Software Installation Configuration Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing software installation process faces interoperability and configuration issues due to varying installation tools, file formats, and configuration settings among different software products, leading to duplicate installations, incompatible settings, and complexity in customization.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a common XML-based file structure and configuration format for installation packages, along with a software installation tool that analyzes and validates configuration files, merges duplicates, and translates settings into product-specific formats using plugins, enabling easier customization and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different software products use their own installation tools and configuration formats, then each software product can be installed independently with its own customization options, but interoperability issues arise and configuration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal installation framework that can handle multiple software products with different configurations through a single standardized interface. The common file structure and configuration format allow the installation tool to universally process various software packages while maintaining product-specific customization capabilities through the extensible XML format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer consisting of the standardized XML configuration format and common file structure that mediates between the installation tool and individual software products. This intermediary enables the installation tool to manage multiple products uniformly while preserving their unique installation requirements and customization options.
2Ease of manufacture
If each software product has its own installation package format, then product-specific installation requirements can be met, but duplicate files are installed and disk space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the installation management functions for multiple software products into a unified framework. By combining multiple installation packages under a common file structure and configuration format, the system can identify and eliminate duplicate files across products while maintaining the ability to install each product with its specific requirements.
3Productivity
If multiple software products are installed simultaneously with different configuration formats, then installation parallelism is achieved, but configuration errors and incompatibility issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by standardizing the configuration format to XML across all software products. This uniform structure allows the installation tool to process multiple products simultaneously with consistent validation rules, ensuring configuration compatibility and eliminating errors that arise from heterogeneous formats while maintaining installation parallelism.
Data Source
AI summary
Software installations can be managed. For example, a first installation package for installing a first software product can be received. The first installation package can include a first set of configuration files indicating a first default configuration for the first software product using a generic format. A second installation package for installing a second software product can also be received. The second installation package can include a second set of configuration files indicating a second default configuration for the second software product using the generic format. A configuration dataset can be determined from the first set of configuration files and the second set of configuration files by merging first configuration data in the first set of configuration files and second configuration data in the second set of configuration files. The first software product and the second software product can then be installed using the configuration dataset.