Software discovery scan optimization based on product priorities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017199735-A1
Application number	US-201614994175-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An advanced method for a software discovery process may be provided. The method comprises receiving a product identifier comprising at least one mandatory software item and a related product priority. The method includes further determining a scan type for each mandatory software item of all product identifiers of all received related product priorities, performing a priority-based software discovery, using a next scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items for each of the at least one product identifiers for each of the received product priorities, starting with a highest priority, requiring the next scan type, and repeating the previous step of performing the priority-based software discovery with a next scan type until all scan types for mandatory software have been executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for a software discovery process, comprising
receiving at least one product identifier and a related product priority, wherein the product identifier is indicative of a software product comprising at least one mandatory software item; determining a scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items of all product identifiers of all received related product priorities for performing a priority-based software discovery in a given file system; performing the priority-based software discovery, starting with a first scan type, using a next scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items for each of the at least one product identifiers for each of the received product priorities, starting with a highest priority, requiring the next scan type, wherein product identifier and software item specific parameters are used for a next scan type; and repeating a previous step of performing the priority-based software discovery with a next scan type until all scan types for mandatory software have been executed.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first scan type relates to a first mandatory software item of a first product identifier having a highest related priority.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein information about mandatory and/or optional software items of a product identifier are received from a software catalog.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the parameters for scanning the file system for a software item is received from the software catalog.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a scan type also comprises generating an optimized scan script using different parameters for different ones of the scan types.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , also comprising performing a software discovery for non-mandatory software items of each software product.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the determining a scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items of all product identifiers also comprises determining a scan type for each of an optional software item of each of the product identifiers.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the priority-based software discovery is interruptible after each related product priority.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one product identifier is receivable via a user interface or from another data source.

10 . A software discovery system, comprising:
a receiving unit adapted for receiving at least one product identifier and a related product priority, wherein the product identifier is indicative of a software product comprising at least one mandatory software; a determination unit adapted for determining a scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items of all product identifiers of all received related product priorities for performing a priority-based software discovery in a given file system stored on a storage system; a software discovery sub-system adapted for performing the priority-based software discovery, starting with a first scan type, using a next scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items for each of the at least one product identifier for each of the received product priorities, starting with a highest priority, requiring the next scan type, wherein product identifier and software item specific parameters are used for a next scan type, wherein the software discovery sub-system is also adapted for repeating a previous step of performing the priority-based software discovery with a next scan type until all scan types for mandatory software have been executed.

11 . The software discovery system according to claim 10 , wherein the first scan type relates to a first mandatory software item of a first product identifier having a highest related priority.

12 . The software discovery system according to claim 11 , also comprising a software catalog storage comprising information about mandatory and/or optional software items relating to a product identifier.

13 . The software discovery system according to claim 12 , wherein the software catalog storage also comprises parameters for scanning the file system for a software item.

14 . The software discovery system according to claim 11 , wherein the determination unit is also adapted for generating an optimized scan script using different parameters for different ones of the scan types.

15 . The software discovery system according to claim 11 , wherein the software discovery sub-system is also adapted for performing a software discovery for non-mandatory software items of each software product.

16 . The software discovery system according to claim 15 , wherein the determination unit is also adapted for determining a scan type for each of an optional software item of each of the product identifiers.

17 . The software discovery system according to claim 11 , wherein the priority-based software discovery is interruptible after each related product priority.

18 . The software discovery system according to claim 11 , also comprising an interface adapted for receiving the at least one product identifier and a related product priority.

19 . A computer program product for a software discovery process, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by one or more computing devices to cause the one or more computing devices to:
receive at least one product identifier and a related product priority, wherein the product identifier is indicative of a software product comprising at least one mandatory software item; determine a scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items of all product identifiers of all received related product priorities for performing a priority-based software discovery in a given file system; perform the priority-based software discovery, starting with a first scan type, using a next scan type for each of the at least one mandatory software items for each of the at least one product identifiers for each of the received product priorities, starting with a highest priority, requiring the next scan type, wherein product identifier and software item specific parameters are used for the next scan type, and repeat the previous step of performing the priority-based software discovery with a next scan type until all scan types for mandatory software have been executed.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hanusiak Tomasz
• Klak Michal
• Komnata Konrad W
• Skibski Konrad K

Classifications

• G06F8/60 Primary

  Software deployment · CPC title

• G06F16/148

  File search processing · CPC title

• G06F8/70 Primary

  Software maintenance or management · CPC title

• G06F11/3672

  Test management · CPC title