US 6,289,510 B1 · Online program-updating system and computer-readable recording medium storing a program-updating program

Abstract

There is provided an online program-updating system which is capable of updating contents of a program without interrupting any services provided by the system. A management information storage section stores management information including operative status flags each indicative of the operative status of a corresponding program module and information of a version number associated with the corresponding program module. A program execution section updates operative status flags based on the operative statuses of the program modules. A version number check section makes a comparison between the version number of each program module of a revised program and that of each program module of the existing program in response to a download request, and determines that an update of the program is required, if the version number of the program module of the revised program is newer. An operative status determination section checks on the operative status flag associated with each program module in the existing program, and determines that the update of the program is permitted, if the program module is an “inactive” operative status. A program transfer section executes download of a program module the update of which is determined to be required and at the same time permitted.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A computer system for updating contents of a program module by downloading to a computer a revised program module on line, the computer system comprising:

program storage unit for storing an existing program module to be updated;
management information storage unit for storing management information including an operative status flag indicative of an operative status of said existing program module;
program execution unit for executing said existing program module as required and setting said operative status flag to a state indicative of an active status of said existing program module during execution of said existing program module;
operative status determination unit for repeatedly determining whether or not said operative status flag is set to said status indicative of said active status of said existing program module in response to a download request and permitting execution of a download process only when said operative status flag is not set to said operative status indicative of said active status of said existing program module to be updated;
and
program transfer unit for downloading a revised program module during a time period over which said download process is permitted by said operative status determination unit, to thereby replace said existing program module stored in said program storage unit with said revised program module.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Online program-updating system and computer-readable recording medium storing a program-updating program

Life of this patent

Online program-updating system and computer-readable recording medium storing a program-updating program

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10