Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for secure distributed storage. In aspects, a set of remote storage hosts, such as personal computers, servers, media devices, cell phones, or others, can subscribe or register to provide storage via a cloud-based or other distributed network. Source data from an originating computer, such as a data file, can be decomposed into data storage subunits, each of which is encrypted via a cloud management system or other logic or control. The data storage subunits can comprise data blocks or even or uneven size. The set of encrypted data storage subunits can be registered to a table or other record, and disseminated to the remote storage hosts. In the event of data loss at the originating computer or at other times, the remotely stored data storage subunits can be extracted, decrypted, and reassembled to reconstruct the original source data.

Abstract: In order to track actions performed by a package manager or a configuration management system, a computing system can be configured to include a tagging tool. The tagging tool can be configured to cooperate with the package manager and the configuration management system in order to determine and generate a history of the actions performed by the package manager and the configuration management system. The history can include a description of the actions, the reasons why the actions were performed, and a list and description of the software programs, files, and software libraries that are affected by the actions.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a change log for files in managed network. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management platform communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management platform can employ a package management tool to manage files stored or hosted in the managed network. The network management platform can further employ a change monitor or other logic to locate additional files located in the managed network but that may not be under the control of or registered to the package management tool. A systems administrator or other user can invoke both the package management tool and the change monitor logic to initiate a discovery process and locate all available files associated with the network, and generate a unified change log recording all available files and/or their changes.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for systems and methods for initiating software repairs in conjunction with software package updates. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user's selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database, current state of the client machine, or other resources. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate one or more potential software repair actions to correct or avoid potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update.

Abstract: A software repository can capture and record a universal unique identifier (UUID) associated with a software package manager accessing the software repository. To capture the UUID, the software repository can be encoded as a base Universal Resource Locator (URL) that includes a redirection (e.g. undefined field) to capture the UUIDs of the software package managers. Once captured, the UUIDs can be stored in a record along with any other relevant information such as the software packages downloaded, the date/time of download, and the like.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for testing results of configuration management activity. In embodiments, a configuration management server can control and maintain the configuration state of one or more targets, hosts, servers, clients, or other machines in a managed. In aspects, a testing tool hosted on the configuration management server can verify the correct implementation of configuration instructions. In embodiments, the testing tool can access or receive an anticipated or target configuration state for one or more target(s) or other machines, indicating the status of services, memory, security, storage, and/or other configuration parameters after a selected configuration command is to be transmitted and run on the recipient machine. After the configuration change or update is performed, the test tool can receive results indicating the actual configuration state achieved after running the configuration management command(s), and compare those to the anticipated configuration state.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for automatic upgrade and downgrade in package update operations. A physical or virtual client machine can host an installed software distribution including a set of installed software packages, such as an operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager on the client can manage the set of installed packages, and report the installed distribution including version and component packages to one or more package servers. When a distribution upgrade is initiated, the package manager and/or other distribution logic can analyze the target distribution, to determine whether each package in the target distribution represents the most-current version of each component package. Packages which represent the most-current can be installed. Packages which do not represent the most-current version, e.g.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for interrogating one or more diagnostic targets using a remotely loaded image. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management engine communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management engine can access a selected diagnostic target to temporarily deactivate the installed native operating system on that target, insert a substitute operating environment, and remotely interrogate the target to perform hardware, software, security, or other diagnostics or installs. The network management engine can connect to the diagnostic target, extract security keys from the native operating environment, remotely load the substitute environment, and then perform diagnostic or provisioning activities while the native environment is deactivate and the diagnostic target is effectively off-network.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating package profiles in software package repositories using selective subsets of packages. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and reports the inventory of those packages to one or more package servers. The package server(s) can build an aggregate package population record reflecting all packages installed on all machines in the managed network. The package server(s) can then generate arbitrarily selected package subsets from the aggregate package collection, and group or configure sets of machines based on common or compatible package subsets. Machine groups dedicated to different tasks or applications as reflected in their package subsets can then have updating, security, and/or other management tasks carried out on a collective basis.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating an encoded package profile based on executing host processes. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager and/or other logic can identify currently executing processes on the client, and determine which package(s) corresponding to that set of executing processes are hosted on the client. The package manager can generate a report to a package server and/or other remote management platform to perform management operations on the client, such as, for example, to terminate executing processes on a target client to permit package update processes to take place. Other network management actions, such as inventorying or grouping virtual machines in a cloud or other network, can likewise be performed.

Abstract: A compatibility tool can certify compliance between software packages managers, used by or known to a user, and software packages to be updated or installed on a computing system. Additionally, the compatibility tool can identify a software package manager that is compatible with the software packages to be updated or installed, if the user does not have or know of a compatible software package manager. To certify software package managers or identify compatible software package managers, the compatibility tool can maintain a database of software package managers associated with software packages that are compatible with the software package managers.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for determining when to update a package manager software on a client. An update tool can interface with a package manager running a first version of the package manager software to inspect an available update to a package installed on the client. The update tool can determine that a second version of the package manager software is require to install the update to the package. The update tool can access the second version of the package manager software, remove the first version of the package manager software from the package manager, and unpack and install the second version of the package manager software on the package manager. Further, the update tool can install the update to the package installed on the client, and can update other resources associated with the client as appropriate.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a machine state verification using a number of installed package objects. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client machine can track the installed package complement, and updates available for those packages. To verify that a target of a package update is prepared and in the correct state to receive the update, the package manager inventory the set of package objects installed on the client machine. The resulting sum can be reported to a remote management platform, such as a package server. The counted package objects can be the packages themselves, and/or their set of component files. Machines having a package sum that does not match an expected target number can have a package re-installation performed, and/or other diagnostics carried out.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating cached representations of an encoded package profile. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client machine can track the installed package complement, and updates available for those packages. The package manager can be configured to capture attributes of the set of installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of the installed packages using a hash or other algorithm. The encoded identification can be transmitted to one or more package servers or other management platform. The package server(s) can receive and decode the identifier, and insert that identifier and other package-related data into a local package cache. The package server(s) or other platform can configure package update or other activity using the cached representation of package profiles for one or more client machines.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for storing machine state history related to detected faults in a package update process. A classification tool can interface with a data store that can store machine state data on a client. The classification tool can record an initial machine state on the client and initiate a package update on the client. The classification tool can further record an updated machine state of the client subsequent to initiating the package update and detect a fault condition in the client subsequent to initiating the package update. The classification tool can examine the initial machine state and the updated machine state to categorize one or more causes of the fault condition as either related to the package update or to systemic conditions of the client. The classification tool can further notify a user of the client of the one or more causes of the fault condition.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating cached representations of host package inventories in remote package repositories. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client reports an inventory of the installed packages to one or more package servers. The package server(s) can receive the inventory from machines populating the managed network, and generate an encoded identification for each constituent package, such as a hash-based output based on package attributes. The encoded identification and other data can be stored to an aggregate package cache in the one or more package servers, for more efficient management of the host machines in the managed network. In embodiments, the package update files for each identifier can also be stored in the cache for even more efficient inventorying and package update operations.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating exportable encoded identifications of networked machines based on installed package profiles. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of the entire package complement and/or selected subsets of those packages. In aspects, the encoded identification can be based on a set of attributes of the installed packages and/or their constituent files, such as file names, version numbers, size, and/or other attributes. The encoded identification for the client machine can be transmitted to one or more remote management platforms, such as package servers, network management servers, or others for remote operations on the client machine.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating encoded identifications of selected subsets of installed software packages on a client machine. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of one or more selected subsets of the set of hosted or installed packages based on size, timestamp, and/or other attributes of the subsets and/or constituent files. An administrator or other user can for instance select only that subset or subsets related to a certain project, application, user group, or other selection criteria, and generate encoded identifications of those subsets for package updating, network management, and/or other purposes.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing software package updates using communication pipes. According to aspects, one or more client machines can initiate package update activity, for instance a software package update using a package manager. In aspects, instead of accessing a package repository directly via the update manager or utility, the package manager can be configured to communicate with a set of communication pipes, such as inter-process communication (IPC) sockets, pipes, or other resources. The user can thereby invoke a pipeable update process, perform enhanced update activity, and share the results with various programs or threads. For example, the user can set the update process to generate a report of prospective or available update activity, without actually implementing the updates. Error codes during these and other types of diagnostic processing can be generated and logged for debugging purposes.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for diagnostic notification via a package update manager. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. A notification tool, in conjunction with the package manager, can monitor the user's selection of package update options, and compare those updates to a diagnostic database and/or current state of the client machine. Based on those determinations, the notification tool can generate notifications to the user advising them of potential conflicts, faults, or other conditions that may arise due to, or may surround, the prospective package update. The notification can permit the user to continue or terminate selected updates, and the notification tool can re-analyze any potential faults after an update is completed.