Method and apparatus for creation of customized install packages for installation of software
An install factory creates install packages used to install complex applications onto multiple data processing systems in a reliable and reproducible manner. The install factory takes a variety of inputs to build a custom installation package. The custom install package may be used repeatedly for installs, using the same install package, a full install on a first data processing system, an updated install on a second data processing system, a fix or service pack on a third data processing system, and also configure an application on a fourth data processing system. Thereafter, all data processing systems have the desired level of the application installed. In addition, the install factory may create install packages that are modified in accordance with user preferences.
1. A computer-implemented method for creating customizable install packages, the method comprising:
creating a custom full service refresh comprising a full install of an application image at any level of maintenance or service of a computer program onto a target computing node by:
selecting different features of the computer program to be included in the full install and also one or more existing application parameters for the computer program including a version, maintenance level and configuration of the computer program associated with the target computing node;
storing binaries corresponding to the different features of the computer program and the one or more existing application parameters in a directory;
adding to the directory other binaries including one or more maintenance packages for providing maintenance functions for the computer program reflective of at least one maintenance level update to the computer program;
merging the stored binaries and added other binaries in the directory into a single install package to create the custom full service refresh based on a single build plan specifying how the custom full service fresh is built while omitting duplicates of the binaries and applying the maintenance packages to the full install on the fly during the merge; and
deploying the single install package onto the target computing node, whereby the deployment eliminating a requirement to first install the application image of the computer program and then a follow-on maintenance upgrade and instead permitting a single installation operation by an end user of the target computing node.
2. A non-transitory hardware computer readable medium having computer readable instructions embodied therein for directing a data processing system to create customizable install packages, the computer readable instructions, when executed on the data processing system, cause the data processing system to execute operations comprising:
creating a custom full service refresh comprising a full install of an application image at any level of maintenance or service of a computer program onto a target computing node by:
selecting different features of the computer program to be included in the full install and also one or more existing application parameters for the computer program including a version, maintenance level and configuration of the computer program associated with the target computing node;
storing binaries corresponding to the different features of the computer program and the one or more existing application parameters in a directory;
adding to the directory other binaries including one or more maintenance packages for maintenance of the computer program reflective of at least one maintenance level update to the computer program;
merging the stored binaries and added other binaries in the director into a single install package to create the custom full service refresh based on a single build plan specifying how the custom full service fresh is built while omitting duplicates of the binaries and applying the maintenance packages to the full install on the fly during the merge; and
deploying the single install package onto the target computing node, whereby the deployment eliminating a requirement to first install the application image of the computer program and then a follow-on maintenance upgrade and instead permitting a single installation operation by an end user of the target computing node.