol address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment is a different version of the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment.

16. A system for migrating from a source computing environment to a destination computing environment, the source computing environment having at least one software system or application stored thereon, the destination computing environment having at least one corresponding software system or application stored thereon, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor for running a migration utility stored in the memory, the migration utility operable to;

derive a data set associated with the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

select settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment using the derived data set;

generate personality data that represents the selected settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generate differential personality data that represents differences between the personality data and settings of the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment; and

apply the differential personality data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment, thereby replicating the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment on the destination computing environment.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the migration utility is operable to applying the differential personality data by selectively migrating settings of individual software systems or applications stored on the source computing environment to the destination computing environment based on the differential personality data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the migration utility is further operable to:

store the personality data in a destination data file; and

retrieve the personality data from the destination data file, the personality data reflecting upgrades to the at least one software system or application.

19. A computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon for migrating from a source computing environment to a destination computing environment via a network, the source computing environment having at least one corresponding software system or application stored thereon, the computer executable code operable when executed to:

resolve settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment using a data set associated with the at least one software system or application using a data set associated with the at least one software system or application;

generate genetic data that represents the resolved settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment;

generate differential genetic data that represents differences between the genetic data and settings of at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment; and

applying the differential genetic data to the at least one corresponding software system or application stored on the destination computing environment, thereby replicating the settings of the at least one software system or application stored on the source computing environment on the destination computing environment.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, the computer executable code further operable when executed to send the genetic data from the source computing environment to the destination computing environment via a network interface.