Method for selecting a set of patches to update a system of programs

摘要

An automated method is described for searching through sets of software patches to select a recommended set for installation into any given system. Each patch is assigned a ranking based upon how thoroughly it has been tested. Patches that modify the same filesets are organized within a database into tree structures, with the newest patches closest to the tree's root. A recursive function examines all the patches in all the trees relevant to a given system and returns a set of patches recommended for installation.