International Business Machines Corporation

David Henry Sandifer

Michael J Branson

Gregory Scott Hurlebaus

Gregory Richard Hintermeister

George Francis DeStefano

Erik Duane Lindberg

Susette M Townsend

Ronald Joseph Haugen

Steven Gene Halverson

Andrew James Streit

Salim Ahmed Agha

Patrick Michael Wildt

Allan Henry Trautman

Mark Fernando Diez

Brian Richard Lucier

A method and apparatus for synchronizing software between computers are disclosed. A software fix manager compares a preferred software inventory with a software inventory from a computer that is to be synchronized and, from this comparison, creates a number of software product synchronizations. An update manager uses the software fix list to apply software product synchronizations to the computer. Preferably, the computer can be brought to the same fix level or product level, if desired, as the preferred software inventory through this process. The software fix manager can place synchronizations in a fix list. There can be multiple software product synchronizations per software product, and the synchronizations can be applied to a computer by removing a software product fix or installing a product software fix. The current invention may also be applied to software products themselves, by installing or removing software products. The present invention potentially has its best application in networks, as numerous target computers or groups of target computers may be synchronized with a preferred software inventory of a model system.

Apparatus and method for synchronizing software between computers

An object oriented framework mechanism for distributing and managing operations of a network application defines classes and class relationships that provide for easily extending the framework to define new heterogeneous operations in a network application. Core functions of the framework mechanism support operation management functions, which may include status reporting, error recovery, scheduling, reexecution of previously-defined operations, persistence of operations, and sharing of operations between users. The framework mechanism provides extensible functions that are extended by a user to define a network application. A network application can thus be defined by a user that supports any or all of the above-mentioned operation management functions without explicitly providing these functions, because these functions are part of the core function of the framework mechanism.

Object oriented framework mechanism and method for distributing and managing heterogenous operations of a network application

A computer system and method restart only affected system program code levels of a computer system in response to a program code update to one or more system program code levels in the computer system. An affected system program code level may be a system program code level that is modified by a program code update, as well as a system program code level that otherwise must be restarted in response to an update to another system program code level. By restarting only affected system program code levels in response to a program code update, the time required to perform many program code updates may be reduced. As a result, the downtime for the computer system may be minimized, thereby maximizing user access to enterprise-critical computer systems.

Computer system and method of selectively rebooting the same in response

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

David Henry Sandifer