Patent ID: 6161218
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of repairing installed software having existing program objects on a computer system having an installation utility for adding a software package to the system, said method comprising the steps of:installing with the installation utility a patch package to repair the installed software, the patch package including selectively replacing program objects and new program objects, the replacing program objects replace existing program objects and the new program objects install new program objects to the installed software, said installation utility installing patches from the patch package to a target package of the installed software by executing first scripts in the patch package;creating a backout package during installation of said patch package, the backout package selectively including both replaced existing program objects and a delete new program objects identifier list, said installation utility creating the backout package by executing said first scripts in the patch package and by inserting second scripts in the backout package;said first scripts, when executed, adding replaced existing program objects to the backout package, said replaced existing program objects being existing program objects selectively replaced by replacing program objects in the patch package;said first scripts also adding new program object identifiers to said delete new program objects identifier list in the backout package, said delete new program objects identifier list identifying new program objects that are new to the installed software;determining if said installation of said patch package has been successful by detecting whether the installed software is operating correctly; andin the event that said installation of said patch package has not been successful, installing the backout package to remove the replacing program objects from the target package and installing the selectively replaced existing program objects to the target package and to remove new program objects identified on the delete new program objects identifier list from the target package to restore the target package to an original state, said installation utility installing the backout package by executing said second scripts in the backout package.