Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Michael V Sliger

Thomas Dee McGuire

Alexander Petrov

Jonathan A Forbes

Manojkumar Haridas Shende

Nadim Y Abdo

Michael Joseph Toutonghi

Srivatsan Parthasarathy

Jeremy D Stone

Mazhar Naveed Mohammed

Derek Menzies

Derek Cheng

Edward F Reus

William R Tipton

Andrew Kadatch

Vladimir Stoyanov

Garret Buban

Mario C Goertzel

Taqi Jaffri

Voicu Anton Albu

Richard M Shupak

Rajendra H Vishnumurty

Gregory W Nichols

Alan Bennett Auerbach

Gary Scot Henderson

Oliver Wallace

Neil Shipp

James Aaron Holmes

Victor Erwin Romano

Gabriel J Aul

Derek C Y Cheng

Peter A Williams

Daniel C Welch

Kory V Gill

Mazhar Mohammed

Gary Henderson

Derek P Menzies

Peter Williams

Thomas D Mcguire

An invention is disclosed for compressing data. In embodiments of the invention, input data is processed to determine one or more hints, or meta-data about how to compress the data. These hints may be produced based on the contents of the data itself, or by the process which generated the data. A hint may comprise an indication that a portion of the data matches another portion of the data, an indication that the portion of the data should not be compressed by an associated compressor, or an indication that the portion of the data should be compressed normally by the associated compressor. The source data and these hints may then be sent to a compressor, which traverses both the source data and the hints, and encodes the source data accordingly to produce an encoded data output stream.

Data compressor using hints

Encoding a new version of a data module includes constructing a delta data module having data for providing the new version of the data module. The delta data module may indicate an encoding for copying data at an offset from one of a number of pointers into different versions of the data module. Decoding a delta data module to provide a new version of a data module includes copying, to the new version of the data module, data relative to a target pointer when an encoding in the delta data module indicates a matching pattern relative to the target pointer, and copying, to the new version of the data module, data relative to at least one other pointer when an encoding in the delta data module indicates a matching pattern relative to the at least one other pointer.

Delta compression using multiple pointers

Described is a technology by which encrypted content is pre-distributed to recipients during a pre-distribution timeframe, for example to distribute protected content to many clients in a controlled manner. At a release moment, a key for decrypting the encrypted content is released. For example, a software update may be pre-distributed in this manner, whereby many clients may receive the updates over time but the update cannot be analyzed for hacking purposes, e.g., to use the update to figure out a prior vulnerability. By rapidly and widely disseminating the key at the release moment, the update is installed on a large percentage of client systems before those systems can be exploited. The content may be allowed to expire before the key is released, or may be canceled or replaced. The content may include a complete file, and/or a delta file that changes another file into a resultant piece of content.

Secure content pre-distribution to designated systems

Compression of streaming data is described. In an implementation, a method includes compressing data for communication in a terminal services environment by finding an index in a lookup table that matches an initial sequence in data. The lookup table includes a plurality of entries. Each of the entries is discoverable utilizing a particular one of a plurality of the indices. Each entry references whether a corresponding index is located in a history buffer, and if so, further references one or more locations of the corresponding index in the history buffer. If the corresponding entry of the matching index references a plurality of locations, for each location, a sequence having the matching index is compared with a sequence in the data that includes the initial sequence. A matching sequence is derived from the comparison based on a length and the location of the sequence at each of the locations. The matching sequence is represented using a representation that includes the length and the location of the matching sequence in the history buffer.

Data compression

In a content delivery scheme for target files, one or more recipes for each of the target files are encoded in an index. The index uses a framework that is able to represent content delivery schemes involving static containers, dynamic containers, self-contained containers, containers that are not self-contained, containers with internal delta dependency and containers with no internal delta dependency.

Framework for content representation and delivery

A system and method for providing file data, such as a set of files for updating a computer system, in a self-contained package, in which the package size is significantly reduced via delta compression. A build mechanism examines files to be distributed, and generates a self-contained package containing files and deltas. To this end, a directed graph is built from the sizes of the various base file and delta file possibilities, and a minimum spanning tree computation selects the files that result in the smallest package. A base file may have multiple deltas applied to synthesize multiple files, and any base file may itself have been previously synthesized from another base file and a delta. A client extraction mechanism, optionally provided with the package, works with the contents of the package as directed by a manifest to synthesize target files from the base files and the contained deltas.

System and method for intra-package delta compression of data

Mechanisms for updating an address book. A first computing system generates an address book update file format and provides the file to a second computing system. The file format contains several data fields. One of the data fields consists of a configurable list of attribute property identifications. These property identifications represent address book information such as e-mail address, phone number, first name, surname, and the like. A second data field comprises contact data that includes at least some of the properties identified by the configurable list. Changes to the information contained in the address book update may be made by simply adding or deleting attribute property identifications. This has the effect of allowing modifications to the address book file format without having to generate a new file format.

Flexible file format for updating an address book

A system and method for managing the installation of files on a computing device are provided. A client computing device obtains installation information identifying a version of a baseline installation component stored on the client computing device. The installation information also includes an installation component delta patch that is merged with the baseline installation component to generate an updated installation component. The updated installation component is utilized to install one or more files on the client computing device. Upon completion of the installation, the updated installation component can be deleted.

System and method for updating installation components using an installation component delta patch in a networked environment

A system and method for updating one or more files on a computing device are provided. A client computing device obtains update information including an index identifying particular delta patches with specific versions of installed files. Upon selecting which of the applicable updates will be implemented, an update agent on the client computing device performs an inventory to identify which version a file to be updated is installed on the machine. The update agent selects a corresponding delta patch and transmits the request to an update service.

System and method for updating files utilizing delta compression patching

A system and method for improved software servicing by installation of an updated version is provided. Using branch versioning techniques that support multi-branch development and release versioning techniques that support multi-version development, an update package may include updated files for each branch or release version. The least possible version from the update package may be installed to minimize the risk for potential software bugs introduced by the high frequency of changes made to a higher version. Additionally, any fix installed on a target machine running a particular version may be migrated when updating the target machine to a new version without losing the fix and regressing the change. Such an update may be uninstalled by reverse migration of any fixes before uninstalling files from the version update.

Method and system for servicing software

A software package manager uses a distribution unit containing components for a software package and a manifest file that describes the distribution unit to manage the installation, execution, and uninstallation of software packages on a computer. Information in the manifest file pertaining to a software package is stored in a code store data structure upon installation of the package. The manifest file also contains information that permits the software package manager to resolve any software dependencies upon installation. The software package manager uses the code store data structure to locate the required components when the software is executed and to remove the components appropriately when the software is uninstalled.

Method and system for processing software dependencies in management of software packages

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Michael V Sliger