Systems and methods for initiating software repairs in conjunction with software package updates

• US 8,209,564 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Vidal, Seth Kelby, Antill, James
• Primary Examiner(s): BONZO, BRYCE P
• Application Number:
  US12/714,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20110214021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38.1
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for systems and methods for initiating software repairs in conjunction with software package updates. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user'"'"'s selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database, current state of the client machine, or other resources. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate one or more potential software repair actions to correct or avoid potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a package manager executable by a processor, a set of installed software packages on a client;

identifying a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client;

initiating the set of package updates;

identifying at least one potential fault condition related to the set of package updates by accessing at least a diagnostic database;

generating a predictive client-compatibility check based, at least in part, on the identified set of software packages, set of package updates and the at least one potential fault condition from the diagnostic database;

identifying, based on the predictive client-compatibility check, at least one repair action in response to the at least one potential fault condition; and

initiating the at least one repair action.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one repair action comprises downloading at least one file determined to be missing on the client, downloading at least one file determined to be damaged on the client, moving at least one file determined to be incorrectly located on the client and updating a version of a file determined to have an outdated version on the client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one potential fault condition comprises accessing a state of the client machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing the state of the client machine comprises accessing an operating system of the client machine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein accessing an operating system of the client machine comprises accessing an event log generated by the operating system of the client machine.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the state of the client machine comprises a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine and a storage state of the client machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the a set of potential fault condition include a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault and a security fault.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a further package update after completion of the at least one repair action on the client machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one repair action comprises a plurality of repair actions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a virtual machine.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inspecting, at the time package update activity takes place, available client resources to indicate health of the client.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining fault conditions arising after installation of a given set of installed package updates.

13. A system for managing software repair activity in associate with software package updates, comprising:

a data store storing a set of installed software packages on a client; and

a notification tool executable by a hardware processor, configured to communicate with the data store and to—

identify a set of installed software packages on a client,

identify a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client,

initiate the set of package updates,

identify at least one potential fault condition related to the set of package updates by accessing at least a diagnostic database,

generate a predictive client-compatibility check based, at least in part, on the identified set of software packages, set of package updates and the at least one potential fault condition from the diagnostic database,

identify, based on the predictive client-compatibility check, at least one repair action in response to the at least one potential fault condition, and

initiate the at least one repair action.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one repair action comprises at least one of downloading at least one file determined to be missing on the client, downloading at least one file determined to be damaged on the client, moving at least one file determined to be incorrectly located on the client, or updating a version of a file determined to have an outdated version on the client.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the identifying at least one potential fault condition comprises accessing a state of the client machine.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein accessing the state of the client machine comprises accessing an operating system of the client machine.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein accessing an operating system of the client machine comprises accessing an event log generated by the operating system of the client machine.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the state of the client machine comprises at least one of a state of executing processes on the client machine, a memory state of the client machine, a processor state of the client machine, a communications state of the client machine, or a storage state of the client machine.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one potential fault condition comprises at least one of a package version fault, a file version fault, a directory fault, a library fault, a memory fault, or a security fault.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising initiating a further package update after completion of the at least one repair action on the client machine.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one repair action comprises a plurality of repair actions.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the client comprises at least one of a virtual machine or a physical machine.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the data store is further configured to:

generate a predictive client-compatibility check based, at least in part, on the identified set of software packages, set of package updates and the at least one potential fault condition from the diagnostic database.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the data store is further configured to:

inspect, at the time package update activity takes place, available client resources to indicate health of the client.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the data store is further configured to:

determine fault conditions arising after installation of a given set of installed package updates.

26. A non-transitory computer readable memory having a set of executable processes for initiating repairs in conjunction with software package updates, wherein execution of the processes, by one or more hardware processors, communicates logic to:

identify a set of installed software packages on a client;

identify a set of package updates available to update the set of installed software packages on the client;

initiate the set of package updates;

identify at least one potential fault condition related to the set of package updates by accessing at least a diagnostic database;

generate a predictive client-compatibility check based, at least in part, on the identified set of software packages, set of package updates and the at least one potential fault condition from the diagnostic database,

identify, based on the predictive client-compatibility check, at least one repair action in response to the at least one potential fault condition, and

initiate the at least one repair action.

27. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 26, wherein execution of the processes, by the one or more hardware processors, further communicates logic to:

generate a predictive client-compatibility check based, at least in part, on the identified set of software packages, set of package updates and the at least one potential fault condition from the diagnostic database.

28. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 26, wherein execution of the processes, by the one or more hardware processors, further communicates logic to:

inspect, at the time package update activity takes place, available client resources to indicate health of the client.

29. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 26, wherein execution of the processes, by the one or more hardware processors, further communicates logic to:

determine fault conditions arising after installation of a given set of installed package updates.