Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software upgrading or updating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-26
2004-09-21
Das, Chameli C. (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software upgrading or updating
C717S103000, C717S106000, C717S171000, C717S173000, C709S201000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06795965
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the installation of program modules from more than one available source. In particular, this invention relates to the installation of updated program modules from one or more updated sources instead of from an older, standard source.
BACKGROUND
Described herein this document are issues and techniques related to the Microsoft® Windows® operating systems (such as Windows® 95, Windows® 98, Windows NT®, Windows® 2000, Windows® Me). However, those of ordinary skill in the art understand and appreciate that the issues and techniques described herein may be applicable to any operating system (OS) that support an expansive and updateable set of hardware devices. Examples of such operating systems include: OS/2™, Linux, Unix™, Mac OS™, and BeOS™.
In particular, the issues and techniques described herein are applicable to an OS that support plug-and-play (PnP) technology. PnP refers to the ability of a computer system (and its supporting OS) to automatically configure expansion boards and other hardware devices. With PnP, a user should be able to plug in a device and play with it, without worrying about setting DIP switches, jumpers, and other configuration elements.
Herein, an exemplary “OS” is discussed—this OS may be any OS having the issues discussed. The details of the implementation of a particular OS may differ from the exemplary OS described herein, but issues faced by such an implementation may be same or similar.
Initial Hardware-Specific Program Module Installation
FIG. 1
shows a typical personal computer
50
. When first manufactured, a computer does not have an OS. Thus, the OS needs to be initially installed. In addition, the OS of existing computers are upgraded to a newer version of an OS.
Floppy disk(s)
62
and CD-ROM
64
represent potential OS installation source for computer
50
. Also, server
30
represents a potential OS installation source for computer
50
over network
40
.
Typically, an OS installation source (in a storage medium) contains a wide array of program modules—many of which are only installed if there is a need to do so. Block
66
illustrates examples of some of the program modules that might be found on an OS installation source: setup program
66
a
core program modules
66
b
, and standard cabinets (“cabs”)
66
c
of hardware-specific program modules. Cabs are a series of linked compressed files in which hardware-specific program modules are stored. These hardware-specific modules are only necessary (and thus only need to be installed) when particular hardware is present in the computer.
This installation process is typically referred to as “setup.” The program that performs the installation is typically called the “setup program.” Program modules may be simply called “files” when referring to their status when stored on a storage medium.
During setup, program modules are unpacked and copied from the installation source onto the primary non-volatile storage system (such as a main hard drive
70
of
FIG. 1
) of the computer
50
. This program-module duplication and organization has three major steps.
Core Files. First, the setup program copies the OS's core program modules (i.e., files) from the source represented by subblock
66
b
to a storage location
70
a
of the hard drive
70
of the computer
50
. These files are the same core files installed into every computer regardless of the exact hardware configuration. An example of such a core file is the kernel of the OS.
Enumeration & Detection. Second, the setup program examines the is hardware environment of the computer
50
. It detects, enumerates, and identifies the hardware devices found during this step. It generates an enumerated list of program modules (such as a device drivers) that are associated the hardware devices found during this step. These program modules are located in the standard cabs
66
c
of the installation source
66
.
Hardware-Specific Program Module Installation. Third, the setup program copies the program modules in the enumerated list. It copies them from the standard cabs
66
c
of the installation source
66
to a hardware-specific program module storage location
70
b
on the hard drive
70
of the computer
50
.
Undating Installed Hardware-Specific Program Modules
Core and hardware-specific program modules are updated periodically to enhance features and functions and to fix known bugs and problems. Occasionally, a collection of such updated program modules are released in a package called a “service pack” (SP).
Typically, the service pack installation is very similar to the initial OS installation except only those program modules that need updating are replaced by updated modules in the SP. Because hardware-specific modules for other non-installed devices do not exist on the computer
50
, only the hardware-specific modules of installed hardware devices are updated by the SP. After the SP installation, the computer
50
has the latest core and hardware-specific program modules for its current hardware configuration.
Some hardware-specific program modules are utilized by multiple hardware devices. Therefore, updating one of those modules improves, corrects, and/or enables the performance multiple devices.
SP may be delivered to the computer
50
in the same manner as the initial installation. For example, it may be a CD-ROM
64
, floppy disk
62
, or over a network
40
(from server
30
).
Later Hardware-Specific Program Module Installation
Often hardware is added to computer
50
after the initial installation. These hardware devices need program modules (such as device drivers) for the computer and the OS to support them. Many of these hardware devices are Plug-and-Play (PnP) and are automatically recognized and identified by the computer and its OS. Each hardware device is associated with a hardware-specific program module (such as device driver). Therefore, a PNP-capable computer and its OS attempt to automatically install the hardware-specific program module associated with the newly installed and PnP-recognized device.
Conventionally, the exemplary OS assumes that the original installation source is the location from which to install the hardware-specific program modules for the PnP-recognized device. Therefore, the hardware-specific modules are drawn from the standard cabs
66
c
of the original source
66
.
The new device installation process pulls the associated program modules from the standard cabs
66
c
regardless of whether such modules are the most current in light of the SP. The device installation does not provide an automatic mechanism to check for the latest incarnation of a device's associated program module. Although it may provide a user a manual choice for a source location, this option is of little value unless the user knows from where to derive the latest file.
Assuming that its associated modules are obtained from the original source, a newly installed device on the computer
50
potentially has an old and possibly functionally out-of-date program module. Furthermore, if this is a common program module used by multiple devices, then the function and operation of other devices may fail or may result in incompatibilities.
Conventional Approach
Installation of an old hardware-specific program module when installing (or reinstalling) a just-detected hardware device may result in a problem. The old module has a potential to cause function failures, feature limitations, and/or incompatibilities.
The conventional approach to solving this problem is to educate the user to take additional steps after the just-installed device is installed. These additional steps involve manually installing an updated version (perhaps from a service pack) of the associated hardware-specific program module. This is a difficult approach because users expect the computer to automatically install the correct associated module because the installation is billed as plug-and-play (PnP).
SUMMARY
Described herein is a technology for automatically updating the most current program modules associated with a just-dete
Das Chameli C.
Lee & Hayes PLLC
Microsoft Corporation
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