Application Update Delivery Using Manifest-Guided Delta Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of efficiently updating applications on client computing devices with new versions, as existing methods often require significant network bandwidth and time due to the need to send entire new versions, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A remote system analyzes new versions of applications to identify new and common portions relative to previous versions, generating CRC and hash values to efficiently deliver only new portions and recompilation instructions, reducing bandwidth and time by using a sliding window technique to identify clean and dirty data sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire new version of an application is sent to update a client device, then the client receives a complete and reliable update, but significant network bandwidth and time are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application update into two distinct parts: (1) a manifest file containing metadata, version information, and download instructions, and (2) the actual application content. This segmentation allows the client to first receive and process the small manifest to determine what updates are needed, then selectively download only the necessary content portions, rather than receiving the entire application package regardless of what needs updating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates the essential update information (manifest) from the bulk application content. The manifest contains all the information needed to identify what portions of the application need updating, allowing the system to extract only the necessary content segments for transmission, thereby reducing overall bandwidth consumption while ensuring complete and reliable updates.
2Reliability
If the entire new version of an application is sent to update a client device, then the update is complete and reliable, but significant update time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The update process is segmented into multiple phases: (1) manifest retrieval and processing, (2) determination of required updates, and (3) selective content download. This segmentation allows the system to minimize download time by only transferring necessary content portions rather than the entire application, while maintaining update reliability through the structured manifest-driven approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifest file is processed in advance to determine what content updates are needed before the actual content download begins. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare update instructions and identify required portions ahead of time, enabling more efficient and faster content transmission while ensuring complete and reliable updates.
3Loss of energy
If only new portions of an application are sent for updating, then network bandwidth and time are reduced, but the system must identify and track portions between versions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a manifest file as an intermediary that mediates between the application content and the update process. The manifest contains structured metadata, version information, and portion identifiers that simplify the complexity of tracking changes between versions. This intermediary structure makes it easier to identify and transmit only the necessary new portions without requiring complex comparison algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the manifest file (such as version numbers, content identifiers, and metadata) to track and identify what portions of the application have changed between versions. By monitoring changes in these parameters, the system can efficiently determine what content needs updating without requiring complex structural comparisons, thereby reducing system complexity while enabling selective content delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are, among other things, techniques, devices, and systems for identifying portions of a new version of an application that are new to the new version and portions of the new version that are common to the new version and a previous version of the application, such that a client computing device may efficiently update from the previous version to the new version.