US 8,713,527 B2Granted

Build process management system

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsWilliam H. Frontiero, Sherard J. Howe, Spencer T. Murata

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Abstract

A build process management system can acquire data pertaining to a software build process that is currently being executed by an automated software build system. The software build process can include executable process steps, metadata, and/or environmental parameter values. An executable process step can utilize a build artifact, representing an electronic document that supports the software build process. The acquired data can then be synthesized into an immutable baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library. The baseline artifact library can store copies of the build artifacts. The immutable baseline build process can include baseline objects that represent data values and dependencies indicated in the software build process. In response to a user-specified command, an operation can be performed upon the baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

acquiring of data pertaining to a software build process that is currently being executed by an automated software build system by a build process management system, wherein said software build process comprises at least executable process steps, metadata, and environmental parameter values, wherein at least one executable process step utilizes a build artifact, wherein said build artifact represents an electronic document that supports the software build process;
synthesizing said acquired data of the software build process into an immutable baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library, wherein the baseline artifact library houses copies of build artifacts utilized in the software build process, and wherein said immutable baseline build process comprises a plurality of baseline objects that represent data values and dependencies indicated in the software build process;
tracking changes of the software build process over time based on immutable baseline build processes and associated baseline artifact libraries;
and
in response to a user-specified command, performing one of a plurality of operations upon the baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library, wherein said plurality of operations comprises at least generating a listing of differences between at least two baseline build processes and baseline artifact libraries, reproducing a software application executable from a stored baseline build process and baseline artifact library according to a previous version of the software build process than the software build process currently stored in the automated software build system and generating a change history of baseline build processes for a single software application executable.

2 more elements

A build process management method for providing historical data analysis functions for a build process performed by an automated software build system, the build process management method comprising:

collecting data items from the automated software build system;
synthesizing the collected data items into a baseline build process and a baseline artifact library, wherein the baseline build process represents an immutable historical snapshot of the build process, wherein the baseline artifact library is associated with or referenced by the baseline build process;
tracking changes of the software build process over time based on immutable baseline build processes and associated baseline artifact libraries;
reproducing a software application according to a previous version of the software build process than the software build process currently stored in the automated software build system;
and
generating a dependency graph of build artifacts of the baseline build process and a listing of differences between at least two baseline build processes and baseline artifact libraries, wherein generating the listing of differences comprises:
creating a new report document to contain the listing of differences;
accessing the baseline build processes and associated baseline artifact libraries for the at least two baseline build processes;
and
comparing the accessed baseline build processes and baseline artifact libraries.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.