Policy-Based Software Update Management System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software update management systems lack standardization in policy settings formats and extensions, leading to complexity and inefficiency in managing software updates across diverse computer environments, particularly in networks with varied operating systems and update frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A system that standardizes policy settings formats and introduces a generalized filtering mechanism, allowing for abstract handling of per-policy filters and metadata-driven updates, enabling efficient software update management through a common user interface and extensible data formats, such as XML schema, which supports drag-and-drop functionality and user-defined filter criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standardized policy settings format and generalized filtering mechanism are introduced, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for abstract handling of per-policy filters and metadata-driven updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal policy settings format (XML schema) that can accommodate multiple policy types and filtering mechanisms through a common structure. The generalized filtering mechanism uses standardized elements like <filter>, <criteria>, and <condition> that work across different policy contexts, allowing the system to handle diverse update scenarios through a single unified interface rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each policy type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer consisting of the standardized XML schema and generalized filtering mechanism that sits between the user interface and the underlying policy implementation details. This intermediary abstracts away the complexity of per-policy filters and metadata-driven updates, presenting a simplified interface to users while maintaining the ability to handle complex update scenarios through standardized elements like <filter criteria> and <update conditions>.
2Adaptability or versatility
If per-policy filters and metadata-driven updates are abstracted through a common interface, then adaptability to diverse computer environments is improved, but manufacturing precision decreases due to the loss of specific policy-type details
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains local quality by allowing policy-specific details to be preserved within the standardized XML structure through specialized elements. For example, while the overall filtering mechanism is generalized, individual policy types can define their own specific criteria elements (e.g., <windowsFilter>, <macFilter>) that maintain the precision needed for their specific contexts while still fitting within the universal schema framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the policy settings into hierarchical layers: a standardized outer layer for universal filtering and metadata handling, and inner policy-specific layers for detailed implementation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain adaptability through the standardized interface while preserving manufacturing precision through policy-specific segments that can define detailed criteria and conditions for their respective operating systems and update types.
3Productivity
If filter criteria are obtained from update sources and integrated into group-policy objects, then productivity is improved through automated update assignment, but loss of information increases due to the complexity of managing multiple filter criteria combinations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by obtaining and integrating filter criteria from update sources into group-policy objects in advance, before actual update deployment. This allows the system to pre-evaluate compatibility and automatically assign updates to appropriate computers based on pre-defined criteria, eliminating the need for manual evaluation during deployment and significantly improving productivity while maintaining complete information about filter criteria through the standardized XML structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system configured for policy-based management of software updates is disclosed. The system maintains group-policy objects, with which groups of computers are associated. The system obtains identities of software updates from a source of software updates. The system also obtains filter criteria for each update, for determining whether the update should be applied to a particular computer or not. The system assigns newly available updates to respective selected group-policy objects and adds the obtained filter criteria to each such group-policy object. The system performs necessary installations of updates by, for each group-policy object, determining whether, for each combination of a computer belonging to a group associated with that policy object and an update assigned to that policy object, the computer satisfies the filter criteria for the update, and if so, applying the update to that computer, but if not, refraining from applying the update.