TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING DOWN TIME IN UPDATING APPLICATIONS WITH METADATA

• US 20090183145A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: McKinney, Denny, Pratt, Marilyn Anne, Hu, Wei-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing down time in updating applications with metadata is provided. The application contains both code and metadata. A copy of the application is made. A software update is installed on the copy of the application. During installation, the original application continues to run and service users, who may modify the metadata of the original application. Periodically, the metadata of the copy of the application is updated to incorporate changes to the metadata of the original application. When the software update is completed, users are prevented from further modifying the metadata of the original application. The metadata of the copy of the application is updated to incorporate the final changes to the metadata of the original application. Users are redirected from the original application to the copy of the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating an application that contains metadata, comprising the steps of:

labeling the metadata in the application with a first version identifier;

making a copy of the application;

wherein the copy of the application contains metadata;

wherein the metadata in the copy of the application is the same as the metadata labeled with the first version identifier at the time the copy of the application is made;

installing an update to the copy of the application;

wherein installing the update includes modifying the metadata in the copy of the application;

at a time subsequent to labeling the metadata in the application with the first version identifier, labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the second version identifier and the metadata labeled with the first version identifier;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference;

making the metadata in the application read-only;

labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

redirecting requests to the application to the copy of the application; and

shutting down the application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining periodically whether the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has been completed;

in response to a determination that the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has not been completed, performing the steps of;

labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier; and

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference;

wherein the steps of (1) making the metadata in the application read-only;

(2) labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

(3) determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier; and

(4) updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference, are performed in response to a determination that the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has been completed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein no labeling of the metadata is performed between the time at which the metadata is labeled with the previous version identifier and the time at which the metadata is labeled with the new version identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference further comprises resolving conflicts between the metadata in the application and the metadata in the copy of the application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein:

resolving conflicts between the metadata in the application and the metadata in the copy of the application further comprises;

displaying, to a user, an indication of a conflict; and

receiving, from the user, instruction on how to resolve the conflict.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the metadata in the application comprises information that is used to determine the behavior of code contained in the application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the metadata in the application comprises information that is used to configure the user interface of the application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of labeling the metadata in the application with a first version identifier comprises making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a first version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the first version identifier;

the step of labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier comprises making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the second version identifier;

the step of labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier comprises making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the new version identifier.

10. A computer-implemented method for updating an application that contains metadata, comprising the steps of:

labeling the metadata in the application with a version identifier;

making a copy of the application;

wherein the copy of the application contains metadata;

wherein the metadata in the copy of the application is the same as the metadata labeled with the version identifier at the time the copy of the application is made;

installing an update to the copy of the application;

wherein installing the update includes modifying the metadata in the copy of the application;

making the metadata in the application read-only;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the version identifier and the metadata in the application;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

redirecting requests to the application to the copy of the application; and

shutting down the application.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of:

labeling the metadata in the application with a first version identifier;

making a copy of the application;

wherein the copy of the application contains metadata;

wherein the metadata in the copy of the application is the same as the metadata labeled with the first version identifier at the time the copy of the application is made;

installing an update to the copy of the application;

wherein installing the update includes modifying the metadata in the copy of the application;

at a time subsequent to labeling the metadata in the application with a first version identifier, labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the second version identifier and the metadata labeled with the first version identifier;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference;

making the metadata in the application read-only;

labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

redirecting requests to the application to the copy of the application; and

shutting down the application.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

determining periodically whether the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has been completed;

in response to a determination that the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has not been completed, performing the steps of;

labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier; and

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference;

wherein the instructions for (1) making the metadata in the application read-only;

(2) labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

(3) determining a difference between the metadata labeled with the new version identifier and metadata previously labeled with a previous version identifier; and

(4) updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference, are executed in response to a determination that the step of installing an update to the copy of the application has been completed.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein no labeling of the metadata is performed between the time at which the metadata is labeled with the previous version identifier and the time at which the metadata is labeled with the new version identifier.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the instructions for updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference further comprises instructions for resolving conflicts between the metadata in the application and the metadata in the copy of the application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the instructions for resolving conflicts between the between the metadata in the application and the metadata in the copy of the application further comprises instructions for;

displaying, to a user, an indication of a conflict; and

receiving, from the user, instruction on how to resolve the conflict.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the metadata in the application comprises information that is used to determine the behavior of code contained in the application.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the metadata in the application comprises information that is used to configure the user interface of the application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the instructions for labeling the metadata in the application with a version identifier comprises instructions for making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the version identifier;

the instructions for labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier comprises instructions for making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a second version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the second version identifier;

the instructions for labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier comprises instructions for making a copy of the metadata in the application at the time of labeling the metadata in the application with a new version identifier;

wherein the copy of the metadata is identified with the new version identifier.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

redirecting requests to the application to the copy of the application; and

shutting down the application.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of:

making a copy of the application;

wherein the copy of the application contains metadata;

wherein the metadata in the copy of the application is the same as the metadata in the application at the time the copy of the application is made;

installing an update to the copy of the application;

wherein installing the update includes modifying the metadata in the copy of the application;

making a copy of the metadata in the application;

making the metadata in the application read-only;

determining a difference between the metadata in the application and the copy of the metadata;

updating the metadata in the copy of the application to incorporate the difference.