Intelligent patch checker

• US 8,141,071 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Marketing USA LP
• Inventors: McCaleb, Jed, Rive, Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, HANH THI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/801,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method for remotely updating software in a plurality of computer systems is disclosed. In one embodiment, a client computer sends application information about a software application to a server system. The server system performs a comparison between the application information about the software application and the most-updated upgrade package for the software application. The most-updated upgrade package for the software application is stored in a part database. The most-updated upgrade package for the software application is received by the client system automatically when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package has not been installed on the client system. A client database stores a plurality of configuration files for a plurality of client systems. A first configuration file provides the sever system with the knowledge of the software applications installed on the client system. The application information about the software application comprises version information of the software applications and is stored in a database in the client system.

Claims

1. A method, including:

from a first client system,

sending an application update request associated with a software application to a server system, the server system having a client database storing a plurality of configuration files for a plurality of client systems, the configuration files related to the client systems by a unique identifier associated with each client system, wherein the server system performs a comparison between the configuration file related to the first client system based upon the unique identifier and a most-updated upgrade package for the software application to determine if the most-updated upgrade package has been installed on the client; and

receiving the most-updated upgrade package for the software application at the client system when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package has not been installed on the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the sending the application update request, the method further including:

communicating a request to the server system for the most-updated upgrade package for the software application; and

receiving from the server system, in response to the request, one or more instructions directing the client system to retrieve application information about the software application.

3. The method of claim 2, including automatically generating the request for the upgrade on a periodic basis.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the one or more instructions includes receiving a script file including the one or more instructions and a list of parts, the list of parts being used in conjunction with the one or more instructions to retrieve the application information.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

retrieving from the most-updated upgrade package an instruction file and one or more data files associated with the software application to upgrade; and

parsing commands from the instruction file and executing the commands to update the software application using the one or more data files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server system includes a part database storing the most-updated upgrade package for the software application, the configuration file comprising version information of the software application.

7. A machine-readable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

send a software application update request associated with a unique client identifier from a first client to a server system having a client database storing a plurality of configuration files for a plurality of client systems, the configuration files related to the client systems by a unique identifier associated with each client system, wherein the server system performs a comparison between the configuration file related to the first client based upon the unique identifier and a most-updated upgrade package for the software application to determine if the most-updated upgrade package has been installed on the first client; and

receive the most-updated upgrade package for the software application at the first client system when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package has not been installed on the client system.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, including instructions when executed by a machine further cause the machine to:

receive from the server system, in response to the software application update request, one or more instructions directing the client system to retrieve application information about the software application from the client.

9. A method, including:

at a server system,

sending to a client a script having a command, the command operable to execute a utility application already loaded on the client, the utility application for determining application information of the client, the script including a list of applications that a configuration file on the server indicates to be on the client, the utility application applying the list to determine the application information;

receiving the application information about a software application from a client system;

comparing the application information about the software application to a most-updated upgrade package for the software application; and

sending the most-updated upgrade package for the software application to the client system automatically when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package has not been installed on the client system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to the receiving application information, the method further including:

receiving a request from the client system for the most-updated upgrade package for the software application;

in response to the request, retrieving from a client database at least one configuration file for the client system providing the server system with knowledge pertaining to the software application; and

generating one or more instructions based on the at least one configuration file to communicate to the client system, the one or more instructions directing the client system to retrieve the application information about the software application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the one or more instructions includes generating a script file including the one or more instructions and a list of parts, the list of parts being used in conjunction with the one or more instructions by the client system to retrieve the application information.

12. A machine-readable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

send a script from a server to a client, the script having a list of one or more applications identified by the server as stored on the client;

identify application information at the client, the application information comprising at least a version of the one or more applications;

receive application information about the one or more software applications from the client system;

compare the application information about the software application to a most-updated upgrade package for the software application; and

send the most-updated upgrade package for the software application to the client system automatically when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package has not been installed on the client system.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, including instructions when executed by a machine further cause the machine to:

receive a request for the client system for the most-updated upgrade package for the software application, the request including a unique identifier for the client;

retrieve from a client database at least one configuration file for the client system unique identifier providing the server system with the list of one or more applications stored on the client; and

generate one or more instructions based on the at least one configuration file to communicate to the client system, the one or more instructions to direct the client system to retrieve the application information about the software application.

14. A system, including:

a machine readable storage medium executing instructions for;

a client system to send application information associated with a software application to a server system, the client system sending the application information in response to a user input at a patch checker icon displayed in a tool bar and associated with a dynamic link library;

a server system to perform a comparison between the application information and a most-updated upgrade package for the software application and to communicate the most-updated upgrade package for the software application to the client system when the comparison indicates that the most-updated upgrade package is not installed on the client system; and

the client system to receive, based on the most-updated upgrade package, one or more files to upgrade the software application.

15. The system of claim 14, further including:

the client system to communicate a request to a server system for the most-updated upgrade package for a software application, the request including at least one configuration file;

the server system to generate one or more instructions based on the at least one configuration file to communicate to the client system, the one or more instructions to direct the client system to retrieve the application information about the software application; and

the client system to receive from the server system, in response to the request, one or more instructions directing the client system to retrieve the application information about the software application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server system to generate of the one or more instructions includes the server to generate a script file including the one or more instructions and a list of parts, the list of parts being used in conjunction with the one or more instructions by the client system to retrieve the application information.

17. The system of claim 14, including the client system to retrieve from the most-updated upgrade package an instruction file and one or more data files associated with the software application to upgrade and to execute commands parsed from the instruction file to update the software application using the one or more data files.