Patent ID: 7797689
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for tracking file access patterns resulting from a software build comprising: executing, by a computing system, a process for tracking file access patterns during a software build, said tracking process comprising: determining a pattern of file accesses by a software build tool, said pattern of file accesses indicating a sequence of files that are accessed by the software build tool including files that are accessed for read and files that are accessed for write by the software build tool during the software build, where said determining comprises determining for every software build tool involved in the build which files are accessed for read and which files are accessed for write by each software build tool; recording indications of the files that are accessed for read and indications of the files that are accessed for write by the software build tool; interpreting the pattern of file accesses by the software build tool to determine associations between files involved in the build process; and automatically deciding which part of the software build to perform again based on which files involved in the build process have changed as determined according to (i) the determined associations between files involved in the build process and (ii) the recorded indications, wherein said deciding comprises making a determination using the recorded indications as to whether a file is out of date based on whether it is a file that the build read that is newer than a file that the build wrote; and indicating a part of the build to perform again that is associated with the out of date file.