METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR UPDATING SOFTWARE ON A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM BASED ON TRANSITION RULES BETWEEN CLASSES OF COMPATIBLE VERSIONS
Software is updated by defining a plurality of compatibility classes for software versions, generating rules for transitions between ones of the plurality of compatibility classes, and updating software from a first one of the software versions to a second one of the software versions based on the rules.
1 . A method of updating software, comprising:
defining a plurality of compatibility classes for software versions;
generating rules for transitions between ones of the plurality of compatibility classes; and
updating software from a first one of the software versions to a second one of the software versions based on the rules.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the compatibility classes; and
wherein the rules comprise at least one rule that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the compatibility classes; and
wherein updating the software comprises updating the software from the first one of the software versions to the second one of the software versions based on at least a first one of the rules for transitioning directly from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rules comprise a second one of the rules that disallows a transition directly from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rules comprise a second one of the rules for transitioning from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to a third one of the plurality of compatibility classes and a third one of the rules for transitioning from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the rules comprise a fourth one of the rules that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes or a transition from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the plurality of compatibility classes; and
wherein updating the software comprises updating the software from the first one of the software versions to the second one of the software versions based on at least a first one of the rules for transitioning from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to a third one of the plurality of compatibility classes and a second one of the rules for transitioning from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules for transitioning directly from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes or a transition from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules that disallows a transition directly from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules that disallows a transition directly from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the compatibility classes has a plurality of the software versions associated therewith.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the compatibility classes has only one of the software versions associated therewith.
14 . A system for updating software, comprising:
a data processing system that is configured to define a plurality of compatibility classes for software versions, generate rules for transitions between ones of the plurality of compatibility classes, and update software from a first one of the software versions to a second one of the software versions based on the rules.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the compatibility classes; and
wherein the rules comprise at least one rule that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the compatibility classes; and
wherein the data processing system is further configured to update the software from the first one of the software versions to the second one of the software versions based on at least a first one of the rules for transitioning directly from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the rules comprise a second one of the rules that disallows a transition directly from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the plurality of compatibility classes; and
wherein the data processing system is further configured to update the software from the first one of the software versions to the second one of the software versions based on at least a first one of the rules for transitioning from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to a third one of the plurality of compatibility classes and a second one of the rules for transitioning from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes or a transition from the third one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the rules comprise a third one of the rules that disallows a transition directly from the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes.
21 . A computer program product for managing software versions on a data processing system, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
a data structure that comprises rules for transitions between ones of a plurality of compatibility classes for software versions.
22 . The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein one of the compatibility classes has a plurality of the software versions associated therewith.
23 . The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein one of the compatibility classes has only one of the software versions associated therewith.
24 . A computer program product for updating software, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to define a plurality of compatibility classes for software versions;
computer readable program code configured to generate rules for transitions between ones of the plurality of compatibility classes; and
computer readable program code configured to update software from a first one of the software versions to a second one of the software versions based on the rules.
25 . The computer program product of claim 24 , wherein the first one of the software versions is in a first one of the plurality of compatibility classes and the second one of the software versions is in a second one of the compatibility classes; and
wherein the rules comprise at least one rule that disallows a transition from the second one of the plurality of compatibility classes to the first one of the plurality of compatibility classes.