US Patent 7562356 Automatically resolving patch dependencies for a path bundle

A method for automatically resolving patch dependencies for a patch bundle is disclosed. The method includes recursively performing steps a) through b) until there are no more required dependencies to be added. Step a) includes ascertaining a first plurality of patches, the first plurality of patches representing patches currently in the patch bundle. Step b) includes adding patches that are required dependencies of the first plurality of patches to the first plurality of patches, the adding excluding any of the required dependencies that is already in the first plurality of patches prior to the adding or superseded by any patch in the first plurality of patches prior to the adding.