JPH11272451A - Install control system for software, method therefor and recording medium recorded with program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the load of an operator related with the install of software, and to prevent erroneous operation. SOLUTION: A file management table 3f constituted of the designation of all software already installed in a computer, the update date, and manually inputted update condition (for example, 'update when an update date is different', 'update when an update date is old', and 'update when an update date is new' or the like) is preliminarily prepared. Then, at the time of the install of software accompanied with version-up, whether or not this software is present in a hard disk being the destination of install is successively checked based on the table by a file comparing part 3d. When any software is not present, the install is operated, and when the software is present, the update date of the software is compared, and collated with the update condition, and when the update condition is fulfilled, the install of the software is operated by a file updating part 3e.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for controlling the installation of software such as a program file and a data file used in a computer, and more particularly, to an efficient installation process when updating installed software. The present invention relates to a suitable software installation control system and method and a recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional technology for controlling software installation on a computer, a dialog box or the like is displayed each time a file having the same name as a file (software) to be installed is present on a hard disk or the like at an installation destination. There are a method of performing installation while allowing the user to determine whether or not the file can be overwritten, and a method of performing unconditional overwriting without completely determining a file having the same name.

Another object of the present invention is to quickly and appropriately distribute and provide software created and updated by a software provider to a large number of software users, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-225724. In some cases, appropriate installation is performed by creating target software update instruction information for matching the updated software configuration and synchronizing the installation source and the installation destination.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-324927 discloses that, when a partial version of a plurality of files is changed, the conditions for combining the versions of each file are automatically set to load each file. In this way, version information data is created for each file for the purpose of greatly reducing the time required for version upgrade work and preventing occurrence of malfunction due to version mismatch, and the version management data is created by the version management unit. Discloses a technique for collectively managing the information.

According to this technique, when each file is updated or a new file is added, a file to be loaded is determined based on the version information data of each file, loading is performed, and the file is stored in a program storage unit. I do. After that, the version combination condition of the version information data of each file is updated. Thus, when a partial version of each file is changed, only the corresponding file is loaded, so that it is possible to reduce the time required to upgrade the program.

However, in software (file) installation, especially in version upgrade, the same file is often taken over as it is or replaced with a new file having the same name. In this case, the version of the file with the same name already installed (update date and time)
However, there may be various situations, such as not being updated if they are the same or more recent, or not being updated.

As in the above-described prior art, it is conceivable to let the user make a decision every time a file having the same name is detected. In this case, however, the user needs to perform a complicated operation and an input error or the like occurs. There is also danger. Further, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-225724, since the software configuration of the installation destination and the software of the installation source are merely matched, a file with a new update date and time at the installation destination may be rewritten with an old file, You can't handle situations where you don't want to overwrite old files with new ones.

In the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-324927, the above-described problem occurs because the file is uniquely updated to a new version based on the version information of the file. Hereinafter, a case where the user does not want to rewrite an old file with a new file will be described.

When a library is dynamically linked at the time of program execution, there is a "dll (dynamic link library) file" storing this library. This file is a file used in common by various application programs. Therefore, for example, when a certain application program is upgraded, in the related art, "dl
The "l file" is also updated to the new version.

As a result, other application programs that have not been upgraded often do not operate normally. In order to avoid such problems, it is necessary to avoid updating only the "dll file". There are various other examples where the user does not want to rewrite an old file with a new file. For example, when restoring a file temporarily put in for testing or debugging, it is necessary to replace a new test file with an old (non-test) file.

[0011]

The problem to be solved is that the conventional technology cannot perform installation control automatically corresponding to various cases of software version up. An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and record a software installation control system and method and a program thereof, which can reduce the load on an operator involved in software installation and prevent operation errors. It is to provide a recording medium.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, in the software installation control system and method of the present invention, the names of all the software already installed on the computer, the update date and time of the software, and
A list (file management table) consisting of manually input update conditions (for example, "update if update date is different", "update if update date is old", "update if update date is new", etc.) Have it ready. At the time of software installation accompanying a version upgrade or the like, it is sequentially checked based on the table whether or not this software exists on a hard disk or the like at the installation destination. If the software does not exist, the software is installed as it is. If the software exists, the software update date and time are further compared and matched with the update condition. As a result, if the update condition is satisfied, the software is installed.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a configuration according to the present invention of a software installation control system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a flexible disk drive including a floppy disk drive and a CD-ROM drive, 2 denotes an input / output device including a keyboard, a mouse, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), and 3 denotes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). )
, An information processing device such as a personal computer for performing various computer processes according to a storage program method, 4 is an external storage device (denoted as “HDD” in the figure) such as a hard disk device, and 5 is software of the present invention. CD-ROM recording installation control program
Reference numeral 6 denotes an optical module driving device (described as “OM driving device” in the figure) for exchanging information with the optical module 5.

The flexible disk device 1 reads out software to be installed from a storage medium such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, and transfers it to the information processing device 3. The input / output device 2 displays information on installation of software to a user and inputs designation and selection from the user. The external storage device 4 includes the information processing device 3
Various software including OS (Operating System) are installed.

The information processing device 3 reads a predetermined program from the optical module 5 into the main memory via the optical module driving device 6 by the processing of the main control portion 3a composed of a CPU, and reads the predetermined program from the table creating portion 3b. Registration part 3
c, a file comparison unit 3d and a file update unit 3e
Is configured. The table creation unit 3b detects and extracts the file name and the update date and time from the installation target file (software) read via the flexible disk device 1, and creates the file management table 3f.

The condition registering unit 3c registers an update condition for each installed file, which is input based on a user operation from the input / output device 2, in the file management table 3f in association with the file name. The update condition is necessary for the installation control of the present invention, and includes, for example, "update if update date is different", "update if update date is old", "update if update date is new", and the like. .

The file comparison unit 3d detects the name and update date and time of the installation target file,
Referring to the file management table 3f, whether the file to be installed already exists in the external storage device 4,
If so, it checks for a match / mismatch in the update date and time. Then, the file update unit 3e performs a file update process based on the determination result of the file comparison unit 3d and the update condition registered in the file management table 3f.

The technique for generating the file management table 3f from the information on the name and update date and time given to the file to be installed by the table creation unit 3b is as follows.
A known technique is used. The registration in the file management table 3f by the condition registration unit 3c is performed by each user who owns the computer designates via the input / output device 2. The file update unit 3e
When the file in the external storage device 4 is updated or newly installed, the table creation unit 3
b updates the “update date and time” of the file management table 3f to a new one.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the file management table in FIG. The file management table 3f of this example includes items of “file name”, “update date and time”, and “update condition”. For example, for a file having a file name “AAA”, the update date and time of “97 /
02/28 12:00:00 ”and the update condition“ difference ”are registered in association with each other.

In this update condition, "difference" indicates a condition that the file with this file name is updated when the update date and time are different, and "old" indicates the update date and time of the installed file. Updates the file if it is older than the update date and time of the file to be installed.
Indicates a condition that the update is performed when the update date and time of the installed file is later than the update date and time of the file to be installed.

The operation of the information processing apparatus 3 in FIG. 1 using such a registered content file management table 3f will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example according to the present invention of the software installation control system in FIG. This example shows an operation procedure of the information processing device 3 in FIG. 1, in particular, a file comparison unit 3 d and a file update unit 3 e, and the table preparation unit 3 b and the condition registration unit 3 c in FIG. Thus, it is assumed that the file management table 3f including the file name of the file to be installed, the update date and time, and the update condition is created as shown in FIG.

First, the file information (file name to be installed, update date and time, update condition) is read from the file management table 3f of FIG.
Is read (step 301). Then, based on this file name, it is checked whether or not the file to be installed exists in the external storage device 4 (step 302).
If there is no file with the same name, the file is unconditionally installed (step 303). If there is a file with the same name, it is determined whether or not the update date and time match (step 304).

The file updating unit 3e performs the following processing based on each determination result of the file comparing unit 3d. First, when the file comparison unit 3d determines that the update date and time match, the files do not need to be updated because the files are completely the same, and the installation operation is stopped. As a result, useless file update processing can be suppressed, and installation time can be reduced.

Next, if the update date and time do not match and the update condition is "update if the update date and time differ" (step 305), the condition is satisfied, and the file is updated (step 306). Also, as a result of comparing the update date and time, the installed file (old file)
The file is also updated if the update date is older and the update condition is "update if the update date is older" (steps 307 to 309).

Similarly, if the installed file has a newer update date and time and the update condition is "update if the update date is newer", the file is updated (step 310, step 311). The above processing is performed for all the files registered in the file management table 3f (step 312).

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the software installation control system and method of the present embodiment, the name of a previously installed file (software), the update date and time of the file, and
A file management table 3f including update conditions manually input and created is created, and at the time of installation, files existing in the file management table 3f are referred to by the update date and time and the update condition. Perform appropriate installation controls. For example, by setting an update condition in advance for updating a file with the same name, it is possible to cope with version upgrades in various cases.
As a result, it is not necessary to perform a user operation during installation, and it is possible to avoid useless updating of files, so that safe, secure, and quick installation can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the update condition may be set for each file as in this example, or may be set for the entire file. In this example, the file management table 3f is created by each user who owns a computer. For example, when a plurality of personal computers are connected to a network, the file management table 3f is connected to the network. An administrator of the management personal computer may collectively create and distribute it to each personal computer.

[0028]

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform installation control automatically corresponding to various cases of software version-up, to reduce the load on the operator involved in software installation, and to prevent operation errors. It is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a configuration according to the present invention of a software installation control system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a file management table in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example according to the present invention of the software installation control system in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1: flexible disk device, 2: input / output device, 3:
Information processing device, 3a: main control unit, 3b: table creation unit, 3c: condition registration unit, 3d: file comparison unit, 3e:
File update unit, 3f: file management table, 4: external storage device (“HDD”), 5 optical module (“O
M "), 6: Optical module drive (" OM drive ").

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A system for controlling installation of software on a computer, comprising: after installation of the software, means for detecting identification information and update date and time of the software and registering the information in a table; Means for registering the update condition specified by the operator in the table in association with the identification information and the update date and time, and detecting the identification information and the update date and time of the software when installing the software, and A means for determining whether or not the software has been installed, and if the software has been installed, determining whether or not the update date and time match, and if the software has not been installed, continuing the installation of the software, and Installed and updated date and time match Means for stopping the installation of the software, if the software has been installed and the update date and time do not match, a means for continuing or stopping the installation of the software based on the update condition registered in the table; A software installation control system, comprising: 2. After the software is installed in the computer, the identification information and the update date and time of the software are detected and registered in a table, and the execution and stop of the installation of the software are controlled based on the registered contents of the table. Registering update conditions instructed by an operator with respect to the installed software in the table in association with the identification information and the update date and time. A step of detecting the identification information and the update date and time, and a step of referring to the table based on the identification information of the detected software and determining whether the software has been installed, and if the software has been installed, determining whether the update date and time match or mismatch. And if the above software is not installed If the step of continuing the installation of the software and the step of stopping the installation of the software if the software has been installed and the update date and time match, the step of stopping the installation of the software and the step of A step of continuing or stopping the installation of the software based on the update condition registered in the table. 3. A recording medium on which a program for controlling installation of software on a computer is recorded, wherein after installing the software, a procedure of detecting identification information and update date and time of the software and registering the same in a table. Registering update conditions instructed by an operator with respect to the installed software in the table in association with the identification information and the update date and time; and, when installing the software, identifying and updating the software identification information. A procedure for detecting the date and time and referring to the above table to determine whether or not the software has been installed. If the software has been installed, determine whether the update date and time match or not. If the software has not been installed, install the software. And the above software If the software has been installed and the update date and time match, the procedure for stopping the installation of the software will be described. If the software has been installed and the update date and time do not match, the above procedure will be performed based on the above update conditions registered in the table. A recording medium storing a program for causing the computer to execute a procedure for continuing or stopping installation of software.