Aggregated Update Sets for Software Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current update management systems for computing devices lack efficient methods to aggregate and manage updates for various functionalities, such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers, leading to complexities in determining which updates to install and how to install them effectively, especially in ensuring compatibility and minimizing user disruption.
Innovation Solution
The technique involves creating and managing update sets using membership rules and interaction rules, which allow updates to be grouped and installed as integrated sets, with rules dynamically generated and reconfigured to ensure proper installation order and compatibility, and to handle installation failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If updates are managed individually without aggregation, then each update can be installed independently, but the complexity of determining which updates to install and how to install them increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual updates into aggregated update sets that are evaluated and installed as unified groups. The system merges updates based on compatibility relationships, dependency graphs, and conflict detection algorithms, transforming the management of numerous individual updates into the management of consolidated update sets, thereby reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary update management system that acts as a mediator between individual update sources and the final installation process. This intermediary layer consolidates updates, resolves conflicts, determines compatibility, and presents aggregated update sets to users, thereby simplifying the complex task of managing individual updates from multiple sources.
2Device complexity
If updates are aggregated into integrated sets, then installation complexity is reduced, but flexibility in selecting and installing individual updates is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the update management process into distinct layers: update aggregation for compatibility evaluation, update set formation for simplified presentation, and user selection for individual update choices. This segmentation allows updates to be pre-processed into aggregated sets for complexity reduction while maintaining user flexibility to select individual updates or entire sets based on their needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic update set aggregation where the composition of update sets is not fixed but adapts based on user preferences, device state, and compatibility requirements. The system can dynamically adjust which updates are grouped together, allowing flexibility in both aggregated and individual update selection based on changing conditions and user decisions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If updates are installed without integrated aggregation, then user choice is maximized, but compatibility issues and installation failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by evaluating update compatibility, detecting conflicts, and constructing dependency graphs before updates are installed. The system pre-processes updates into aggregated sets with verified compatibility relationships, ensuring that when users select updates (either individually or as sets), the reliability of successful installation is already guaranteed by the prior compatibility analysis and conflict resolution.
4Loss of time
If multiple updates are installed separately, then installation order can be flexible, but user disruption and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate update installations into a single integrated update set installation process. By combining compatible updates into unified sets with predefined installation orders, the system reduces the number of separate installation operations, minimizes user disruption from multiple reboot cycles, and consolidates installation time into fewer coordinated operations while maintaining the necessary installation sequence through dependency graphs.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for aggregation of update sets are described. In at least some implementations, techniques enable relationships between the updates to be created, managed, and applied in a variety of ways. For example, updates can be grouped in a set for installation on a computing device as an integrated set. Grouping updates in a set can be based on membership rules that specify whether a particular update may be grouped in a set, and conditions under which the particular update may be grouped in a set. Updates that are included in a set may be associated with interaction rules that specify how updates in the set interact as part of an installation process. In at least some implementations, membership rules and interaction rules for updates can be dynamically created, configured, and/or dynamically reconfigured.