US 2025/0028516 A1 · TAILORED RECOMMENDATION OF SOFTWARE UPDATES TO NETWORK ELEMENTS

Abstract

A service analyzes impact of new software updates for various network elements and performs tailored recommendation of software updates to a customer having a network element(s) deployed. The service analyzes impact of a software update based on evaluation of documentation published for the update and data of issues that are at least potentially associated with the software update (e.g., software bugs, vulnerabilities, etc.) to obtain software update metadata and data indicating changes in functionality and/or potential issues affecting the software. The service parses configuration data for the network element(s) based on the update impact data/metadata to extract a subset that is relevant to available software updates. The service evaluates the update impact data/metadata and the extracted configuration data based on heuristics to determine which of the software updates to recommend for each network element and recommends those that suit the use of the network element based on its current configuration while introducing minimal issues.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

extracting a subset of configuration data obtained for a first network element based on indications of a plurality of features affected by a plurality of software updates;
determining a set of the plurality of software updates that is available for the first network element based on a type of the first network element indicated in the subset of configuration data;
based on analyzing the subset of configuration data and indications of impact of installing each of the set of software updates based on a plurality of heuristics, determining one or more software updates in the set of software updates to recommend for the first network element, wherein the indications of impact of installing each of the set of software updates comprise at least one of the indications of the plurality of features and indications of a plurality of issues that potentially affect the set of software updates;
and
generating a recommendation that indicates the one or more software updates and corresponding ones of the indications of impact.

2 more elements

One or more non-transitory machine-readable media having program code stored thereon, the program code comprising instructions to:

determine a set of software updates that are available for a first network element based on a subset of configuration data of the first appliance;
analyze the subset of configuration data and at least one of data and metadata of the set of software updates based on heuristics for determining impact of installing a software update, wherein the at least one of the data and metadata of the set of software updates comprise, for each software update in the set of software updates, at least one of indications of a plurality of features of the first network element that are affected by the software update and indications of a plurality of issues associated with the software update;
select one or more of the set of software updates to recommend based on the analysis;
and
generate a recommendation that indicates the one or more software updates and corresponding ones of the at least one of data and metadata.

2 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a processor;
and
a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to,
extract, from configuration data obtained for a first network element, a subset of the configuration data based on indications of a plurality of configuration settings affected by a plurality of software updates;
determine a set of the plurality of software updates that is available for the first network element based on the subset of the configuration data;
analyze the subset of the configuration data and at least one of data and metadata of the set of software updates based on a plurality of heuristics, wherein the at least one of data and metadata of the set of software updates comprise at least one of the indications of the plurality of configuration settings and indications of a plurality of issues potentially associated with the set of software updates;
determine one or more of the set of software updates to recommend based on the analysis;
and
indicate the one or more software updates and corresponding ones of the at least one of data and metadata of the set of software updates.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tailored recommendation of software updates to network elements

Life of this patent

Tailored recommendation of software updates to network elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20