Service image notifications

Abstract

An electronic marketplace for service images permits users to browse descriptions of service images implementing desired functionalities of a virtual machine image. The described service images may contain one or more software applications and may be further offered for purchase through an electronic service image marketplace. Notifications, such as updates, regarding software applications contained within a service image can be uploaded to the electronic service image marketplace. The electronic service image marketplace identifies customers associated with service images containing outdated software applications and generates notifications for the customers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific computer-executable instructions,
 receiving, at a hosted computing environment, an indication of an updated software application, the indication including a first identifier of the update software application, wherein:
 the hosted computing environment comprises a plurality of computing devices having one or more processors, 
 the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of one or more customers, and 
 the hosted computing environment provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image; 
 
 obtaining a second identifier corresponding to a software application within a first service image in an electronic catalog of service images; 
 determining, based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier, that the software application within the first service image is an outdated software application; 
 identifying a customer associated with the first service image from data that includes information regarding service images acquired by customers; and 
 generating a notification regarding the updated software application, wherein the notification is made available to a computing device that is associated with the customer and is distinct from the hosted computing environment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first identifier comprises a first software version number. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the second identifier comprises a second software version number, and wherein determining that the software application within the first service image is an outdated software application comprises determining that the first software version number is higher than the second software version number. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected service image is selected from the electronic catalog of service images. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the updated software application comprises receiving a push message from a service that provides indications of updated software applications. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the updated software application comprises polling a service that provides software version numbers. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 a data store configured to store computer-executable instructions; and   a processor within a hosted computing environment, wherein the hosted computing environment generates a virtual computing device on behalf of one or more customers and provisions the virtual computing device with a selected service image from a plurality of service images, wherein the processor is in communication with the data store, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to at least:
 receive an indication of an updated software application, the indication including a first identifier associated with the updated software application; 
 identify, from the plurality of service images, a software application within a first service image, the software application associated with a second identifier; 
 determine, based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier, that the software application within the first service image is an outdated software application; 
 identify, from data that includes information regarding service images acquired by customers, a customer associated with the first service image; and 
 generate a notification regarding the outdated software application, wherein the notification is made available to a computing device that is associated with the customer and distinct from the hosted computing environment. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the updated software application is an updated version of the outdated software application. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the outdated software application is the first service image. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least:
 receive an indication from the computing device associated with the customer to update the outdated software application; and   update the outdated software application.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least receive an indication from the computing device associated with the customer to continue using the outdated software application. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the data store is further configured to store the plurality of service images. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least:
 obtain an updated first service image, the updated first service image including at least the updated software application; and   store the updated first service image in the data store.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the notification indicates that the outdated software application has been updated. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor within a hosted computing environment, configure the processor to at least:
 obtain an indication of an updated version of a software application, the indication including a first identifier associated with the updated version of the software application;   identify, from a plurality of service images implemented in the host computing environment, a first service image that includes a version of the software application;   determine, based at least in part on the first identifier associated with the updated version of the software application and a second identifier associated with the version of the software application included in the first service image, that the version of the software application included in the first service image is an outdated version;   identify, from data that includes information regarding service images acquired by customers, a customer associated with the first service image; and   generate a notification regarding the outdated version of the software application, wherein the notification is made available a computing device that is associated with the customer and distinct from the hosted computing environment.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least obtain information regarding the updated version of the software application. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the notification includes at least the information regarding the updated version of the software application. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first identifier is a first software version number, and wherein the second identifier is a second software version number. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least obtain information regarding the plurality of service images from an electronic catalog of service images. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the second identifier is obtained from the electronic catalog of service images.