Application cloning

• US 7,877,735 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Todorova, Mariela T., Kovachka-Dimitrova, Monika M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BODDEN, EVRAL E
• Application Number:
  US10/854,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order

Abstract

A system and method are described for performing application cloning. In one embodiment, on a client, an application that is already deployed on a server is accessed and then cloned into another application by assigning a new name to the application. The clone application is then deployed on the server where the application and the clone application are simultaneously run.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

cloning a first software application deployed at a Web application server into a second software application at the Web application server;

associating a second name to the second software application that is different from a first name associated with the first software application such that the second software application is distinguished from the first software application at the Web application server;

during runtime, simultaneously processing the first software application and the second software application at the Web application server, wherein processing includes simultaneously running a performance test on the first and second software applications, wherein running the performance test includes measuring first components of the first software application and second components of the second software application, compiling a result based on the measurement of the first and second components and an estimation of future changes to the second software application, and amending the second software application based on the result; and

after completing the performance test, replacing the first software application with the amended second software application on the Web application server by overwriting the first software application with the amended second software application, and communicating the replacement to Web application servers coupled with the Web application server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amending of the second software application comprises adding, removing, or modifying of one or more of elements, components, modules, classes, and descriptive information corresponding to the second software application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising after completing the performance test, updating the first software application based on the amended second software application, and temporarily storing the amended second software application for subsequent simultaneous processing of the updated first software application and the amended second software application, wherein subsequent simultaneous processing includes running performance tests on the updated first software application and the amended second software application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising after completing the performance test, storing the amended second software application at the Web application server or another Web application server to serve as a back up to the first software application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating one or more second Web aliases to each of one or more second Web modules of the second software application, the one or more second Web aliases being different from one or more first Web aliases associated with one or more first Web modules of the first software application to distinguish the second software application from the first software application at the Web application server.

6. A system comprising:

an application cloning system having a first software application deployed a Web application server, the application cloning system to clone the first software application deployed at the Web application server into a second software application;

associate a second name to the second software application that is different from a first name associated with the first software application such that the second software application is distinguished from the first software application at the Web application server;

during runtime, simultaneously process the first software application and the second software application on the Web application server, wherein processing includes simultaneously running a performance test on the first and second software applications, wherein running performance test includes measuring first components of the first software application and second components of the second software application, compiling a result based on the measurement of the first and second components and an estimation of future changes to the second software application, and amending the second software application based on the result; and

after completing the performance test, replace the first software application with the amended second software application on the Web application server by overwriting the first software application with the amended second software application and communicate the replacement to Web application servers coupled with the Web application server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the Web application server resides at server computer system coupled with a plurality of server computer systems via a network.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first software application comprises a Java-based software application associated with a Java 2Enterprise Edition (J2EE) engine or an Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP)-based software application associated with an ABAP engine.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the application cloning system is further to after completing the performance test, update the first software application based on the amended second software application, and temporarily store the amended second software application for subsequent simultaneous processing of the updated first software application and the amended second software application, wherein subsequent simultaneous processing includes running performance tests on the updated first software application and the amended second software application.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the application cloning system is further to after completing the performance test, store the amended second software application at the Web application server or another Web application server to serve as a back up to the first software application.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the application cloning system is further to associate one or more second Web aliases to each of one or more second Web modules of the second software application, the one or more second Web aliases being different from one or more first Web aliases associated with one or more first Web modules of the first software application to distinguish the second software application from the first software application at the Web application server.

12. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

clone a first software application deployed at a Web application server into a second software application at the Web application server;

associate a second name to the second software application that is different from a first name associated with the first software application such that the second software application is distinguished from the first software application at the Web application server;

in runtime, simultaneously process the first software application and the second software application at the Web application server, wherein processing includes simultaneously running a performance test on the first and second software applications, wherein running performance test includes measuring first components of the first software application and second components of the second software application, compiling a result based on the measurement of the first and second components and an estimation of future changes to the second software application, and amending the second software application based on the result; and

after completing the performance test, replace the first software application with the amended second software application on the Web application server by overwriting the first software application with the amended second software application, and communicate the replacement to Web application servers coupled with the Web application server.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the amending of the second software application comprises adding, removing, or modifying of one or more of elements, components, modules, classes, and descriptive information corresponding to the second application.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that when executed, further cause the machine to after completing the performance test, update the first software application based on the amended second software application, and temporarily store the amended second software application for subsequent simultaneous processing of the updated first software application and the amended second software application, wherein subsequent simultaneous processing includes running performance tests on the updated first software application and the amended second software application.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that when executed, further cause the machine to after completing the performance test, store the amended second software application at the Web application server or another Web application server to serve as a back up to the first software application.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that when executed, further cause the machine to associate one or more second Web aliases to each of one or more second Web modules of the second software application, the one or more second Web aliases being different from one or more first Web aliases associated with one or more first Web modules of the first software application to distinguish the second software application from the first software application at the Web application server.