Installation engine and package format

Abstract

In one embodiment, an application updater may cleanly update a computer application 112 without causing a fault or a reboot of either the system or the process. A processor 220 may execute a predecessor version 508 of a computer application 112. The processor 220 may install a successor version 512 of the computer application 112 on a user account level. The processor 220 may execute the successor version 512 of the computer application 112.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A machine-implemented method, comprising:
 executing a predecessor version of a computer application;   installing a successor version of the computer application on a user account level; and   executing the successor version of the computer application.   
     
     
         1 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 downloading a complete successor version using an updater module.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 executing the updater module invisibly to a user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 placing the successor version in a clean successor data storage location.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining execution of the predecessor version while installation of the successor version occurs.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 executing a switch from the predecessor version to the successor version.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 maintaining a presentation of a user interface of the computer application during the switch.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 executing the predecessor version and the successor version simultaneously.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 uninstalling the predecessor version while executing the successor version.   
     
     
         9 . A tangible machine-readable medium having a set of instructions detailing a method stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform the method, the method comprising:
 executing a predecessor version of a computer application;   downloading a complete successor version using an updater module disregarding the predecessor version;   installing the complete successor version of the computer application in a clean successor data storage location.   
     
     
         10 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 installing the complete successor version of the computer application on a machine level.   
     
     
         11 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 elevating a user status to an administrative privilege.   
     
     
         12 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 installing the complete successor version of the computer application on a user account level.   
     
     
         13 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 executing the updater module invisibly to a user.   
     
     
         14 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 executing a switch from the predecessor version to the complete successor version.   
     
     
         15 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 maintaining a presentation of a user interface during the switch.   
     
     
         16 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 executing the predecessor version and the complete successor version simultaneously.   
     
     
         17 . The tangible machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 scheduling the predecessor version for an uninstall operation during a system reboot.   
     
     
         18 . An application updater, comprising:
 a communications interface that downloads a complete successor version of a computer application;   a data storage that stores a predecessor version of the computer application in a predecessor data storage location and the complete successor version in a clean successor data storage location; and   a processor that executes the predecessor version and installs the complete successor version of the computer application on a user account level.   
     
     
         19 . The application updater of  claim 19 , wherein the processor maintains execution of the predecessor version while installation of the complete successor version occurs.