Method and system for peer-to-peer software distribution with a package builder

• US 7,584,470 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Noble, Gary Paul, Barker, David Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/111,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 717/177, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method and system for software and data distribution are described in which an original software and/or data package is provided to a first device. The first device installs the original software package, which includes installing a package builder kit. The package builder kit allows a software distribution kit to be built by the first device. The software distribution kit can be transmitted from the first device to a second device for installation on the second device. The package builder kit includes a copy of an original configuration file from the original software package, details as to the installed files, addresses of the installed files on the first device, details of the internal structure of the original software package, and provides an executable program to build the software distribution kit.

Claims

1. A method for software and data distribution, comprising:

providing a first software distribution kit comprising an original software package and a package builder kit comprising an original configuration file to install the original software package, a first descriptor file in the form of restart log to keeps track of files in the original software package as they are installed, a second descriptor file in the form of manifest, and a builder program including validation functionality for recreation of the software distribution kit using the components of the package builder kit to a first device;

installing the original software package and installing a package builder kit on the first device, wherein the package builder kit is configured to rebuild a new software distribution kit to install the original software package from the first device to a second device without being required to refer back to the first software distribution kit; and

transmitting the new software distribution kit to the second device wherein the new software distribution kit includes the package builder kit and the original software package;

wherein the installing the original software package on the first device comprises;

downloading the original configuration file; and

installing the original configuration file, which customizes the original configuration file to a custom configuration file tailored to a specification of the first device, and

wherein the installing the package builder kit comprises storing a copy of the original configuration file from the original software package in the package builder kit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing the original software package on the first device further comprises constructing the package builder kit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the building the software distribution kit further comprises building the software distribution kit during transmission to the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the building the software distribution kit further comprises building the software distribution kit before transmission to the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the building a software distribution kit further comprises copying files of the original software package from deployed locations of the files on the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first device advertising the software distribution kit that the first device has installed.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the second device requesting the software distribution kit from the first device in response to the first device advertising the software distribution kit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an external service manages one or more devices and informs the devices of software packages the devices should obtain.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the software distribution kit to the second device further comprises the first device communicating with the second device utilizing a wireless communication channel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the package builder kit further comprises the log of installed files configured to provide respective locations of the installed files on the first device, the manifest file configured to provide internal structure details of the original software package, and the builder program that is an executable program configured to build the software distribution kit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device further comprises a system manager configured to perform a validity check of a software package having the package builder kit provided on the first device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the original software package comprises at least one package selected from the group consisting of a system program, an update to a system program, an application, an update to an application, and a data package.

13. A system for software and data distribution, comprising:

a first device comprising a processor and storage; and

a first software distribution kit comprising an original software package configured for installation on the first device and a package builder kit comprising an original configuration file to install the original software package, a first descriptor file in the form of restart log to keeps track of files in the original software package as they are installed, a second descriptor file in the form of manifest, and a builder program including validation functionality for recreation of the software distribution kit using the components of the package builder kit,

wherein the original software package comprises the original configuration file, an installation program configured to install the original software package on the first device, and the package builder kit configured to rebuild a new software distribution kit to install the original software package from the first device to a second device without being required to refer back to the first software distribution kit for transmission to the second device; and

program code for transmitting the new software distribution kit to the second device wherein the new software distribution kit includes the package builder kit and the original software package;

wherein the installation program is operable to;

install the original configuration file, which customizes the original configuration file to a custom configuration file tailored to a specification of the first device; and

wherein the package builder kit is operable to store a copy of the original configuration file from the original software package in the package builder kit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the installation program configured to install the original software package on the first device further comprises a program configured to construct the package builder kit.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the package builder kit is further configured to build the software distribution kit during transmission to the second device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the package builder kit is further configured to build the software distribution kit before transmission to the second device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the package builder kit is further configured to store a copy of the original configuration file from the original software package.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the package builder kit is further configured to build the software distribution kit by copying files of the original software package from deployed locations of the files on the first device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to advertise the software distribution kit that the first device has installed.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second device is configured to request the software distribution kit from the first device in response to the first device advertising the software distribution kit.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising an external service configured to manage one or more devices and inform the devices of software packages the devices should obtain.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to transmit the software distribution kit to the second device utilizing a wireless communication channel.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the package builder kit further comprises the log of installed files configured to provide respective locations of the installed files on the first device, the manifest file adapted configured to provide internal structure details of the original software package, and the builder program that is an executable program configured to build the software distribution kit.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device further comprises a system manager configured to perform a validity check of a software package having the package builder kit provided on the first device.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the original software package comprises at least one package selected from the group consisting of a system program, an update to a system program, an application, an update to an application, and a data package.

26. A program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising program code for performing the steps of:

providing a first software distribution kit comprising an original software package and a package builder kit comprising an original configuration file to install the original software package, a first descriptor file in the form of restart log to keeps track of files in the original software package as they are installed, a second descriptor file in the form of manifest, and a builder program including validation functionality for recreation of the software distribution kit using the components of the package builder kit to a first device;

receiving the original software package at the first device;

installing the original software package and installing the package builder kit on the first device, wherein the package builder kit is configured to rebuild a new software distribution kit to install the original software package from the first device to a second device without being required to refer back to the first software distribution kit; and

transmitting the new software distribution kit to the second device wherein the new software distribution kit includes the package builder kit and the original software package;

wherein the installing the original software package on the first device comprises;

downloading the original configuration file; and

installing the original configuration file, which customizes the original configuration file to a custom configuration file tailored to a specification of the first device, and

wherein the installing the package builder kit comprises storing a copy of the original configuration file from the original software package in the package builder kit.

27. The program product of claim 26, wherein the installing the original software package on the first device further comprises constructing the package builder kit.