Comparing system engram with product engram to determine compatibility with system

• US 9,058,190 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, Eric V., Kline, Gabriel L. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Ben C
• Application Number:
  US13/168,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,452 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system is received. The existing configuration includes one or more of hardware and software of the target system. The system engram is originally acquired by a first processing device and is received by a second processing device. The second processing device compares the system engram with a product engram encoding a required configuration of the target system for a product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The required configuration includes one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The second processing device can output, as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a first processing device and received by a second processing device;

implicitly receiving selection of a product by explicitly receiving a product engram for the product without having previously received the selection of the product, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

comparing, by the second processing device, the system engram with the product engram;

outputting, as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram, by the second processing device;

where the product can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

offering, by the second processing device, a user an opportunity to purchase the product;

listing, by the second processing device, first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

where the product cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

indicating, by the second processing device, one or more first corrective actions that can be undertaken in relation to the target system for the product to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

listing, by the second processing device, the first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

listing, by the second processing device, second other products that cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system but that require one or more second corrective actions to be undertaken in relation to the target system for the second other products to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, where the second corrective actions are less costly than the first corrective actions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processing device is part of the target system and is a different processing device from the second processing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the system engram comprises one of:

optically reading a hardcopy of the system engram that has been printed by the first processing device;

electronically receiving the system engram from an electronic medium user-removably attached to the second processing device and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the first processing device;

electronically receiving the system engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner;

electronically receiving the system engram over a network from the first processing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processing device is one of a different processing device from and a same processing device as the second processing device, and is one of part of the target system and not part of the target system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the system engram comprises one of:

electronically receiving the system engram by the second processing device in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, where the first processing device is a different processing device from the second processing device and is part of the target system, such that an engram acquisition computer program executed by the first processing device acquires the system engram;

acquiring the system engram by the second processing device executing the engram acquisition computer program, where the first processing device is a same processing device as the second processing device and is not part of the target system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein implicitly receiving the selection of the product by explicitly receiving the product engram comprises one of:

optically reading a printed hardcopy of the product engram;

electronically receiving the product engram from an electronic medium to which the second processing device is user-removably attached, where the electronic medium is specific to the product;

electronically receiving the product engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner, where the electronic medium is specific to the product.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium to store a computer program executable by the processor; and

,

a receiving component to receive;

a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a processing device; and

implicit selection of a product by explicitly receiving a product engram for the product without having previously received selection of the product, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system,

wherein the computer program is to compare the system engram with the product engram, and is further to;

where the product can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

offer a user an opportunity to purchase the product;

list first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

where the product cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

indicate one or more first corrective actions that can be undertaken in relation to the target system for the product to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list the first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list second other products that cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system but that require one or more second corrective actions to be undertaken in relation to the target system for the second other products to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, where the second corrective actions are less costly than the first corrective actions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving component comprises one of:

an optical reading mechanism to optically read a hardcopy of the system engram that has been printed by the processing device;

a first communication mechanism to electronically receive the system engram from an electronic medium user-removably attached to the system and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the processing device;

a second communication mechanism to electronically receive the system engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner;

a network mechanism to electronically receive the system engram over a network from the processing device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving component is to receive the system engram by one of:

electronically receiving the system engram in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, where the processing device is not part of the system and is part of the target system, such that an engram acquisition computer program executed by the processing device acquires the system engram;

acquiring the system engram by the processor executing the engram acquisition computer program, where the processing device is part of the system and is not part of the target system.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving component comprises one of:

an optical reading mechanism to optically read a printed hardcopy of the product engram;

a first communication mechanism to electronically receive the product engram from an electronic medium to which the system is user-removably attached, where the electronic medium is specific to the product;

a second communication mechanism to electronically receive the product engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner, where the electronic medium is specific to the product.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a storage memory device storing computer-readable code executable by a second processing device, the computer-readable code comprising;

first computer-readable code to receive a system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system, the existing configuration including one or more of hardware and software of the target system, the system engram originally acquired by a first processing device;

second computer-readable code to compare the system engram with a product engram;

third computer-readable code to implicitly receive selection of a product by explicitly receiving the product engram for the product without having previously received the selection of the product, the product engram directly encoding a required configuration of the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, the required configuration including one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system; and

fourth computer-readable code to;

where the product can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

offer a user an opportunity to purchase the product;

list first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

where the product cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, one or more of;

indicate one or more first corrective actions that can be undertaken in relation to the target system for the product to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list the first other products that can be compatibly installed in relation to the target system;

list second other products that cannot be compatibly installed in relation to the target system but that require one or more second corrective actions to be undertaken in relation to the target system for the second other products to be able to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system, where the second corrective actions are less costly than the first corrective actions.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first computer-readable code is to receive the system engram by one of:

causing an optical reading mechanism to optically read a hardcopy of the system engram that has been printed by the first processing device;

causing a first communication mechanism to electronically receive the system engram from an electronic medium user-removably attached to the second processing device and onto which the system engram has been electronically stored by the first processing device;

causing a second communication mechanism to electronically receive the system engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner;

causing a network mechanism to electronically receive the system engram over a network from the first processing device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first computer-readable code is to receive the system engram by one of:

causing a communication mechanism to electronically receive the system engram in a wired or wireless manner from the target system, where the first processing device is a different processing device from the second processing device and is part of the target system, such that an engram acquisition computer program executed by the first processing device acquires the system engram;

acquiring the system engram by executing the engram acquisition computer program, where the first processing device is a same processing device as the second processing device and is not part of the target system.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the third computer-readable code explicitly receives the product engram by one of:

causing an optical reading mechanism to optically read a printed hardcopy of the product engram;

causing a first communication mechanism to electronically receive the product engram from an electronic medium to which the second processing device is user-removably attached, where the electronic medium is specific to the product;

causing a second communication mechanism to electronically receive the product engram from the electronic medium in a wireless manner, where the electronic medium is specific to the product.