Red Hat, Inc.

James Antill

Seth Kelby Vidal

Michael Paul Dehaan

Adrian Karstan Likins

Embodiments relate to generating predictive diagnostics via a package update manager. A processing device can identify a set of package updates available to update a set of installed software packages on a client machine. Using a diagnostic database and an event log, the processing device identifies a potential fault condition related to the set of package updates. The event log can include a state of the client machine. The processing device can generate a repair action in view of the potential fault condition and generate a modified set of package updates in view of the repair action. The processing device can send the modified set of package updates to the client machine.

Generating predictive diagnostics via package update manager

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating and storing translation information as package metadata. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and language resources available for the installed set. The package manager can host or access a set of package attributes which include language specifications which indicates a language that should be used for search, display, and/or other activities. The language specifications be used to link to remote a remote repository storing various language metadata, including translations of source text. The resulting translated descriptions of source text from applications or other objects can be received and locally stored as translation information on the client machine. Translations can be periodically generated and/or updated.

Generating and storing translation information as package metadata

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating exportable encoded identifications of networked machines based on installed package profiles. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of the entire package complement and/or selected subsets of those packages. In aspects, the encoded identification can be based on a set of attributes of the installed packages and/or their constituent files, such as file names, version numbers, size, and/or other attributes. The encoded identification for the client machine can be transmitted to one or more remote management platforms, such as package servers, network management servers, or others for remote operations on the client machine.

Exportable encoded identifications of networked machines

An administrator system can utilize a history generated by a tagging tool to determine the current configuration of computing systems. The administrator system can utilize the current configuration to verify that the computing systems have been configured properly and verify, over time, that the computing systems maintain the desired configuration. The administrator system can compare the current configuration with the desired configuration for the computing systems.

Utilizing history of changes associated with software packages to manage computing systems

Updating package manager software on a client. An update tool can interface with a package manager running a first version of the package manager software to inspect an available update to a package installed on the client. The update tool can determine that a second version of the package manager software is required to install the update to the package. The update tool can access the second version of the package manager software, remove the first version of the package manager software from the package manager, and unpack and install the second version of the package manager software on the package manager. Further, the update tool can install the update to the package installed on the client, and can update other resources associated with the client as appropriate.

Determining when to update a package manager software

A compatibility tool can certify compliance between software packages managers, used by or known to a user, and software packages to be updated or installed on a computing system. Additionally, the compatibility tool can identify a software package manager that is compatible with the software packages to be updated or installed, if the user does not have or know of a compatible software package manager. To certify software package managers or identify compatible software package managers, the compatibility tool can maintain a database of software package managers associated with software packages that are compatible with the software package managers.

Generating client qualification to execute package update manager

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a machine state verification using a number of installed package objects. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client machine can track the installed package complement, and updates available for those packages. To verify that a target of a package update is prepared and in the correct state to receive the update, the package manager inventory the set of package objects installed on the client machine. The resulting sum can be reported to a remote management platform, such as a package server. The counted package objects can be the packages themselves, and/or their set of component files. Machines having a package sum that does not match an expected target number can have a package re-installation performed, and/or other diagnostics carried out.

Generating machine state verification using number of installed package objects

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating predictive diagnostics via a package update manager. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user's selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database, a current state of the client machine, and/or other resources. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, before those updates are attempted and cause potential conflicts.

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for diagnostic notification via a package update manager. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user's selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database and/or current state of the client machine. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, and the notification tool can re-analyze any potential faults after an update is completed.

Diagnostic notification via package update manager

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating encoded identifications of selected subsets of installed software packages on a client machine. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of one or more selected subsets of the set of hosted or installed packages based on size, timestamp, and/or other attributes of the subsets and/or constituent files. An administrator or other user can for instance select only that subset or subsets related to a certain project, application, user group, or other selection criteria, and generate encoded identifications of those subsets for package updating, network management, and/or other purposes.

Generating encoded identifications of selected subsets of installed software packages on a client machine

Embodiments relate to generating an encoded package profile based on executing host processes. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager and/or other logic can identify currently executing processes on the client, and determine which package(s) corresponding to that set of executing processes are hosted on the client. The package manager can generate a report to a package server and/or other remote management platform to perform management operations on the client, such as, for example, to terminate executing processes on a target client to permit package update processes to take place. Other network management actions, such as inventorying or grouping virtual machines in a cloud or other network, can likewise be performed.

Generating an encoded package profile based on executing host processes

A software repository can capture and record an identifier associated with a software package manager accessing the software repository.

Tracking computing systems utilizing software repositories

An administrator system can generate a version identifier for a computing system based on the software packages installed on a computing system. The version identifier can represent the software packages installed on the computing system. The administrator system can utilize the version identifier to manage a network of computing systems. The administrator system can compare the version identifiers of the computing system to verify that the computing system have the same software packages installed. Likewise, the administrator system can compare the version identifiers of the computing system to a test version identifier.

Managing a network of computer systems using a version identifier generated based on software packages installed on the computing systems

Methods and systems for defining and generating fine-grained access policy for authorizing software package updates are provided. The methods of defining and enforcing a package update policy include providing a package update policy file that identifies a set of software packages and users authorized to perform package updates in association with the set of software packages, and storing the policy file on computers in a managed network. When a computer in the managed network receives a request from an unprivileged user to update a software package on the computer, the computer retrieves the package update policy file and determines an authorization of the user to update the software package based on an identity of the user, an identity of the software package, and the policy file. The computer then processes the request based on the determined authorization of the user.

Access policy for package update processes

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for automatic upgrade and downgrade in package update operations. A physical or virtual client machine can host an installed software distribution including a set of installed software packages, such as an operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager on the client can manage the set of installed packages, and report the installed distribution including version and component packages to one or more package servers. When a distribution upgrade is initiated, the package manager and/or other distribution logic can analyze the target distribution, to determine whether each package in the target distribution represents the most-current version of each component package. Packages which represent the most-current can be installed. Packages which do not represent the most-current version, e.g. due to slippage in vendor updates or versions, can be substituted with a most-current version automatically retrieved from a software repository or other source.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

James Antill