Update Installer Impact Analysis for Selective Patching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of business systems face challenges in selectively applying updates from cumulative update packages, as existing technologies do not allow for choosing specific customizations and tracking of update status across multiple environments, leading to conflicts and increased time and effort in managing updates.

Innovation Solution

An update installer generates an update display for users to select updates, providing an impact analysis of the selected updates on business processes and objects, allowing for advanced installation options and automatic conflict resolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users apply all fixes from a cumulative update package, then the system receives comprehensive updates, but conflicts arise between user customizations and applied updates requiring significant time and effort to resolve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomprehensive update applicationVSAvoidtime and effort to resolve conflicts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The impact analysis feature performs preliminary evaluation of update conflicts before actual application. The system analyzes the cumulative update package beforehand, identifies potential conflicts with user customizations, and presents this information to users prior to installation, allowing them to make informed decisions and avoid time-consuming conflict resolution later

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The update package is segmented into individual fix components that can be analyzed separately. The system divides the cumulative update into discrete updates and evaluates each one's impact on user customizations independently, allowing selective application of non-conflicting updates while identifying specific conflicts that need resolution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If users manually track update status across multiple environments, then comprehensive update tracking is achieved, but the process becomes time consuming and complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate status trackingVSAvoidtime to track updates manually

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The update installer is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple environments through a single interface. The system can select different target environments (development, test, production) and perform impact analysis and update application across all of them uniformly, eliminating the need for separate tracking processes for each environment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides automated feedback mechanisms that track and report update status across multiple environments. After updates are applied, the system automatically monitors and reports the status, allowing users to see which environments have which updates without manual checking, thus preventing information loss while saving time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If users apply updates in multiple environments, then system consistency is improved, but the process becomes more complex and time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem consistency across environmentsVSAvoidupdate management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The update installer provides a universal interface that manages multiple environments through single operations. Users can select multiple target environments and apply updates to all of them simultaneously or selectively, maintaining system consistency across environments while simplifying the management process through standardized procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary impact analysis across all selected environments before update application. This advance evaluation identifies potential conflicts and compatibility issues in each environment, allowing users to plan the update rollout strategy and avoid complex problem-solving during actual deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of operation

If users cannot selectively apply specific updates from a cumulative package, then installation process is simplified, but users lose ability to pick and choose which customizations to apply

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation process simplicityVSAvoidselective update application capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cumulative update package is segmented into individual update components that can be independently evaluated and selected. The impact analysis breaks down the package into discrete fixes and presents them separately to users, allowing selective application while maintaining a structured, manageable process that doesn't overwhelm users with complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10268473B2Update installer with process impact analysis

Publication Date: 2019.04.23 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

An update installer generates an update display for a user that displays available updates associated with a target application. The user can select updates, and the update installer accesses processes corresponding to the target application and displays an impact analysis indicating the impact that the selected updates will have on the target application.