Script Generation Engine for Platform-Neutral Application Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current application installation methods, especially in autonomic systems, fail to seamlessly manage application component upgrades due to their impact on existing applications and dependencies, often resulting in compatibility issues and broken dependencies, and lack granularity and platform neutrality.
Innovation Solution
A platform-neutral semantic model-based system generates target-specific installation scripts by mapping component relationships and requirements, using a script generation engine to produce platform-specific instructions, ensuring seamless installation and configuration while assessing dependencies and resource needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If application components are upgraded in autonomic systems, then system optimization and self-repair capabilities are improved, but compatibility issues and broken dependencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting dependencies and conflicts before installation occurs. The installer queries the registry to identify existing applications and their dependencies, then pre-calculates potential conflicts and determines safe installation paths, preventing broken dependencies before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the installer continuously queries the registry during installation to detect changes in the target platform. It monitors for conflicts between new components and existing applications, and adjusts the installation process in real-time based on detected conditions, ensuring compatibility is maintained.
2Reliability
If platform-specific installation methods are used, then installation reliability is improved, but adaptability across different platforms deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The installer is designed as a universal platform-neutral application that can function across multiple operating systems. It uses a standardized interface to query the registry and execute installation commands, making the same installer capable of deploying components to different platforms without requiring platform-specific versions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a platform-neutral intermediary layer between the installation source and the target platform. This intermediary queries the registry in a platform-agnostic manner and translates installation requirements into platform-specific commands, enabling reliable installation across different operating systems through a common interface.
3Ease of operation
If manual installation methods are used, then installation control is improved, but installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The installer performs self-service by automatically detecting the target platform environment, querying the registry for existing applications and dependencies, and determining the appropriate installation path without requiring manual intervention. It autonomously handles dependency resolution and conflict detection, reducing both time and complexity while maintaining control through transparent reporting.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an installation script generation engine. An application component distribution system can include a repository of semantic models for interdependent ones of application components. A mapping of individual listings in the semantic models to target platform specific installation instructions further can be included. Finally, a script generation engine can be configured to produce a target specific set of instructions for a specified application component based upon a mapping of at least one of the semantic models in the repository. Notably, each of the semantic models can include a listing of component relationships, target platform requirements and platform neutral installation instructions. Moreover, the component relationships can include at least one component relationship selected from the group consisting of a containment relationship, a usage relationship, a contradiction relationship, and an equivalence relationship. Finally, a Web services interface to the repository can be configured to permit remote access to the repository.