Patent ID: 8806476

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of implementing, for a data processing system, a software installation process for a software program, the software installation process comprising a plurality of sequential steps, the method comprising: maintaining, in recoverable storage across multiple iterations of the software installation process, installation state metadata comprising a step metadata mode indicator for the plurality of sequential steps that specifies a prior completion state of a prior installation of at least a portion of the software program; performing recovery processing of the software program in response to determining that the installation state metadata from the prior installation indicates an incomplete installation state of the at least the portion of the software program; and updating in the recoverable storage, prior to commencement of each sequential step of a current iteration of the software installation process commenced, the installation state metadata with a value of the step metadata mode indicator that identifies an installation state of the sequential step so that the installation state metadata is associated with the software program; where: the updated installation state metadata in the recoverable storage is recoverable during a subsequent iteration of the software installation process to determine whether the current iteration of the software installation process successfully updated the software program; and the installation state metadata comprises a backup step in the software installation process for uninstalling the software program.