Patent ID: 8539474

Claim:
A processor implemented method of organizing interim software fixes comprising: in response to a user-initiated assistance request, communicating with a user to understand a first software operation problem; creating a problem management record comprising an identity of the user, information relating to an exact version of a software program experiencing the first software operation problem, and information relating to the first software operation problem; determining if a first interim software fix to remedy the first software operation problem exists within an archive comprising a plurality of interim software fixes; in response to determining that the first interim software fix exists, making available to the user an electronic package for installing the first interim software fix to remedy the first software operation problem; in response to determining that the first interim software fix does not exist, using a backing tree that includes components of multiple releases of versions of the software program experiencing the first software operation problem, selecting and combining the selected components of the multiple releases of versions of the software program to create a duplicate version of the exact version of the software program used by the user, and using the duplicate version of the exact version of the software program used by the user to develop the first interim software fix comprising a set of source code to remedy the first software operation problem; creating an electronic package for the first interim software fix; making available to the user the electronic package for the first interim software fix; and storing information associated with the first software operating problem in the archive; determining that a second software operating problem results from the first interim software fix; developing a second interim software fix comprising a set of source code to remedy the second software operation problem in conjunction with the backing tree that defines the exact version of software used by the user, creating an electronic package for the second interim software fix using an archive client among a plurality of archive clients being in electrical communication with the archive; making available to the user the electronic package for the second interim software fix; storing information associated with the second software operating problem in the archive; and creating a link via the backing tree between the information associated with the first software operating problem and the information associated with the second software operating problem to advise of the second software operating problem resulting from the first interim software fix, the information associated with the first and second software operating problems comprising a backing tree that includes components of multiple release versions of the software program.