METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR APPLYING A PATCH DURING APPLICATION EXECUTION

• US 20090259999A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Kesavan
• Application Number:
  US12/101,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that applies a patch to an application during execution of the application. During operation, the system obtains source code for the patch and constructs a shared library from the source code. Next, the system dynamically loads the shared library into the application. Finally, the system replaces an old version of a function in the application with a new version of the function from the shared library, which changes the execution of the application in accordance with the patch.

Claims

1. A method for applying a patch to an application during execution of the application, comprising:

obtaining source code for the patch;

constructing a shared library from the source code;

dynamically loading the shared library into the application; and

replacing an old version of a function in the application with a new version of the function from the shared library, wherein the new version of the function changes the execution of the application in accordance with the patch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the old version of the function involves changing a reference to the old version to refer to the new version.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the old version of the function is included in an old version of the patch.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

uninstalling the patch during application execution by removing the reference to the new version of the function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is implemented to be executed by multiple processes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the patch is applied to some of the processes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a relational database management system (RDBMS).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch provides at least one of a bug fix, a security fix, a compatibility fix, a diagnostic, an additional feature of the application, and an update to an existing feature of the application.

9. A system for applying a patch to an application during execution of the application, comprising:

a patch repository containing source code for to the patch; and

a patch-management framework, comprising;

a patch generator configured to construct a shared library from the source code;

a patch loader configured to dynamically load the shared library into the application; and

a patch installer configured to replace an old version of a function in the application with a new version of the function from the shared library.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein replacing the old version of the function involves updating a reference to the old version to refer to the new version.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the old version of the function is included in an old version of the patch.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the patch installer is further configured to uninstall the patch during application execution by removing the reference to the new version of the function.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the application is implemented to be executed by multiple processes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the patch is applied to some of the processes.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the application comprises a relational database management system (RDBMS).

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the patch provides at least one of a bug fix, a security fix, a compatibility fix, a diagnostic, an additional feature of the application, and an update to an existing feature of the application.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for applying a patch to an application during execution of the application, the method comprising:

obtaining source code for the patch;

constructing a shared library from the source code;

dynamically loading the shared library into the application; and

replacing an old version of a function in the application with a new version of the function from the shared library, wherein the new version of the function changes the execution of the application in accordance with the patch.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein replacing the old version of the function involves updating a reference to the old version to refer to the new version.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein uninstalling the patch during application execution involves removing the reference to the new version of the function.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

uninstalling the patch during application execution by removing the reference to the new version of the function.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the application is implemented to be executed by multiple processes.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the patch is applied to some of the processes.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the application comprises a relational database management system (RDBMS).

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the patch provides at least one of a bug fix, a security fix, a compatibility fix, a diagnostic, an additional feature of the application, and an update to an existing feature of the application.