Software management systems and methods, including use of such systems and methods in a provider-tenant environment

• US 7,917,607 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Becker, Wolfgang, Brandl, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): England; David E
• Application Number:
  US11/320,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying

Abstract

Exemplary methods and systems may associate data structures specific to a first tenant with a first tenant template, determine whether new data structures are specific to the first tenant, and if so, associate the new data structures with a second tenant template. By doing so, methods and systems may determine a difference between the first and second tenant templates, making it possible to upgrade a tenant based on the difference. With this capability a provider-tenant system may upgrade applications and data.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a first tenant of a plurality of tenants in a provider-tenant system where a provider communicates with the plurality of tenants over a network, the provider-tenant system including an original provider database, an original tenant database, and an original tenant template generated based on the original provider database, the method comprising:

receiving a patch;

copying the original provider database to generate a clone provider database;

applying the patch to the clone provider database to generate a new provider database;

generating a new tenant template based on the new provider database;

comparing the original tenant template and the new tenant template to determine a difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

generating a delta upgrade based on the difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

copying the original tenant database to generate a clone tenant database; and

applying, using a processor, the delta upgrade to the clone tenant database to generate a new tenant database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking the new tenant database to the new provider database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the original tenant template is a database schema.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new tenant template is a database schema.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the original tenant template includes a plurality of data structures in a table-based format.

6. A system for upgrading a first tenant of a plurality of tenants in a provider-tenant system where a provider communicates with the plurality of tenants over a network, the provider-tenant system including an original provider database, an original tenant database, and an original tenant template generated based on the original provider database, the system comprising:

a storage for storing instructions;

a hardware processor for executing the instructions to perform a method comprising;

receiving a patch;

copying the original provider database to generate a clone provider database;

applying the patch to the clone provider database to generate a new provider database;

generating a new tenant template based on the new provider database;

comparing the original tenant template and the new tenant template to determine a difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

generating a delta upgrade based on the difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

copying the original tenant database to generate a clone tenant database; and

applying the delta upgrade to the clone tenant database to generate a new tenant database.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hardware processor executes the instructions to perform the method further comprising:

linking the new tenant database to the new provider database.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the original tenant template is a database schema.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the new tenant template is a database schema.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the original tenant template includes a plurality of data structures in a table-based format.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by a processor to perform a method for upgrading a first tenant of a plurality of tenants in a provider-tenant system including an original provider database, an original tenant database, and an original tenant template generated based on the original provider database, the method comprising:

receiving a patch;

copying the original provider database to generate a clone provider database;

applying the patch to the clone provider database to generate a new provider database;

generating a new tenant template based on the new provider database;

comparing the original tenant template and the new tenant template to determine a difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

generating a delta upgrade based on the difference between the original tenant template and the new tenant template;

copying the original tenant database to generate a clone tenant database; and

applying the delta upgrade to the clone tenant database to generate a new tenant database.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

linking the new tenant database to the new provider database.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the original tenant template and the new tenant template is a database schema.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the original tenant template includes a plurality of data structures in a table-based format.