JP2000035879A - Version up system of client application - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a version up system in which an automatic updation program itself performs automatic updation in addition to automatically updating a client application. SOLUTION: In a client/server type information system, the version information 7 of a version management program 4 itself is stored in a server computer 1 and a client computer 2, and when version updation is required as a result of collating the both, the latest version management program 8 in the computer 1 is downloaded and is stored in a startup directory of Window 95 in the computer 2. Thus, the latest version management program substitutes for the existing program and is started in the timing of power disconnection/re-inputting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a client /
In a server type information system, the present invention relates to a version upgrade system provided with a version management program for automatically upgrading a client application, and more particularly to a version upgrade system which also performs version management of the version management program itself.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, installation of an application S / W on each client computer and revision work of the version of the application S / W have been performed on an FD or CD-ROM.
It has been done using ROM, but since it is necessary to enter the terminal installation location of each computer, work on many terminals takes time and there is a problem of cleanliness especially in semiconductor manufacturing lines etc. It was not easy to get in. Therefore, in recent years, a system for automating version management of a client application has been devised. For example, in an automatic version upgrade system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-21061, the version information on the client side and the version information on the server side stored in the server computer are collated, and as a result of the collation, the version Regarding different S / Ws, the S / Ws that need to be upgraded are further determined with reference to the file information of the real files in the client computer, and the S / Ws are automatically updated.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional version-up system, it is possible to automatically update the application S / W in each client computer. In the case where the system file is deleted due to the situation described above, it is necessary to enter the production line or the like.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a version upgrade system capable of automatically updating a client application in addition to an automatic update program itself. .

[0005]

In a client application version upgrading system according to the present invention, means for holding version information (management program version information) of a version management program itself in a server computer and a client computer, and the version management described above. Means for comparing the management program version information in the client computer with the management program version information in the server computer at the time of starting the program, and as a result of the comparison, if the version has been upgraded, the latest version existing in the server computer Means for downloading and storing the version control program to the client computer, and updating the stored version control program of the latest version when the power is turned off and on again. Those comprising means for activating as a version management program.

An input button for activating a version management program is provided in the client application, and the version management program is activated when the input button is pressed.

[0007] Further, the version control program is started at regular intervals.

Further, the version management program in each client computer is started from the server computer.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for performing version management of a client application in a client / server type information system. In the figure, 1 is a server computer, 2
Is a client computer, and the server computer 1 and the client computer 2 are connected by a communication line 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a version management program for performing version management of whether or not the application in the client computer 2 is the latest. Reference numeral 5 denotes application version information storing the version information of the latest application file 6 existing in the server computer, and reference numeral 7 denotes management program version information storing the version information of the latest version management program 8 existing in the server computer. On the other hand, 5a is application version information storing version information of the application file 6a existing in the client computer, and 7a is management program version information storing version information of the version management program 4 itself currently operating in the client computer. is there. Reference numeral 8a denotes a latest version control program downloaded from the server computer, and its storage area is, for example, a startup directory of Windows95 (OS name of Microsoft Corporation), so that when the client computer is turned on again,
It is assumed that the latest version management program 8a existing in this area is automatically executed.

Hereinafter, the operation of the version upgrade system configured as described above will be described. First, the work at the time of initial introduction will be described. The server computer 1 stores the application version information 5 and the latest application file 6 at the position defined there. Also, the management program version information 7 and the latest version management program 8 are stored at the position defined there. FIG. 2 shows the contents of the application version information 5. The file name and version in the client computer 2, the directory in the client computer 2 (the storage location when downloaded), and the file name in the server computer 1 are shown. Stored. Also, FIG.
It shows the contents of the management program version information 7, and stores the file name and version in the client computer 2, the directory in the client computer 2, and the file name in the server computer 1. The file indicated by the client file name is an executable file on Windows 95 that stores the latest version control program 8, and when executed on the client computer 2, compares the date with the existing version control program 4. If the date of the existing version control program 4 is not old, it is not overwritten. In other cases, it is executed by replacing the existing version control program 4. By designating the directory on the client computer 2 as the startup directory of Windows 95, the client computer 2
When downloaded to Windows, the latest version control program, executable in Windows95, is installed in the startup directory. On the other hand, in the client computer 2, only the version management program 4 needs to be introduced, and the application version information 5
a, the application file 6a, the management program version information 7a, and the latest version management program 8a
It is automatically downloaded from the server computer 1 and installed in a specified directory.

Next, the operation when the application file or the version management program is revised will be described. The server computer 1 stores the revised latest application version information 5 or the latest management program version information 7, and stores the revised latest application file 6 or the latest version management program 8 at the defined position. Is stored. As a result, the server computer 1 always prepares the latest version of the file and its version information. On the client computer 2 side,
No manual work is required at the time of revision, and as described later, the latest file is downloaded when the version control program is started at the next power-on, and the latest version is automatically downloaded when the user starts the application. Will be reflected.

Finally, the flow of processing in the ordinary client computer 2 will be described. First, when the user turns on the power of the client computer 2, the version management program 4 starts. Version control program 4
First, version management of the application software is performed.
Application version information 5 from server computer 1
Is downloaded, and the version is compared with the application version information 5a in the client computer 2. As a result of the comparison, only files that need to be updated are downloaded from the latest application file 6 in the server computer 1. The relevant part of the application file 6a in the client computer 2 is updated. Next, version management of the version management program 4 itself is performed. The management program version information 7 is downloaded from the server computer 1, the version is compared with the management program version information 7 a in the client computer 2, and if the version is required as a result of the comparison, the version is stored in the server computer 1. The latest version control program 8 is downloaded and stored in the Windows 95 startup directory in the client computer 2.

After performing the above-described version management process, the latest version of the application program is executed by transferring the process to the application software. As for the version control program 4, the version before the update is operating until the power is turned off, but when the power is once turned off and then turned on again, the version control program 4 is stored in the Windows 95 startup directory. The latest version of the version control program is automatically started, and automatic update is performed without the user's awareness. However, as described above, if the date of the existing version management program 4 is newer than that of the latest version management program 8a, the existing version management program is executed without being overwritten. This prevents unnecessary overwriting when the latest version control program 8a is not newer than the existing version control program 4 and damages when the old version control program 8 is erroneously registered in the server computer 1. There is. If the version control program 4 has been erased due to some unexpected situation or the like, the latest version control program stored in the startup directory of Windows 95 is started, so there is no problem. Thereafter, every time the user turns on the power of the client computer 2, the above-described version management is performed, and not only the application file but also the version management program itself is automatically updated. The above operation is effective in a large-scale system having a large number of clients because the work is almost the same even when a large number of client computers 2 are connected.

Embodiment 2 FIG. In the first embodiment, the version management process is performed by checking each version information when the client application is started. However, an update button or the like is provided in the client application, and the timing when the user presses the update button is set. Is set to perform version management processing. Thereby, the version can be reliably updated from the user side. Further, the version management program may perform the version management process at fixed intervals. This method is effective in a system in which version updates are frequently performed, and the update can be promptly reflected in the client application.

Embodiment 3 In the first and second embodiments, when the file is revised, the file in the server computer 1 is first updated to the latest file.
Later, when the power of the client computer 2 is turned on, the version management program 4 can perform the version management processing. However, the server computer 1 starts the version management program 4 in each client computer 2 and all the client computers 2 In 2, the version management process may be performed simultaneously. For example, when a client application is revised in one client computer 2, the revised latest application file is uploaded to the server computer 1, and then the client computer 2 issues a revision instruction to the server computer 1. Upon receiving the revision instruction, the server computer 1 activates the version management programs 4 in all the client computers 2. The version management program 4 in each client computer 2 performs a version management process by downloading the revised file uploaded to the server computer 1 to each computer. As a result, the application person can freely determine the timing of revision, and the files of all clients can be updated simultaneously.

[0016]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

The version information of the version management program for updating the version of the client application is held in the client computer, and the version information is compared with the latest version information in the server computer. Since the latest version control program is downloaded when the power is turned on again, the work such as entering the production line is not required even when the version control system itself is improved. Update work can be done well.

Further, since the version management program is started by pressing an input button provided in the client application, the version can be reliably updated at the time of a request from the user side.

Further, since the version management program is started at a fixed cycle, in a system where the version is frequently updated, the update can be promptly reflected on the client side.

Further, since the version management program in each client computer is started from the server computer, all client files can be updated simultaneously.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a client application version upgrade system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing contents of application version information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing contents of management program version information.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 server computer, 2 client computer, 3 communication line, 4 version management program, 5 application version information, 6 application file, 7 management program version information, 8 latest version management program.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a client / server type information system in which a server computer and a client computer are connected by a communication line, version information of an application in the client computer and version information of an application in the server computer are compared. As a result of the comparison, in a version upgrade system having a version management program for updating the version of the client application by downloading an application requiring a version update from the server computer to the client computer, the version information of the version management program itself ( (Hereinafter referred to as management program version information) in the server computer and the client computer. Means for comparing the management program version information in the client computer with the management program version information in the server computer, and as a result of the comparison, if a version update is required, the version of the latest version existing in the server computer Means for downloading and storing a management program to the client computer; and means for activating the stored version management program of the latest version as the version management program at the time of power-on after power-off. Characterized version upgrade system for client applications. 2. An input button for activating a version control program is provided in a client application,
2. The version upgrade system for client applications according to claim 1, wherein said version management program is started when said input button is pressed. 3. The client application version upgrade system according to claim 1, wherein the version management program is started at a fixed cycle. 4. The client application version upgrade system according to claim 1, wherein a version management program in each client computer is started from the server computer.