System and method for propagation in a web portal system

• US 20070073785A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Laird, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for determining an ordering for propagating changes to an application between a first environment and a second environment. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to propagate changes from a first application instance in a first environment to a second application instance in a second environment even when the order of applying the changes is complex or not readily apparent to the propagating device. For example, an embodiment can determine an ordering to apply changes made to a test version in a test environment, tested and then propagated to a production version of the application residing in a production environment. The ability of embodiments to determine an ordering for propagating changes to an application between a first environment and a second environment enable easy capture and transferal of changes to an application.

Claims

1. A method for determining an ordering for propagating changes to an application between a first environment and a second environment, the method comprising:

receiving a set of changes to be made to a second version of the application residing in the second environment, wherein the set of changes indicates changes made to the first version of the application that are able to be propagated to the second version of the application;

inquiring a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application; and

applying changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering, when a suggested ordering is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a set of changes to be made to a second version of the application residing in the second environment comprises:

receiving a set of changes made to the first version of the application, the set of changes determined by a comparison of a first inventory of unique identifiers associated with each data item accessible to a first version of the application residing in the first environment and a second inventory of unique identifiers associated with each data item accessible to a second version of the application residing in the second environment to determine a difference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inquiring a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application comprises:

detecting an instance of an unresolved ordering in applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein inquiring a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application comprises:

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version comprises:

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version;

wherein the suggested ordering returned by the adapter comprises a default ordering determined from traversing a configuration tree.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering, when a suggested ordering is received comprises:

receiving, from an adapter, a suggested ordering for applying the changes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the application changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering resolved the unresolved ordering.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source when it is determined that the application changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering failed to resolve the unresolved ordering.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source comprises:

prompting an administrator for the second suggested ordering.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source comprises:

receiving the second suggested ordering from the adapter.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source comprises:

determining which changes were correctly applied; and

repeatedly performing the determining and applying recited in claim 8 until the changes are correctly applied to the second version.

12. A machine readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for determining an ordering for propagating changes to an application between a first environment and a second environment, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out:

receiving a set of changes to be made to a second version of the application residing in the second environment, wherein the set of changes indicates changes made to the first version of the application that are able to be propagated to the second version of the application;

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application; and

applying changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering, when a suggested ordering is received from the adapter.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for receiving a set of changes to be made to a second version of the application residing in the second environment include instructions for carrying out:

receiving a set of changes made to the first version of the application, the set of changes determined by a comparison of a first inventory of unique identifiers associated with each data item accessible to a first version of the application residing in the first environment and a second inventory of unique identifiers associated with each data item accessible to a second version of the application residing in the second environment to determine a difference.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for inquiring a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application include instructions for carrying out:

detecting an instance of an unresolved ordering in applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for inquiring a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application include instructions for carrying out:

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version include instructions for carrying out:

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, the suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version;

wherein the suggested ordering returned by the adapter comprises a default ordering determined from traversing a configuration tree.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for applying changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering, when a suggested ordering is received include instructions for carrying out:

receiving, from an adapter, a suggested ordering for applying the changes.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for carrying out:

determining whether the application changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering resolved the unresolved ordering.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for carrying out:

applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source when it is determined that the application changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering failed to resolve the unresolved ordering.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source include instructions for carrying out:

prompting an administrator for the second suggested ordering.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source include instructions for carrying out:

receiving the second suggested ordering from the adapter.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for applying the changes according to a second suggested ordering received from an alternative source include instructions for carrying out:

determining which changes were correctly applied; and

repeatedly performing the determining and applying recited in claim 8 until the changes are correctly applied to the second version.

23. An apparatus for managing applications, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving a set of changes to be made to a second version of the application residing in the second environment, wherein the set of changes indicates changes made to the first version of the application that are able to be propagated to the second version of the application;

inquiring of an adapter associated with the second environment, a suggested ordering of the application of changes to be made to the second version when an instance of an unresolved ordering is detected while applying changes during propagation of the set of changes to the second version of the application; and

applying changes to the second version according to the suggested ordering, when a suggested ordering is received from the adapter.