Smartly identifying a version of a software application for installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535685-B1
Application number	US-201514666980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A technique identifies a version of a software application for installation on computerized equipment. The technique involves receiving an electronic communication containing a software version database which identifies different versions of the software application. The technique further involves performing an update assessment operation based on the software version database to determine whether there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment. The technique further involves providing an electronic notification to a user of the computerized equipment in response to a result of the update assessment operation indicating that there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment. The electronic notification identifies, for installation on the computerized equipment, a particular newer version of the newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying a version of a software application for installation on computerized equipment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computerized equipment, an electronic communication containing a software version database which identifies different versions of the software application;
performing, by the computerized equipment, an update assessment operation based on the software version database to determine whether there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment; and
providing, by the computerized equipment, an electronic notification to a user of the computerized equipment in response to a result of the update assessment operation indicating that there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment, the electronic notification identifying, for installation on the computerized equipment, a particular newer version of the newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment;

wherein an installed version of the software application is currently installed on the computerized equipment;
wherein the result of the update assessment operation indicates that a first newer version and a second newer version of the software application are available for installation on the computerized equipment, the second newer version having been released more recently than the first newer version;
wherein providing the electronic notification to the user includes:
supplying, as the electronic notification, an electronic instruction to the user which instructs the user to install the first newer version on the computerized equipment rather than the second newer version which was released more recently that the first newer version;

wherein the method further comprises:
after supplying the electronic instruction to the user, receiving an upgrade command from the user to install the first newer version on the computerized equipment rather than the second newer version which was released more recently that the first newer version, and installing the first newer version on the computerized equipment in place of the installed version of the software application to upgrade the software application;

wherein the computerized equipment is a data storage array having an array of storage devices;
wherein the method further comprises:
performing, on behalf of a set of host computers which is external to the computerized equipment, host initiated input/output (I/O) operations to store host data in and load host data from the array of storage devices while the computerized equipment performs the update assessment operation and provides the electronic notification to the user; and

wherein receiving the electronic communication containing the software version database includes:
acquiring a catalogue file containing version entries identifying the different versions of the software application, each version entry including a version identifier which uniquely identifies a respective version of the software application.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein an installed version of the software application is currently installed on the computerized equipment; and wherein performing the update assessment operation on the software version database includes:
comparing a version identifier of the installed version of the software application to the version identifier of each version entry to determine whether there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein each version entry further includes a status identifier which identifies status of the respective version of the software application uniquely identified by the version identifier of that version entry; wherein supplying the electronic instruction to the user includes:
outputting an indication to the user to install the first newer version of the software application rather than the second newer version of the software application due to a status identifier of the version entry for the first newer version indicating that the first newer version is preferred over the second newer version.

4. A computer-implemented method of identifying a version of a software application for installation on computerized equipment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computerized equipment, an electronic communication containing a software version database which identifies different versions of the software application;
performing, by the computerized equipment, an update assessment operation based on the software version database to determine whether there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment; and
providing, by the computerized equipment, an electronic notification to a user of the computerized equipment in response to a result of the update assessment operation indicating that there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment, the electronic notification identifying, for installation on the computerized equipment, a particular newer version of the newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment;

wherein an installed version of the software application is currently installed on the computerized equipment;
wherein the result of the update assessment operation indicates that a first newer version and a second newer version of the software application are available for installation on the computerized equipment, the second newer version having been released more recently than the first newer version;
wherein providing the electronic notification to the user includes:
supplying, as the electronic notification, an electronic instruction to the user which instructs the user to install the first newer version on the computerized equipment rather than the second newer version which was released more recently that the first newer version;

wherein receiving the electronic communication containing the software version database includes:
acquiring a catalogue file containing version entries identifying the different versions of the software application, each version entry including a version identifier which uniquely identifies a respective version of the software application;

wherein performing the update assessment operation on the software version database includes:
comparing a version identifier of the installed version of the software application to the version identifier of each version entry to determine whether there exists newer versions of the software application available for installation on the computerized equipment;

wherein each version entry further includes a status identifier which identifies status of the respective version of the software application uniquely identified by the version identifier of that version entry; wherein supplying the electronic instruction to the user includes:
outputting an indication to the user to install the first newer version of the software application rather than the second newer version of the software application due to a status identifier of the version entry for the first newer version indicating that the first newer version is preferred over the second newer version; and

wherein the status identifier of the version entry for the first newer version indicates that the first newer version is a “GoTo” version of the software application and the status identifier of the second newer version indicates that the second newer version is not the “GoTo” version of the software application; a

Assignees

• Emc Corp
• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Wang Yourong
• Wu Eric
• Myers Jackson B
• Munsell Rob P
• Tetreault Brian R
• O'Reilly Daniel K
• Kumlin Robert

Classifications

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title