Patent ID: 8527980

Claim:
A system for automatically upgrading system software stored, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, in software packages for system nodes arranged in a distributed automatic system of a network, comprising: at least one system diagnosis tool, for analyzing a current system status of the distributed automatic system, summarizing the current system status in a system status file by recording for each system node at least current hardware and software installed therein, and for forwarding the system status file to at least one knowledge-based planning tool, wherein a system plan is stored in a separate planning computer, the knowledge-based planning tool for creating a rule-based and data-based system plan for a new system version from at least the installed hardware and software recorded in the system status file and a planning database, the knowledge-based planning tool being configured to create the system plan for the new system version being based on a model of the new system version in which the system status file is used to populate the model of the new system by mapping each system node to a system component of the new system version, generating installation files, a sequence for installing the installation files, and identifying configuration steps to be performed for the installed files for automatic installation and configuration of a system upgrade on the basis of the system plan for each system node of the distributed automatic system, and forwarding the installation files in each case to at least one installation and configuration tool present in each system node, the installation and configuration tool of each system node being configured for automatically selecting from the installation files, installing and configuring software packages to be installed, and restoring the functionality of the distributed automatic system following the configuration of the installed software packages.