Autonomic peer-to-peer computer software installation

A system for peer-to-peer computer software installation, the system comprising:

• means for receiving, by an observing install agent running on an observing host from a test install agent running on a test host, performance information describing the performance of software installed on the test host, wherein an install agent comprises software running on a first computer host for:
• installing software on the first computer host;
• maintaining performance information describing performance of the software installed on the first computer host;
• requesting performance information from a second computer host describing the performance of software installed on the second computer host;
• responding to requests from a second computer host for performance information describing the performance of software installed on the first computer host;
• determining whether the performance information describing software installed on a second computer host meets performance criteria of the first computer host, the performance criteria of the first computer host being distinct from performance criteria associated with the second computer host;
• and
• installing, on the first computer host, software installed on the second computer host if the performance information describing software installed on a second computer host meets performance criteria of the first computer host;
• means for determining, by the observing install agent, whether the performance information meets performance criteria for the observing host, the performance criteria of the observing host being distinct from performance criteria associated with the test host;
• and
• means for installing the software on the observing host.

A computer program product for peer-to-peer computer software installation, the computer program product comprising:

• a recording medium;
• means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving, by an observing install agent running on an observing host from a test install agent running on a test host, performance information describing the performance of software installed on the test host, wherein an install agent comprises software running on a first computer host for:
• installing software on the first computer host;
• maintaining performance information describing performance of the software installed on the first computer host;
• requesting performance information from a second computer host describing the performance of software installed on the second computer host;
• responding to requests from a second computer host for performance information describing the performance of software installed on the first computer host;
• determining whether the performance information describing software installed on a second computer host meets performance criteria of the first computer host, the performance criteria of the first computer host being distinct from performance criteria associated with the second computer host;
• and
• installing, on the first computer host, software installed on the second computer host if the performance information describing software installed on a second computer host meets performance criteria of the first computer host;
• means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining, by the observing install agent, whether the performance information meets performance criteria for the observing host, the performance criteria of the observing host being distinct from performance criteria associated with the test host;
• and
• means, recorded on the recording medium, for installing the software on the observing host.