DYNAMIC REPLACEMENT OF SOFTWARE COMPONENTS

• US 20160357543A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Stanton, Michael F., McElmurry, Brian L., Wilke, Murray D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,649,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A non-stop multi-host transaction processing environment may be created by receiving incoming user calls to components through a vestibule bank, and by utilizing an installation manager during the replacement of software. The installation manager may be used in connection with a vestibule bank to handle user calls during the installation of a replacement software component such that user calls for a component can be processed while that component is being replaced, without an error being passed back to the end user. During the replacement of a software component, user calls from the old component may be drained and diverted to a replacement component. User calls received during the installation may be queued and then routed to the replacement component once the component has been replaced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, at a vestibule bank, an installation manager call for replacement of a component;

routing, by the processor, the installation manager call from the vestibule bank to the component;

draining, by the processor, one or more first user calls from the component, and diverting the one or more first user calls to the replacement component;

queueing, by the processor, one or more second user calls for the component while the one or more first user calls are being drained from the component; and

routing, by the processor, the one or more second user calls to a replacement component upon completion of draining the one or more first user calls from the component.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the installation manager activates an installation management routines subsystem that provides a plurality of installation manager system services.

3. The method of claim 2, in which one of the plurality of installation manager system services is a service for queueing of the one more second user calls.

4. The method of claim 2, in which one of the plurality of installation manager system services is a service for activation of the replacement component.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

interfacing between the installation manager routines subsystem and an installation manager component agent in the component or the replacement component.

6. The method of claim 2, in which the installation management routines subsystem supports the one or more second user calls after a triggering action occurs.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the steps of draining and queuing occur after the replacement component flags readiness to accept new user calls.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code to perform the steps of;

receiving, by a processor, at a vestibule bank, an installation manager call for replacement of a component;

routing, by the processor, the installation manager call from the vestibule bank to the component;

draining, by the processor, one or more first user calls from the component, and diverting the one or more first user calls to the replacement component;

queueing, by the processor, one or more second user calls for the component while the one or more first user calls are being drained from the component; and

routing, by the processor, the one or more second user calls to a replacement component upon completion of draining the one or more first user calls from the component.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the installation manager activates an installation management routines subsystem that provides a plurality of installation manager system services.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, in which one of the plurality of installation manager system services is a service for queueing of the one more second user calls.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, in which one of the plurality of installation manager system services is a service for activation of the replacement component.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the medium further comprises code to perform the step of:

interfacing between the installation manager routines subsystem and an installation manager component agent in the component or the replacement component.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the installation management routines subsystem supports the one or more second user calls after a triggering action occurs.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the steps of draining and queuing occur after the replacement component flags readiness to accept new user calls.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the steps of;

receiving, by the processor, at a vestibule bank, an installation manager call for replacement of a component;

routing, by the processor, the installation manager call from the vestibule bank to the component;

draining, by the processor, one or more first user calls from the component, and diverting the one or more first user calls to the replacement component;

queueing, by the processor, one or more second user calls for the component while the one or more first user calls are being drained from the component; and

routing, by the processor, the one or more second user calls to a replacement component upon completion of draining the one or more first user calls from the component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the installation manager activates an installation management routines subsystem that provides a plurality of installation manager system services.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which one of the plurality of installation manager system services is a service for queueing of the one more second user calls.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

interfacing between the installation manager routines subsystem and an installation manager component agent in the component or the replacement component.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the installation management routines subsystem supports the one or more second user calls after a triggering action occurs.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the steps of draining and queuing occur after the replacement component flags readiness to accept new user calls.