Dynamic addition of products and removal of software products on a distribution server

A system and method for adding and/or removing a software product to a distribution server is provided. Upon identification that a software product desired is not indexed in the installation server database of the distribution server, then adding the software product to the distribution server. The distribution server maintains multiple products, every product components of the multiple products is indexed by the installation server database of the distribution server. Removal of a software product requires removal of the software product from the index maintained by the installation server database of the distribution server.

BACKGROUND

A business system may include a variety of software applications that can be installed on a distribution server for later distribution to user computers to allow users to perform operations within the business system. Each software application generally includes an installation application, which when run on a computer configures the software application on the computer. Since a business system may include a large number of software applications, many such installations may be required to properly configure a computer before it can be used in the business system. When a previously installed software application is to be replaced by an updated version of the application, the previous version often must be removed from the computer prior to installation of the new version. Software applications may rely on other applications, requiring the applications to be installed in a particular order or priority.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide an administrator or other entity having access rights to effect the dynamic addition of multiple products to a distribution server. Embodiments of the present invention may also provide an administrator or other entity rights to effect the dynamic removal of multiple products from a distribution server. An administrator or other entity may request and obtain pre-configured installation packages containing the new products for essentially simultaneous installation.

In embodiments of the present invention, an installation server or distribution server120may be used not only as a distribution point for distributing software100,110, e.g., a front end software, as shown inFIG. 1, to one or more workstations130,140,150or other end entities, but also as the recipient of software products and parts thereof.

In embodiments of the present invention, an administrator or other entity may use the same installation software for past present and/or future products. Throughout this specification, the administrator or other entity which may include an automated function/machine, a person, and authorized person, etc.—will be referred to as “the administrator.” This term is not meant to limit the type of entity who can effect such actions. Embodiments of the present invention allow for the administrator to add new products or parts thereof to an existing server and remove undesired products or parts thereof. Throughout this specification, the term product will be used to indicate a software product or application, and/or part thereof. Throughout this specification, the term server may refer to a computing device, a computer readable medium/media, and/or a network-accessed site. In further embodiments, the new product(s) to be added may be administrator-configurable, and may be made available for installation on user workstations or other computing devices.

In embodiments of the present invention, a database is split on hierarchical, location, and/or content. A database split on a hierarchical level provides for an installation server database which is the default database loaded by an installation server, and at least one product database. The at least one product database, or component(s), is associated with the software product. In embodiments of the present invention, when a product is added to a distribution server, an installation server database associated with that product is loaded by default. That installation server database then may enlist other product databases to be loaded by the distribution server. The loading of a product database by the server involves copying the product components to the distribution server and registering the new product database with the installation server database on the distribution server. The installation server database indexes the subsequently added products/components.

In embodiments of the present invention, a product is comprised of one or more components. A component or installation component, may include file(s), registry key(s), script, etc. An action can install a component. A UI layer, for example, may be a collection of actions. Installation of a component effects an installation of everything included in that product component, which may include multiple files and registry keys. Likewise, uninstallation of a component effects an uninstallation of everything included in the product component. In an embodiment, when a request is made to delete a product, a check is done to see if an installation component of the product is used by another product, and if not, the product may be deleted. An administrator may or may not request to remove a component of a product, but rather the product in its entirety.

FIG. 2shows an exemplary database system of a distribution server200. The distribution server contains an installation server database210which indexes each of the product A database(s)220, product B database(s)230, and, possibly, a package setup database240(for configuring packages to user workstations and the like).

FIG. 3shows an exemplary database of a product A database300. The product A database300is split on user interface information310and installation information320. This architecture may allow for ease and flexibility in managing the product databases in the distribution server.

In embodiments of the present invention, an administrator can receive a new product via, for example, the Internet, a company Intranet, local area network (LAN), wide-access area network (WAN) a hardwired connection, a computer readable medium such as a DVD, CDROM, disk, and/or flash memory. The administrator may then start the installer's server management tool. The administrator is then able to select “add” or similar function, and add the desired new product to the administrators intended server destination. The server destination may have several products existing on it at the time. The effect of adding the new product to the server involves a copying by the installers server management tool of the product file(s) and product database(s) associated with the product. Further, the installer's server management tool registers the product database(s) with the installation server database on the server destination.

In embodiments of the present invention, the administrator or other entity may wish to remove a product or part thereof from the server or from the choices available for installation. To remove a product or part thereof, i.e., a component, from the choices available for installation, the administrator must remove the indexing of the product files/databases with on the installation server database. Upon removal, it is as if the product does not exist on the server even though it is essentially present. A user and the administrator will not see this product in the user interface generated by the server displaying the contents of the installation server database. Further, an administrator may remove the product components/databases from the server as well.

In embodiments of the present invention, a product may be shipped with a database. The database may contain pre-configured package installation data for the product. The database is registered by the server's installation server database.

In the distribution server, there is a database, e.g., the installation server database, which is made hierarchically superior. The installation server database indexes and reads the other databases. When a new product is shipped to the administrator e.g., via a computer the act of adding products involves getting the database from the new product location onto the server and indexed by the hierarchically first database.

In further embodiments, a notepad text file may keep information concerning the products to be installed.

In embodiments of the present invention, products and parts thereof are being added to the distribution server.

Installation is a database oriented activity. The changes to the state of an installed product is reflected in an installation database. In embodiments of the present invention, the server may provide for an abstraction of data management from the user interface and installation tools. The Data Manager of the distribution server may isolate the database syntax from the installation feature(s) implementations.

In embodiments of the present invention, the installation process may be synchronized by a visual basic script. It is appreciated here that other available programming languages may be used. Visual Basic is used here for illustrative purposes. The setup start application loads a script host that parses and executes the visual basic script. The script then uses the engine objects and tools to perform various installation activities.

In embodiments of the present invention, multiple products may be handled by a distribution server. Further, sharing of products and/or their components may be effected across products. Further, user interface data is isolated from the installation data. Further, the database having a split architecture may be in an easier to read and understand format, possibly allowing more users to configure product installations.

In embodiments of the present invention, the server design may provide that the script has superior control over the user interface on a page by page basis. Further, the script may validate user input and react to the same immediately rather than wait for a wizard object to complete execution. Further, defining server internal and external installation actions allow for scaling of the engine functionality for future usage.

In embodiments of the present invention, one may administer multiple products on a single distribution server. Further, products may be added or removed from the distribution server by an administrator or other authorized entity. Packages may be configured across products.

In embodiments of the present invention, there is an installation server database and a workstation database per product. When loaded, the default engine database is loaded first. Further, inter-dependency between products is recognized and may be indicated in the distribution server indexing installation server database. Some example engine classes include SetupEngine (instantiated by script), DataManager, DataExchange, SetupUIManager. The DataManager, DataExchange and SetupUIManager are instantiated by the server.

In embodiments of the present invention, the distribution database may also contain an uninstallation tool to remove software from the distribution database and/or other computers. The uninstallation tool involves reading and interpretation of the installation databases, providing options for partial uninstallment of components unnecessary for other component(s). Further, an administrator of the distribution server may delete products from the server or empty the server. Authorization may be provided to another as well. Further, an automatic deletion of products and/or their components may be instituted on the distribution server.

In embodiments of the present invention, the processes create server and add product are a part of the deployment tools. Thus, once an installation server is created, the add product process may extend the functional scope of the server to one that can handle and distribute multiple products over a network.

In embodiments of the present invention, every product in an installation server has its respective installation information stored in its own product database(s) which is a part of the installation server database. The installation server database contains a collection of individual product databases, and also information pertaining to configured product packages in the installation server. The deployment tools may use the installation server database to perform server administration, et al.

In embodiments of the present invention, the installation server database may be comprised of smaller product databases. Interaction between the installation server database and the products available on the server is via, e.g., the server engine.

In embodiments of the present invention, information contained in the installation server database is user interface information and product installation information. User interface information is, for example, information pertaining to the display of a product available for installation. User interface information may also be, for example, information pertaining to product component selection/auto selection/auto-deselection in the user interface. Product installation information is, for example, information regarding the product file(s) including paths, versions, etc. Further, product installation information also includes, for example, registration information for the product, data for the installer to configure product installations, etc. In embodiments of the present invention, the isolation of these two types of information provides for easy readability and changeability.

In embodiments of the present invention, a database is classified by type on the basis of the default installation server, or engine, database loaded by the server, and is categorized on the basis of its location. For example, an installation server database is a default database loaded by an installation software engine, and contains installation software relevant information and assists the server in identifying and locating product database(s). For example, a product database contains product installation information. It is appreciated that the databases may be maintained in various formats. For example, the database may be used in xml format which allows for a certain ease of readability, ease of data retrieval and insertion (with parsers readily available), and ease of distribution (due to compactness).

In embodiments of the present invention, an engine, or server, loads a respective installation server database on the basis of the context in which it has been started (e.g., distribution server or workstation). The content of the database tags inform the engine, or server, of the product(s) available by presenting the location of their respective product database(s). A server, or engine, may identify the contents of a database tag as belonging to a specific product, thus, the tag provides for a structural organization of installation data.

In embodiments of the present invention, the distribution server presents information to a user (i.e., administrator) via a user interface, and performs deployment, patch, or uninstallation activities. The user interface features allow for product listing, subcomponent of product listing, auto-selection of downward components (i.e., selection of parent provides for automatic selection of child), dependency selection, and package creation/information.

In embodiments of the present invention, for example, the implementation of user interface hierarchy may be achieved through nested <Contains> xml-tags. The higher-level tag becomes the parent of the tags below it. And, component installation order is affected by Requires> xml-tags which provide that required components are installed before the components or products that require them. The user interface tree may be constructed using <contains> xml-tags.

FIG. 4shows a flowchart involving adding one or more products to a distribution server from other locations. The other locations may include networked resources, a portable medium, another server, etc. The distribution server identifies an external product A which it may wish to load400. The distribution server may then proceed with checking whether it already contains product A or part thereof or if there are any conflicts involved in adding product A410. The installation server database which indexes all of the product databases is checked for product A420, instead of checking each individual product databases. If the distribution server already has product A, then the installation server database does not act further with respect to obtaining the product A430. In this situation, an alert may be sent to the administrator, or a notation concerning the attempt may be logged in a table. If the distribution server does not already have product A410, then the distribution server may copy all available components of product A from the source/location440. The installation server database of the distribution server indexes each of the copied components/databases of product A450. This indexing may be automatically triggered when a product files are being installed on the distribution server.

FIG. 5shows a flowchart involving removing one or more products from a distribution server. A request to remove a product from the distribution server500may trigger a check of the installation server database of the distribution server for that product510. If the product is not indexed in the installation server database520, then an alert may be sent to the administrator or a notice logged which indicates that the product is not indexed on the distribution server. If the product is indexed, then a check is done whether the product or component thereof, is necessary for other product(s) to function as desired540. If the product is necessary, then an alert may be sent to the administrator550, or a notice is logged to indicate that the product will not be removed without, e.g., additional confirmation, in view of the dependence of another product. If the product is not necessary for other product(s) on the distribution server, then the administrator may be queried whether he would like to remove the product completely from the distribution server560. If yes, then the product is deleted from the distribution server570, and removed from the indexed listing on the installation server database580. If the administrator does not wish to also remove the product from the distribution server, then the product is deleted from the indexed listing on the installation server database580. Additionally, an alert or communication may be sent to the administrator or to a log file to indicate the removal of the product.

FIG. 6shows another system embodiment of the present invention. Multiple software products610,620, . . .630, may be added to a distribution server600essentially simultaneously. The first product610added to the distribution server creates the installation server database which indexes itself and all of the subsequently loaded products620,630. A server creation tool may be used to create the installation server database.

FIG. 7shows an example user interface which indexes the products, the product GUID (globally unique identifier), etc. Here, the data manager keeps track of the databases to be loaded720.

FIG. 8shows an installation server database or engine800according to an embodiment of the present invention. The installation server database800contains an installation data manager870which manages the product databases860,862,864. The installation data manager870also includes a data sorter840and a database read and write layer850in order to manage the resident databases. The installation server database800may also contain various tools including a user interface tool830, installation tools832, a data exchanger834, additional tools (such as patch tools, check tools, update tools)836, and uninstallation tools838. Acting upon an installation server database800may be an external application launcher and scripting host810using a visual basic installation script820.FIG. 9shows exemplary functions and commands which may be employed in embodiments of the present invention. These functions and commands are those used by the setup engine of the installation server database or engine900, the setup user interface manager (of the user interface)910, the data exchanger920, and the data manager930.

FIG. 10shows a flow diagram of the relationships between a network administrator1010and the various tools the network administrator may allow. For example, the network administrator may allow for creation of the distribution server1020and of the user interface server1040. Other tools include an administer server1030, an apply patch tool1050, administer installation services1060, add product tool1070, an administer packages tool1080, save server configuration tool1090, remove product1100, save server database tool1110, and read server database1120.

FIG. 11shows a flow diagram of relationships between the create server user interface tool1150and other tools. For example, a network administrator1130uses the administer server1140to manage matters. The administer or distribution server may include configurable services1160and may activate the create server user interface1150. The create server user interface tool1150may involve a reading of version information1170, a display of log files1180, a reading of installation packages1190, a reading of security settings1200, a reading of the installation server database1210and a display of product information1220.

Software applications, or programs, may be stored in a business system. The software applications may be stored, for example, in a distribution server in communication with other servers and workstations in the business system. The applications may be stored and accessed using various storage devices and computer systems available. An administrator may access the software applications in the business system.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular examples and embodiments, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to those examples and embodiments. The present invention as claimed therefore includes variations from the specific examples and embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art.