Virtual Apparatus for Coordinated Application Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in updating application programs across multiple physical apparatuses simultaneously without accessing each individual device, leading to inefficiencies in software updates and setting information management.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system that includes a physical apparatus, a service apparatus for updating application programs, and a virtual apparatus storing metadata, allowing for coordinated updates by transmitting request information and application programs through the virtual apparatus to specified physical apparatuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the service apparatus accesses all physical apparatuses to transmit updated application programs, then the application program can be updated on all devices, but the time and communication resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual apparatus as an intermediary between the service apparatus and physical apparatuses. The virtual apparatus stores metadata about application programs and receives transmission requests from the service apparatus, then forwards the updated programs to the appropriate physical apparatuses. This intermediary approach allows coordinated updates across multiple devices without requiring the service apparatus to directly access and manage each physical apparatus individually, thereby reducing communication overhead and time while ensuring comprehensive update distribution.
2Reliability
If the service apparatus transmits updated application programs to each physical apparatus individually, then each device receives the update, but the communication load and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple physical apparatuses by introducing a virtual apparatus that consolidates metadata storage and update coordination. Instead of each physical apparatus independently managing its updates, the virtual apparatus centralizes the management of application program metadata and coordinates the distribution of updates to all relevant physical apparatuses. This merging reduces system complexity by eliminating redundant individual management mechanisms while ensuring reliable update delivery to all devices.
3Productivity
If the system stores complete application program data in the virtual apparatus, then the virtual apparatus can manage updates efficiently, but the storage requirements of the virtual apparatus increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential metadata (version information, program names, and identification data) from the complete application programs and stores this extracted information in the virtual apparatus. The full application program binaries remain stored in the service apparatus or update server. When an update is needed, the virtual apparatus uses the stored metadata to identify which physical apparatuses need updates and coordinates the transmission of only the necessary update data, rather than storing complete copies of all application programs. This extraction approach maintains efficient update management while significantly reducing the storage burden on the virtual apparatus.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system including a physical apparatus, a service apparatus that performs a service for updating an application program installed on the physical apparatus, and a virtual apparatus that is a virtual apparatus of the physical apparatus and that stores metadata including information indicating a version number of the application program installed on the physical apparatus, includes one or plural processors configured to cause the service apparatus to, in a case of transmitting the application program after the update to the physical apparatus specified as an apparatus as an update target for the application program by referring to the metadata, transmit request information for requesting transmission of the application program to the physical apparatus, to the virtual apparatus, cause the virtual apparatus to, in a case where the request information is received from the service apparatus, transmit the application program after the update or instruction information for providing an instruction to receive the application program from the service apparatus, to the corresponding physical apparatus, and cause the physical apparatus to, in a case where the application program or the instruction information is received from the virtual apparatus, execute processing of updating the application program.