NFS agent upgrade

• US 8,332,356 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Thergaonkar, Shilpa, Jang, Eunhei, Vale, Anupama
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Vei-Chung
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, MIRANDA M
• Application Number:
  US12/464,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software

Abstract

A networked system includes a master agent and at least one state agent. When upgrading the software of the master agent and the state agents, only the binary files at a shared location at the master agent are changed. To accomplish the change, a watchdog process at the state agent watches for the presence of a marker file at the master agent. The master agent produces the marker file if the master agent will accomplish a software upgrade. When the marker file is present, the state agent stops execution. The watchdog continues to monitor the presence of the marker file until the marker file is deleted at the end of the installation process. When the marker file is deleted, the state agent installs the new binary files associated with the software upgrade and resumes execution.

Claims

1. A system for updating software, the system comprising:

a master agent computer, the master agent computer comprising a binary file stored at a shared location;

a state agent computer of a plurality of state agent computers in communication with the master agent computer, wherein the state agent computer is at a remote location and wherein the state agent computer is operable to use the binary file from the shared location for execution, wherein the plurality of state agent computers are running at different physical locations;

wherein the master agent computer is operable to receive a new binary file to update the binary file at the shared location, and in response to receiving the new binary file the master agent computer creates a marker file;

wherein the state agent computer comprises a watchdog configured to monitor the master agent computer for the presence of the marker file;

wherein, in response to the marker file being present at the master agent computer, execution of the state agent computer is stopped;

wherein the master agent computer is operable to install the new binary file and in response to installing the new binary file, the master agent computer deletes the marker file;

wherein the watchdog waits for a predetermined period of time, and then checks for the marker file, and in response to the marker file being deleted, restarts the state agent computer;

wherein, upon restarting, the state agent computer installs instantiates the new binary file at the state agent computer;

wherein only one copy of the new binary file is allowed to be upgraded, whereas separate configurations of the new binary file are allowed for each of the plurality of state agent computers;

wherein each of the plurality of state agent computers and the master agent computer are provided with an auto-upgrade even when the plurality of state agent computers are running on different physical locations;

a second state agent computer;

wherein the state agent computer comprises a first configuration file;

wherein the second state agent computer comprises a second configuration file;

wherein the first configuration file is different from the second configuration file; and

wherein the master agent computer comprises a script file, wherein, upon restart of the state agent computer and the second state agent computer, the script file modifies the first configuration file and the second configuration file.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein, if no marker file is present, the watchdog is operable to pause before monitoring for the marker file again.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the master agent computer further comprises a script file, wherein the script file scripts a change to the state agent computer upon restart.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein, upon restart of the state agent computer, the state agent computer is operable to check for the script file and operable to execute the script file to change the state agent computer.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the state agent computer further comprises a configuration file, wherein the script changes the configuration file.

6. A method for modifying a state agent of multiple state agents, the method comprising:

storing, at a shared location, a master agent computer comprising a binary file;

a state agent computer of a plurality of state agent computers, communicating with the master agent computer, wherein the state agent computer is at a remote location and wherein the state agent computer is operable to use the binary file from the shared location for execution, wherein the plurality of state agent computers are running at different physical locations;

receiving, by the master agent computer, a new binary file to update the binary file at the shared location;

in response to receiving the new binary file, creating a marker file by the master agent computer;

monitoring, by a watchdog comprised on the state agent computer, the master agent computer for the presence of the marker file;

in response to the marker file being present at the master agent computer, stopping execution of the state agent computer;

installing, by the master agent computer, the new binary file;

in response to installing the new binary file, deleting, by the master agent computer, the marker file;

the watchdog waiting for a predetermined period of time, and then checking for the marker file;

in response to the marker file being deleted, restarting the state agent computer;

upon restarting, instantiating by the state agent computer the new binary file at the state agent computer, wherein only one copy of the new binary file is allowed to be upgraded, whereas separate configurations of the new binary file are allowed for each of the plurality of state agent computers, and wherein each of the plurality of state agent computers and the master agent computer are provided with an auto-upgrade even when the plurality of state agent computers are running on different physical locations;

providing a second state agent computer, wherein the state agent computer comprises a first configuration file, the second state agent computer comprises a second configuration file, wherein the first configuration file is different from the second configuration file, and wherein the master agent computer comprises a script file; and

upon restart of the state agent computer and the second state agent computer, modifying, by the script file, the first configuration file and the second configuration file.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the new binaries are stored at a location defined by a configuration file modified before installing the new binaries.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the state agent is an NFS agent.

9. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the state agent is a component of an enterprise manager system.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having sets of computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute a method to install a software upgrade from a master agent to two or more state agents remotely located to and in communication with the master agent, the sets of instructions comprising:

instruction to store, at a shared location, a master agent computer comprising a binary file;

a state agent computer of a plurality of state agent computers, instruction to communicate with the master agent computer, wherein the state agent computer is at a remote location and wherein the state agent computer is operable to use the binary file from the shared location for execution, wherein the plurality of state agent computers are running at different physical locations;

instruction to receive, by the master agent computer, a new binary file to update the binary file at the shared location;

in response to receiving the new binary file, instruction to create a marker file by the master agent computer;

instruction to monitor, by a watchdog comprised on the state agent computer, the master agent computer for the presence of the marker file;

in response to the marker file being present at the master agent computer, instruction to stop execution of the state agent computer;

instruction to install, by the master agent computer, the new binary file;

in response to installing the new binary file, instruction to delete, by the master agent computer, the marker file;

the watchdog waiting for a predetermined period of time, and then instruction to check for the marker file;

in response to the marker file being deleted, instruction to restart the state agent computer;

upon restarting, instruction to instantiate by the state agent computer the new binary file at the state agent computer, wherein only one copy of the new binary file is allowed to be upgraded, whereas separate configurations of the new binary file are allowed for each of the plurality of state went computers, and wherein each of the plurality of state went computers and the master agent computer are provided with an auto-upgrade even when the plurality of state agent computers are running on different physical locations;

instruction to provide a second state agent computer, wherein the state agent computer comprises a first configuration file, the second state agent computer comprises a second configuration file, wherein the first configuration file is different from the second configuration file, and wherein the master agent computer comprises a script file; and

upon restart of the state agent computer and the second state agent computer, instruction to modify, by the script file, the first configuration file and the second configuration file.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10, further comprising instructions to receive a confirmation from the two or more state agents that the two or more state agents have stopped executing.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10, further comprising determining if the installation of the software upgrade is complete;

if the installation of the software upgrade is complete, deleting the marker file;

if the installation of the software upgrade is not complete, waiting a predetermined period of time; and

repeating the step of determining if the installation of the software upgrade is complete.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the marker file is created in a predetermined location.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the binary files for the software upgrade are stored in a different location from an original binary file;

wherein the script file directs the state agent to use the binary files for the software upgrade from the different location to execute.