Rapid deployment of software applications

1. A system comprising:

a source machine including one or more hardware processors;

a software application preinstalled and preconfigured on the source machine, the software application including a machine-independent portion and a machine-dependent portion;

a rapid deployment preparation module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors, configured to archive only the machine-independent portion of the software application; and

a rapid deployment module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors, configured to:

unpack the archive and install the archived machine-independent portion of the software application on a target machine,

generate missing data for the unpacked archive on the target machine, the missing data comprising target-machine specific data, and

reconstruct the machine-dependent portion of the software application on the target machine using the target-machine specific data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the software application is one of a plurality of software applications of a business application software suite including a plurality of business software applications.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rapid deployment preparation module is configured to split the software application preinstalled and preconfigured on the source machine into the machine-independent portion and the machine-dependent portion.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rapid deployment preparation module comprises:

an installation module configured to install a plurality of software packages of the software application on the source machine;

a configuration module configured to configure the installed software packages to ensure that the software packages together form a properly working software application on the source machine;

a cleanup module configured to shut down software components of the installed software packages and to delete content of working directories that contain transient files, the transient files dynamically created when the software application runs on the source machine; and

an archive packing module configured to pack remaining software components, application database, and related files on the source machine alter the cleanup module into an archive.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the rapid deployment module comprises:

an archive unpacking module configured to unpack the archive on the target machine;

a machine-dependent data reconstruction utility module configured to generate the missing data for the unpacked archive on the target machine.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the archive unpacking module is configured to request parameters to be applied on the target machine post-installation, and to re-initialize a database of the unpacked archive on the target machine.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the machine-dependent data reconstruction utility module is configured to update a hostname in the unpacked archive, to add a license key for the unpacked archive, to change an administrator's password, and to configure Business Objects Enterprise servers from the unpacked archive.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

archiving only a machine-independent portion of a software application preinstalled and preconfigured on a source machine, the software application including a machine-dependent portion of the software application;

unpacking the archive and installing the archived machine-independent portion of the software application on a target machine;

generating missing data for the unpacked archive on the target machine, the missing data comprising target-machine specific data, and

reconstructing the machine-dependent portion of the software application on the target machine using the target-machine specific data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the software application is one of a plurality of software applications of a business application software suite including a plurality of business software applications.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

splitting the software application preinstalled and preconfigured on the source machine into the machine-independent portion and the machine-dependent portion.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein archiving further comprises:

installing each software package of the software application on the source machine;

configuring the installed software packages to ensure that the software packages together form a properly working software application on the source machine;

shutting down software components of the installed software packages and deleting content of working directories that contain transient files, the transient files dynamically created when the software application runs on the source machine; and

packing remaining software components, application database, and related files on the source machine after a cleanup module into an archive.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

requesting parameters to be applied on the target machine post-installation; and

re-initializing a database of the unpacked archive on the target machine.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

updating a hostname in the unpacked archive;

adding a license key for the unpacked archive;

changing an administrator's password; and

configuring Business Objects Enterprise servers from the unpacked archive.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, performs operations comprising:

archiving only a machine-independent portion of a software application preinstalled and preconfigured on a source machine, the software application including a machine-dependent portion of the software application;

unpacking the archive and installing the archived machine-independent portion of the software application on a target machine;

generating missing data for the unpacked archive on the target machine, the missing data comprising target-machine specific data, and

reconstructing the machine-dependent portion of the software application on the target machine using the target-machine specific data.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the software application is one of a plurality of software applications of a business application software suite including a plurality of business software applications.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

splitting the software application preinstalled and preconfigured on the source machine into the machine-independent portion and the machine-dependent portion.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

installing each software package of the software application on the source machine;

configuring the installed software packages to ensure that the software packages together form a properly working software application on the source machine;

shutting down software components of the installed software packages and deleting content of working directories that contain transient files, the transient files dynamically created when the software application runs on the source machine; and

packing remaining software components, application database, and related files on the source machine after a cleanup module into an archive.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

requesting parameters to be applied on the target machine post-installation;

re-initializing a database of the unpacked archive on the target machine;

updating a hostname in the unpacked archive;

adding a license key for the unpacked archive;

changing an administrator's password; and

configuring Business Objects Enterprise servers from the unpacked archive.