System-updating method and computer system adopting the method

A vendor system acquires information from the user system regarding hardware used in the user system and software installed in the user system. The vendor system constructs a test environment based on the information. Subsequently, the vendor system examines operations of the user system updated by a software-updating patch in the test environment to determine whether the user system operates normally in the test environment. If normal operations are verified, the vendor system transmits the software-updating patch to the user system. The user system applies the software-updating patch to the software installed in the user system to update the user system. As a result, the user system can be easily updated by updating the software installed in the user computer through a network. In addition, after the software is updated, high reliability and high service level of the user system can be achieved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system-updating method and a computer system adopting the method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system-updating method, which is suitable for an application to an open system allowing software of a user system to be updated very frequently, allows the work to update the software of the user system to be carried out with ease and is capable of assuring the high reliability and service level of the user system after the software-updating work, as well as relates to a computer system adopting the method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most conventional methods to update a computer system of the user are a method of installing software from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The computer system of the user is referred to hereafter simply as a user system.

In recent years, however, there is adopted a method of downloading software from a vendor computer system providing software by way of a network and installing the downloaded software in a user system. The vendor computer system is referred to hereafter simply as a vendor system.

In accordance with this method of installing software in a user system through a network, typically, in the user-system information on the configuration of software used in the user system is generated, and the user system periodically receives information on software updates from a patch management server of the vendor system byway of the network. Then, the user system compares the generated information on the configuration of software used in the user system with the received information on software updates in order to examine the configuration for pieces of software that need to be updated. The user system then displays a list extracted from a result of the examination as a list of pieces of software to be updated. The user can select a piece of software from the displayed list and request the vendor system to update the selected piece of software. At such a request, the vendor system transmits an software-updating patch for the selected piece of software to the user system by way of the network. Then, the user system applies the software-updating patch to the selected piece of software in order to update the software. The patch herein is a difference file used for correcting a program of the software to be updated.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-55839 discloses a typical method whereby a patch database is constructed on the server side and a client receives patch information by way of a network from the server side and applies the patch to a computer system of the client.

In addition, there is also a method of updating software without degrading the availability of the software or the user system. In accordance with this method, in order to update a user system of a critical mission, a person in charge of system management on the vendor side takes a software-updating patch to the user system, applying the patch to a piece of software to be updated while the user system is operating. By updating the piece of software without restarting the user system and the software, the availability of the user system and the software can be prevented from deteriorating.

Furthermore, there is also a method, by which a vendor constructing a user system prepares a system identical with the user system on the vendor side so that an updated user system can be tested on the vendor side.

A technique to update software of a user system through a network is easy to implement in comparison with a technique to update software of a user system by using a recording medium. In addition, the technique to update software of a user system through a network has a merit of allowing most recent software to be used.

By adoption of the conventional technique to update software of a user system through a network, however, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that there is raised a problem of a lower availability following the operation to update the software. The lower availability is caused by a failure occurring in the user system, the operation of which was changed by the operation to update the software. The failure occurring in the user system causes the user system to be halted or restarted, in turn giving rise to the lower availability. As a result of the operation to update the software, it is also quite within the bounds of possibility that there are raised a problem of an inability to reach a service level requested of the user system and a problem that the user can no longer carry out a desired function because of the operation to update the software.

In particular, when it is desired to update a piece of software due to a serious reason such as a detected fragility in security or a found bug, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that the problems described above cause a big damage. In addition, in the case of a system that must operate 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, the software of the system has to be updateable with a high degree of reliability.

Further, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that a peculiar software patch made by the vendor does not necessarily operate correctly for the configuration of a user system. In particular, in the case of a user system executing software of an open source or the like, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that the user itself changes the source code of the software. It is therefore quite within the bounds of possibility that the user system has a configuration unique to the user. As a result, in many cases, a peculiar software patch created by the vendor is not applicable to the user system.

It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the problems described above to provide a system-updating method for updating software of a user system through a network as a method, which allows work to update the software to be carried out in the user system with ease and is capable of assuring the high reliability and service level of the user system after the software is updated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the problems described above, the present invention provides a system-updating method wherein a vendor system acquires information on a user system as information including information on software installed in the user system and information on hardware of the user system. Then the vendor system constructs a test environment based on the information on the user system. The test environment is used as an environment for verifying the operation of a system to which a software-updating patch has been applied to simulate the user system with the software thereof updated. That is to say, in the test environment, the normal operation of the user system is verified. If the normal operation is verified, the software-updating patch is transmitted to the user system, in which the patch is applied to the software thereof to update the system.

In addition, a test environment can also be constructed on the user-system side so as to provide a mechanism for receiving optimum software-updating patches from the vendor-system side.

By constructing such a test environment identical with the environment of the user system, it is possible to provide the user with only software-updating patches for which the operation of the user system has been verified in the test environment. It is thus possible to get rid of troubles caused by software-updating patches applied to software of the user system.

That is to say, the software-updating patches used for updating the user system have each successfully passed a verification test conducted in the test environment, which is identical with the environment of the user system. Thus, by applying the software-updating patches to the software of the user system, the user system can be updated with a high degree of reliability without causing a system crush at the time the user system is updated. In addition, since post-updating functions and post-updating performances can also be tested as well, a service level requested by the user can be achieved in a reliable manner, and necessary functions can be added with a high degree of reliability.

In addition, the test environment equivalent to the environment of the user system is constructed on the basis of the information obtained by the vendor as information on the user system to be used as an environment for conducting a verification test. Thus, even if the user installs open-source software for an application and changes the software by itself so that a problem caused by an environment unique to the user may be raised, a software-updating patch fitting the user system can be created. As a result, it is also possible to cope with problems peculiar to such a user system.

By adoption of the means described above, the present invention is capable of providing a system-updating method for updating software of a user system through a network as a method, which allows work to update the software to be carried out in the user system with ease and is capable of assuring the high reliability and service level of the user system after the software is updated.

DETAILED PREFERRED OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 16.

First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention is explained by referring toFIGS. 1 to 15below.

The description begins with an explanation of the configuration of a system for implementing a system-updating method according to the first embodiment of the present invention with reference toFIG. 1.

FIG. 1is a diagram showing the configuration of the system for implementing the system-updating method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The system for implementing the system-updating method of the first embodiment is a computer system comprising a user system110and a vendor system130, which are connected to each other by a network140as shown inFIG. 1. The user system110is a system utilized by the user to execute programs. On the other hand, the vendor system130is a system for providing software to the user.

The user system110is a system comprising an application121, middleware122, an OS123and a system-updating unit111.

The system-updating unit111has a function to gather user-system information101of the user system110and transmit the user-system information101to the vendor system130by using a remote-communication means such as the network140. The system-updating unit111also has a function to update the other components, i.e., the application121, the middleware122and the OS123.

The OS123includes pieces of software embedded in the user system110. The pieces of software embedded in the user system110comprise libraries, device drivers and other modules.

On the other hand, the vendor system130is a system comprising a user-system management unit131, a patch-testing unit132, a patch transmission unit134and a test environment201.

The patch-testing unit132includes a test-environment construction unit133. The patch-testing unit132has a function to fetch a software-updating patch102, which may need to be corrected, construct a test environment201identical with the environment of the user system110comprising software to be updated and verify the operation of the user system in the test environment201. The patch-testing unit132corrects the software-updating patch102so that a test to verify the operation of the user system ends successfully. Finally, the patch-testing unit132generates a corrected software-updating patch103.

The patch transmission unit134transmits the software-updating patch103to the user system110by way of the network140.

The following description explains the procedure of the system-updating method according to the first embodiment of the present invention with reference toFIGS. 2 to 7.

FIG. 2shows a flowchart representing a sequence of operations of a procedure for implementing the system-updating method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 3is a diagram showing typical user-system information.FIG. 4is a diagram showing typical software-updating patches to be tested.FIG. 5is a diagram showing a model of a screen appearing on a display apparatus of the user system as a screen for selecting a type of the software-updating patch.FIG. 6is a diagram showing a model of a screen appearing on the display apparatus of the user system as a screen for confirming a result of an updating test and for executing an operation to update software.FIG. 7is a diagram showing a system-updating configuration of the user system110.

The procedure of the system-updating method according to the first embodiment is explained by going through steps of the flowchart shown inFIG. 2and referring to the other figures described above from time to time.

The components to be updated on each of the layers are replaced with software-updating patches102in the test environment201. A post-updating component is denoted by a capital of the alphabet.

First of all, at a step S11, the user system110requests the vendor system130to update the user system110. At a step S21, the vendor system130receives the request for a process to update the user system110from the user system110.

When the user system110requests the vendor system130to update the user system110in the operation carried out at the step S11, the user system110typically displays a request transmission interface710like one shown inFIG. 5on a display apparatus701of the user system110by using a browser. The request transmission interface710includes a list711of patches that can be used for updating the user system110. The user selects a patch from the patch list711by checking a select button712associated with the selected patch. Then, the user operates a request transmission button713by clicking typically a mouse serving as a pointing device to transmit the request for a process to update the user system110to the vendor system130.

Then, at a step S12, the system-updating unit111employed in the user system110acquires the user-system information101and transmits the acquired user-system information101to the user-system management unit131employed in the vendor system130. As a method adopted by the system-updating unit111to acquire the user-system information101, it is possible to use a method whereby an agent program is executed on the user system110, monitoring the user system110all the time to detect a change made by the user. As an alternative, it is also possible to adopt a method whereby a user interface is provided to be used by the user itself as a means for providing the vendor system130with the user-system information101. In addition, the operation of the step S12is not necessarily carried out after the operation of the step S11. For example, the operation of the step S12can also be carried out every time the user system110is updated.

The hardware information310indicates the type of a processor employed in the user system110, the storage capacity of a memory employed in the user system110as well as the types of a chipset and devices, which are also included in the user system110.

On the other hand, the software information320indicates the types of components such as the application121, the middleware122and OS123, which have been installed in the user system110.

The source-code information330is pieces of source code for the application121, the middleware122and the OS123and information related to them. In this embodiment, the source-code information330is deliberately included in the user-system information101to make the vendor system130aware of an application to an open system in which the source code is disclosed.

Then, at a step S22, the user-system management unit131employed in the vendor system130receives the user-system information101transmitted in the operation carried out at the step S12.

In an operation carried out at the next step S23, the user-system management unit131passes on the user-system information101received in the operation carried out at the step S22to the test-environment construction unit133of the patch-testing unit132employed in the vendor system130. The test-environment construction unit133then acquires a software-updating patch102required to update the user system110and constructs a test environment201identical with the environment of the user system110.

In this embodiment, the vendor system130directly receives the user-system information101from the user system110as described above. However, a database for storing information on the user system110can also be constructed in advance, and the vendor system130can then retrieve the user-system information101from such a database.

The software-updating patch102to be tested is a patch selected by the user in the operation carried out at the step S11from the patch list711shown inFIG. 5. The software-updating patch102to be tested is acquired by adoption of a method whereby the software-updating patch102is obtained from the user, the software-updating patch102is created by the vendor itself or the software-updating patch102is obtained from another organization such an open-source community or another individual. In accordance with an alternative method, the vendor prepares a patch database in advance so that the vendor is capable of obtaining a software-updating patch102to be tested every time such a software-updating patch102is required. The patch data base contains a plurality of software-updating patches so that the vendor is capable of obtaining a software-updating patch from the database every time the patch is required.

The source-code patch410is a difference between the pre-updating source code of software serving as an object of a software-updating process and the post-updating source code obtained as a result of the software-updating process. On the other hand, the binary-code patch420is a difference in binary format between the pre-updating binary code of software serving as an object of the software-updating process and the post-updating binary code obtained as a result of the software-updating process. A software-updating patch103created as a patch successfully passing a verification test conducted on the software-updating patch102serving as an object of the test also has the same configuration as the software-updating patch102.

It is to be noted that the operations and configuration of the test-environment construction unit133will be described later in detail.

Then, at a step S24, the software is updated by using the pre-correction software-updating patch102, and a test for verifying the operation of the user system110is carried out in the test environment201constructed as an environment identical with the environment of the user system110.

Subsequently, at the next step S25, the software-updating patch102serving as the object of the verification test ending in a failure is corrected on the basis of a verification-test result obtained from the operation carried out at the step S24. The test-environment construction unit133then constructs a verification-test environment and again carries out a verification test by using the corrected software-updating patch102serving as a new object of the verification test in place of the pre-correction software-updating patch102, which did not pass the test successfully. The operations of the steps S24and S25are carried out repeatedly till the verification test becomes successful.

There is also a method whereby a result of the verification test carried out in the operation performed at the step S24is reported to the user in the operation carried out at the step S25in order to issue an inquiry about whether or not to accept the updating to the user.

At a step S26, the patch transmission unit134employed in the vendor system130transmits the software-updating patch103successfully passing the verification test conducted at the step S25to the system-updating unit111employed in the user system110.

At a step S13, the user system110receives the software-updating patch103successfully passing the verification test from the vendor system130. To be more specific, the system-updating unit111accepts the software-updating patch103successfully passing the verification test, applying the software-updating patch103to the application121, the middleware122and the OS123, which are included in the user system110, for updating the user system110.

In the typical flowchart shown in the figure, the component m1of the middleware122is updated to a component M1and the component k2of the OS123is updated to a component K2.

In dependence on the condition of the user system110, the user system110may be restarted after the updating process, or the software may be updated without restarting programs and operating system of the user system110.

In the typical system-updating configuration shown inFIG. 7, for example, the system-updating unit111updates the software without restarting the OS123. Obsolete code C10shown inFIG. 7is binary code of the OS123running on the user system110. On the other hand, new code C20is a binary-code patch420included in the software-updating patch103successfully passing the verification test or binary code obtained as a result of a process carried out by the system-updating unit111to compile a source-code patch410. The system-updating unit111inserts the new code C20into the OS123and a branch instruction C01into a location immediately preceding the obsolete code C10in order to update the OS123.

Next, the test-environment construction unit133is explained in detail by referring toFIGS. 8 to 15.FIG. 8is a block diagram showing the configuration of the test-environment construction unit133.FIG. 9is a diagram showing a model of a typical configuration of the test environment201.FIGS. 10 to 15each show a flowchart representing operations carried out by a component employed in the test-environment construction unit133.

Used for constructing a test environment201, the test-environment construction unit133comprises a platform select unit510, a software acquisition unit520, a compile unit530, a install unit540, a patch application unit550and a verification-test execution unit560as shown inFIG. 8.

The test environment201has a plurality of platforms571having hardware configurations different from each other. Each of the platforms P1, P2. . . and Pn includes application components a1, a2, . . . and ax, middleware components m1, m2, . . . and mx as well as OS components k1, k2, . . . and kx.

In addition to the method to construct a test environment201by actually preparing different hardware environments in advance for the test environment201as described above, there is also a method by which the real machine of a platform571is logically divided into a plurality of logical computers (or logical partitions)610as shown inFIG. 9and one of the logical partitions610is assigned to the test environment201being created. In this case, a management computer630is used as a computer for setting the number of CPUs employed in a logical partition610, the operating frequency of each of the CPUs and the size of a memory employed in a logical partition610as well as selecting a device620to be connected to a logical partition610.

The test-environment construction unit133executes a procedure described below to acquire user-system information101from the user system110, construct a test environment201identical to the environment of the user system110on the basis of the user-system information101and execute a verification test by using the constructed test environment201.

First of all, at a step S511of the flowchart shown inFIG. 10, the platform select unit510acquires hardware information310from the user-system information101. Then, at the next step S512, the platform select unit510selects one of the platforms571as a platform having a hardware configuration identical with the user system110on the basis of the hardware information310. Subsequently, at the next step S513, if necessary, the platform select unit510generates logical partitions610in the selected platform571. In addition, the number of CPUs employed in a specific one of the logical partitions610, the operating frequency of each of the CPUs and the size of a memory employed in the specific logical partition610are set whereas a device620to be connected to the specific logical partition610is selected so that the hardware configuration of the specific logical partition610matches the user system110.

If it is difficult for the vendor to obtain a platform571having a hardware configuration equivalent to the user system110, it is also possible to adopt a method of constructing a pseudo platform571by simulation using software. Instead of using a specific logical partition610in a selected platform571as described above, a real machine can also be used. In addition, it is also possible to adopt another method whereby the vendor prepares a plurality of computers as well as a plurality of devices in advance and, if a test environment201needs to be constructed, one of the computers and one of the devices are used as a platform571for the test environment201or the computers and the devices can be used for other applications in a case where a test environment201is not required.

Next, at a step S521of the flowchart shown inFIG. 11, the software acquisition unit520acquires software information320from the user-system information101. Subsequently, at the next step S522, the software acquisition unit520retrieves components of the application121, the middleware122and the OS123, which have been installed in the user system110, from the software database521on the basis of the software information320. The software components retrieved from the software database521can be executable binary code or source code.

Next, at a step S531of the flowchart shown inFIG. 12, the compile unit530acquires source-code information330from the user-system information101. Then, at the next step S532, the compile unit530acquires software-updating patches102to be tested. If the source-code information330and/or the source code retrieved by the software acquisition unit520include objects to be updated, the compile unit530applies source-code patches410of the software-updating patches102to be tested to the objects. After applying the source-code patches410, at the next step S533, the compile unit530compiles the source-code information330and the source code retrieved by the software acquisition unit520to generate components of an executable binary format.

The generated components are components of the application121, the middleware122and the OS123, which have been installed in the user system110.

Next, at a step S541of the flowchart shown inFIG. 13, the install unit540obtains the binary-format components acquired by the software acquisition unit520as components of the application121, the middleware122and the OS123as well as the binary-format components generated by the compile unit530. Then, at the next step S542, the install unit540installs the obtained components in the platform571selected by the platform select unit510.

Next, at a step S551of the flowchart shown inFIG. 14, the patch application unit550acquires the software-updating patches102to be tested. If the software-updating patches102include binary-code patches420, the patch application unit550applies the binary-code patches402to corresponding components included in the components installed by the install unit540.

In accordance with the procedure explained so far, a test environment201has been constructed as an environment identical with that of the user system110.

Next, at a step S561of the flowchart shown inFIG. 15, the verification-test execution unit560carries out a verification test in the test environment201by using a test pattern. The test pattern may be a required test pattern acquired from the user or a test pattern prepared by the vendor itself. Then, at the next step S562, the verification-test execution unit560evaluates a result of the verification test to determine whether or not the test has been ended successfully. If the verification test has been ended successfully, the flow of the procedure goes on to a step S563at which the verification-test execution unit560supplies the software-updating patch103successfully passing the test to the patch transmission unit134. If the verification test has been ended in a failure, on the other hand, the flow of the procedure goes on to a step S564at which the verification-test execution unit560records the result of the test. Examples of the failure of the verification test include a system crush occurring in the course of the test and a failure to achieve a function set as a target.

Then, another software-updating patch102is selected by examining the recorded result of the verification and used in re-execution of the procedures explained above. The procedures are carried out repeatedly till the verification test is ended successfully.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention is explained by referring toFIG. 16below.FIG. 16is a diagram showing the configuration of a system for implementing a system-updating method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of the first embodiment, the test-environment construction unit133employed in the vendor system130constructs a test environment, and verifies the user system110in the test environment in the vendor system130.

In the case of this embodiment, on the other hand, a test environment is constructed in the user system110on the basis of software-updating patches102received from the vendor system130as patches to be tested.

The user system110implemented by this embodiment comprises an application121, a middleware122, an OS123, a system-updating unit111, a test-environment construction unit133aand a test environment201a. The application121, the middleware122, the OS123and the system-updating unit111have the same configurations as their respective counterparts employed in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, the vendor system130comprises a user-system management unit131, a patch transmission unit134and a test-result feedback unit135. The platform of the test environment201ais created in the user system110by preparing logical partitions obtained as a result of logical division of a real machine other than the hardware environment used by the user and assigning one of the logical partitions to the test environment201a. In this way, the hardware environment used by the user is not affected by execution of a verification test.

As described above, a test environment201ais constructed in the user system110. The user system110also transmits user-system information101to the vendor system130. As an alternative, the user-system information101may be stored in the vendor system130in advance.

When the vendor system130receives a request to update the system from the user system110, the patch transmission unit134employed in the vendor system130transmits software-updating patches102based on the user-system information101as patches to be tested to the user system110.

The test-environment construction unit133aemployed in the user system110constructs a test environment201aon the basis of the user-system information101and the software-updating patches102to be tested.

If a verification test is ended successfully, the system-updating unit111updates the user system110on the basis of the software-updating patches102successfully passing the test. If the verification test is ended in a failure, on the other hand, the user system110notifies the test-result feedback unit135employed in the vendor system130that the verification test has been ended in a failure. In this case, the test-result feedback unit135retransmits another software-updating patch102as a candidate for the object to be tested.