Package Manager Encoded Identification for Software Inventory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing and tracking software packages across multiple physical or virtual machines in a network is complex, especially when only specific subsets or updates are needed, as existing technologies lack efficient methods for selective identification and inventorying without retrieving full profiles.
Innovation Solution
A package manager generates an encoded identification of selected subsets of installed software packages using hash functions on attributes like package names, versions, and timestamps, allowing for selective identification and management of machines and their resources, facilitating updates and maintenance operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If full package profiles are retrieved for all machines to enable identification and tracking, then complete inventory information is obtained, but network bandwidth consumption increases and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identification attributes (package name, version, epoch, architecture, size, timestamp) needed for inventory tracking, rather than retrieving complete package profiles. This selective extraction reduces network bandwidth consumption while maintaining sufficient information for identification and management purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different data retrieval strategies based on local needs - full package profiles are obtained locally on the management server through hash-based queries, while remote machines only send minimal identification data. This localized quality approach optimizes bandwidth usage by avoiding unnecessary data transmission.
2Loss of information
If full package profiles are retrieved for all machines to enable identification and tracking, then complete inventory information is obtained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hash values as simplified copies or representations of complete package profiles. Instead of managing full package data structures, the system uses compact hash identifiers that uniquely represent package states, significantly reducing the complexity of inventory tracking while maintaining information integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms complex package profile data into simplified parameters (hash values, version strings, epoch timestamps) that are easier to store, compare, and manage. This parameter transformation reduces system complexity by converting detailed package information into manageable identification fields.
3Loss of energy
If selective package subset identification is implemented without full profiles, then bandwidth and complexity are reduced, but identification precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct comparison of full package profiles with hash-based identification mechanisms. Hash functions provide a deterministic way to uniquely identify packages based on their attributes, ensuring identification precision while using minimal data. The hash value acts as a reliable fingerprint that accurately represents the complete package state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary hash computation on package attributes (name, version, epoch, architecture, size, timestamp) before transmission or comparison. This preliminary processing ensures that the selected subset of attributes contains sufficient information for accurate identification, maintaining measurement precision while minimizing data requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating encoded identifications of selected subsets of installed software packages on a client machine. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of one or more selected subsets of the set of hosted or installed packages based on size, timestamp, and/or other attributes of the subsets and/or constituent files. An administrator or other user can for instance select only that subset or subsets related to a certain project, application, user group, or other selection criteria, and generate encoded identifications of those subsets for package updating, network management, and/or other purposes.