Systems and methods for verifying the compatibility of software with a group of managed nodes
View Patent ↗In an exemplary embodiment, a deployment program on an administrative system receives user input to deploy target software to the managed nodes in a recipient group. In response, the deployment program identifies a pilot group to test the target software. The pilot group comprises a subset of the recipient group. Each managed node in the pilot group has a unique combination of N attributes. The deployment program deploys the target software to the pilot group prior to deploying the target software to other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
1. A method for verifying the compatibility of target software with managed nodes in a recipient group, comprising:
receiving user input to deploy the target software to the managed nodes in the recipient group;
identifying a pilot group to test the target software, wherein the pilot group comprises a subset of the recipient group, and wherein each managed node in the pilot group has a unique combination of N attributes; and
deploying the target software to the pilot group prior to deploying the target software to other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the pilot group after deploying the target software to the pilot group.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting one or more problems that occur after deploying the target software to the pilot group;
notifying a user about the one or more problems; and
permitting the user to perform one or more corrective operations to address the one or more problems.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether one or more conditions are satisfied; and
if the one or more conditions are satisfied, deploying the target software to the other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target software is deployed to all of the other managed nodes in the recipient group simultaneously.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target software is deployed to different target groups within the recipient group at different times.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the pilot group comprises receiving a user's selection of the N attributes.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the pilot group comprises determining values of the N attributes for each managed node in the recipient group.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the pilot group comprises:
providing a data structure having a separate location for each unique combination of values for the N attributes; and
populating the data structure with managed nodes from the recipient group that have corresponding attribute values.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented by an administrative system.
11. A computer system that is configured to implement a method for verifying the compatibility of target software with managed nodes in a recipient group, the computer system comprising:
a processor;
memory in electronic communication with the processor;
instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to:
receive user input to deploy the target software to the managed nodes in the recipient group;
identify a pilot group to test the target software, wherein the pilot group comprises a subset of the recipient group, and wherein each managed node in the pilot group has a unique combination of N attributes; and
deploy the target software to the pilot group prior to deploying the target software to other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are also executable to:
determine whether one or more conditions are satisfied; and
if the one or more conditions are satisfied, deploy the target software to the other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the target software is deployed to all of the other managed nodes in the recipient group simultaneously.
14. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the target software is deployed to different target groups within the recipient group at different times.
15. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein identifying the pilot group comprises receiving a user's selection of the N attributes.
16. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for implementing a method for verifying the compatibility of target software with managed nodes in a recipient group, the method comprising:
receiving user input to deploy the target software to the managed nodes in the recipient group;
identifying a pilot group to test the target software, wherein the pilot group comprises a subset of the recipient group, and wherein each managed node in the pilot group has a unique combination of N attributes; and
deploying the target software to the pilot group prior to deploying the target software to other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining whether one or more conditions are satisfied; and
if the one or more conditions are satisfied, deploying the target software to the other managed nodes in the recipient group that are not part of the pilot group.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the target software is deployed to all of the other managed nodes in the recipient group simultaneously.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the target software is deployed to different target groups within the recipient group at different times.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein identifying the pilot group comprises receiving a user's selection of the N attributes.