Apparatus and method for rollback of software updates

• US 8,645,946 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wookey, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Dong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Marina
• Application Number:
  US13/114,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 717120-121, 714 25- 473, 714/175
• US Class Current: 717/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A virtual installation map, and method involving installing a software functionality using the same, the virtual installation map including a first software installation map including a plurality of software elements representative of a related software file, the software elements also including at least one dependency to another software element. The virtual installation map further including a second software installation map also including a second plurality of software elements representative of related software file along with related dependencies. The first and second software installation maps may be hosted in separate databases and may relate to software products provided by different vendors. One or both software installation maps may include a pointer or other reference to the other installation map thereby providing a virtual installation map, in one example.

Claims

1. A method for returning a software configuration on a client device to a previous state comprising:

receiving, at a service provider, a request for returning a client device software configuration to a previous state;

comparing a previous state software manifest comprising a list of a plurality of software files residing on the client device during the previous state with a software installation map to identify software elements within the software installation map associated with the list of the plurality of software files residing on the client device during the previous state, wherein the software installation map comprises a plurality of software elements representing a plurality of software files, a plurality of dependency pointers representing functional dependencies between each of the plurality of software files, and a confidence factor indicating at least a number of a plurality of successful prior installations of the plurality of software files on a plurality of client devices;

generating a previous state installation route describing at least a portion of the software elements within the software installation map and associated software files for returning the client device to the previous state; and

providing the previous state installation route to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the previous state software manifest to a current client software manifest;

receiving an indication of at least one difference in software files between the current client software manifest and the previous state software manifest; and

using the difference in software files, generating a previous state installation route describing software files to install or de-install from the client device to return the client device to the previous state.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the previous state software manifest further comprises:

a list of root software files residing on the client device, the root software files not having a dependency on any other software files.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the comparing of the previous state software manifest with the software installation map further comprises:

matching each software file in the previous state software manifest against a software element representing each software file from the software installation map, each software file being matched based on a version of the software file.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the previous state software manifest provides an ordering in which the software files described in the previous state manifest were installed on the client device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the previous state software manifest from a client device, the client device storing a plurality of previous software manifests, each software manifest represented by a date that the manifest was created.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous state installation route describes an installation route for installing software files to the client device and removing existing software files from the client device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the previous state installation route further includes an installation ordering for installing and removing the software files, wherein the installation ordering lists the order in which each software file should be installed or un-installed from the client device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of success from the client device, the indication of success representing a successful installation of the previous state installation route, returning the client device to the previous state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of failure from the client device, the indication of failure representing a failed installation of the previous state installation route, the indication of failure further comprising;

a listing of software files and their versions installed to the client device before a failure occurred;

a listing of software files and their versions removed from the client device before the failure occurred;

a reason for the failure of the previous state installation route; and

a listing of one of more software files responsible for the failure.

11. A method for returning a software configuration to a previous state comprising:

requesting, from a service provider, a rollback of a client device software configuration to a configuration as described in a previous software manifest;

providing the previous software manifest to a software installation map, the previous software manifest describing a listing of each software file and associated version residing on the client device at the time of the previous software manifest and wherein the software installation map comprises a plurality of software elements representing a plurality of software files, a plurality of dependency pointers representing functional dependencies between each of the plurality of software files, and a confidence factor indicating at least a number of a plurality of successful prior installations of the plurality of software files on a plurality of client devices;

comparing the previous software manifest with a current software manifest of the client device to generate a list of differences between the previous software manifest and the current software manifest;

providing the list of differences to the software installation map;

receiving a previous state installation route describing software files and an associated version for returning the client device to the previous software configuration at the time of the previous state; and

installing the software files on the client device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating the current software manifest describing a current listing of each software file and associated version residing on the client device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the previous software manifest further comprises:

a list of root software modules residing on the client device, root software modules not having a dependency on any other software modules.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a software agent at the client device, the software agent providing communication with the software installation map.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the previous state installation route further includes an order for installing software files onto the client device and removing existing software files from the client device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of success from the client device, the indication of success representing a successful installation of the previous state installation route returning the client device to the configuration described in the previous software manifest.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of failure from the client device, the indication of failure representing a failed installation of the previous installation routed intended to return, the client device to the configuration described in the previous software manifest.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wherein the indication of failure comprises;

a listing of software files and their versions installed to the client device before a failure occurred;

a listing of software files and their versions removed from the client device before the failure occurred;

a reason for the failure of the previous state installation route; and

a listing of one of more software files responsible for the failure.