Unified Installer Engine for Software Product Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Software updates often result in significant system downtime, which negatively impacts businesses as customers seek to minimize this downtime during the installation of newer software versions.

Innovation Solution

A unified installer engine identifies compatible software products within the same family, performs logical and physical mergers to eliminate redundant components, and installs these products efficiently, reducing downtime by creating a unified installer that installs components only once.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple software products are installed separately, then each product can be installed independently, but system downtime increases due to redundant installation activities

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveIndependent installation capabilityVSAvoidSystem downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple software products into a single unified installer that performs logical and physical merging of product components. The engine analyzes seed files of multiple products, identifies common components, and consolidates them into one installation package, eliminating redundant installation activities while maintaining independent installation capability through the unified interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary logical merger and component analysis before the actual installation process. The engine pre-processes seed files, identifies duplications, and prepares a consolidated component list in advance, so that during installation, only unique components are installed once rather than repeatedly installing the same components for each product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If redundant components are installed for each product, then complete product functionality is ensured, but processing resources and storage are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveProduct functionalityVSAvoidProcessing resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent identifies and discards redundant components during the logical merger phase by comparing seed files and detecting duplications. The engine recovers processing resources and storage space by preventing the installation of duplicate components, while still ensuring that all necessary functionality is present through the unified component set.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If redundant components are installed for each product, then complete product functionality is ensured, but storage space is consumed multiple times for the same components

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveProduct functionalityVSAvoidStorage space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Ease of operation

If multiple separate installation procedures are executed, then each product installation can be tracked independently, but installation time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveInstallation trackingVSAvoidInstallation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent executes a single continuous installation procedure for multiple products through the unified installer, eliminating the gaps and overhead between separate installation processes. The engine manages the installation of all products in one continuous operation, maintaining installation tracking capability while significantly improving overall installation speed and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11275571B2Unified installer

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 SAP SE

AI summary

A unified installer reduces system down time attributable to product installation, by eliminating redundant activities. An engine receives a request to install a first software product and a second software product. The engine references respective seed files of the first and second products to confirm their membership in a same family, and also to confirm compatibility between the product versions. The engine first performs a logical merger to create a merged seed file identifying components (e.g., deployment units, prerequisites, properties, features) that are duplicated between the products. Next, the engine performs a second, physical merger of the products to create a unified installer which avoids redundant components. The unified installer is passed by the engine to the installation procedure, which installs the components only once, thereby promoting efficiency and reducing system down time incurred by product installation.