Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Joseph Michael Webster

Evan R Zweifel

Brent Arthur Allsop

A system and/or method determines applicability of patches for installation on a computer system. The method includes determining whether a set of patches is stored in memory of a computer system and, if the set of patches is stored, returning the cached set of patches as an applicability result; and, if the set of patches is not stored, traversing patch chains to encounter patches in the patch chains. Traversing the patch chains begins with start patches, and encountered patches are added to the applicability result.

Determining the applicability of patches for installation on a computer system

An automated method is described for searching through sets of software patches to select a recommended set for installation on any given system. The patches are organized into patch chains each having a root. The method involves searching for a patch that corrects a particular defect or that has a particular property, examining additional patches sharing the same patch chain as the patch found and occupying a position on the shared patch chain between that patch and the root of the chain, and presenting as candidates for the recommended set patches that satisfy one or more specified conditions determined by the nature of each patch and by the identity of the patch recipient.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Joseph Michael Webster