Patent ID: 6862615

Claim:
In a computer system including software program entities and having features providing specific functionality, at least one of said features requiring mutual support of at least two of said software program entities in order for the feature to operate properly, said computer system being subject to introduction of new features, said software program entities being subject to new releases to support said new features, said software program entities including a first and a second software program entity, a feature exchange method comprising: storing, associated with said first software program entity, first indications of features supported by said first software program entity that require mutual support of said second software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, storing, associated with said second software program entity, second indications of features supported by said second software program entity that require mutual support of said first software program entity, each of said features requiring mutual support of both said first and second software program entities where installation in said computer system is required of both said first and second software program entities that mutually support said each of said features in order that said each of said features operates properly, comparing said first and said second indications with respect to each other, and taking an appropriate action if said first indications include an indication of a feature not included in said second indications and taking said appropriate action if said second indications include an indication of a feature not included in said first indications, said appropriate action being such as to prevent improper operation of said computer system due to installation of a release of one of said first and second software program entities that supports a particular feature requiring mutual support of the other of said first and second software program entities, where a release of said other of said first and second software program entities supporting said particular feature has not been installed.