Tools and methods for copying applications

• US 9,323,512 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Schwaninger, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US13/826,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order

Abstract

Various embodiments herein include at least one of systems, methods, and software to export and import an application. Some embodiments include a user selecting a source system and a target system, and automatically exporting an application from a source system and automated import of this export to the target system. Exporting an application can include testing whether a software export tool version is compatible with a software import tool version, and installing a compatible software import tool on the target system. Some embodiments include informing the user that the application has been successfully imported.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a command from a requestor to copy a source application to a target system, the source application instantiated on a source computer system having an associated source operating system (OS) and the target system being a computer system having an associated target OS;

determining whether the source OS is compatible with the target OS;

when the source OS and the target OS are not compatible, starting a first automatic application copy process, the first automatic application copy process including;

locking the source application to prevent access thereto;

analyzing the source application to identify a structure thereof;

creating an equivalent structure on the target system;

copying the source application to a storage device;

unlocking the source application to restore access thereto; and

copying, from the storage device, the source application copy to the structure created on the target computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the source OS and the target OS are compatible, starting a second automatic application copy process, the second automatic application copy process including;

locking the source application to prevent access thereto;

copying the source application from the source computer system to a storage device;

unlocking the source application to restore access thereto;

copying, from the storage device, the source application copy to the target computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the source application to the target computer system includes:

determining whether the first application copy tool used to copy the source application from the source computer system is compatible with the target OS; and

when the first application copy tool is compatible with the target OS, importing, using the first application copy tool, the source application copy into the target OS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein copying the source application from the source computer system includes:

when the first application copy tool is not compatible with the target OS, installing, on the target OS, a second application copy tool that is compatible with the target OS; and

importing, using the second application copy tool, the source application copy into the target OS.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein copying an application includes defragmenting the application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a completion notification for the requestor, responsive to completion of copying the application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising starting, responsive to completion of copying the application, a business application on the target computer system, wherein the business application includes at least one enterprise application that accesses the application on the target computer system.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, with instructions stored thereon that are executable by at least one processor of at least one computing device to cause the at least one computing device to:

receive a command from a requestor to execute an automated copy of a source application to a target system;

determine whether an operating system (OS) of a computer of the source application is compatible with the OS of a computer of the target system;

when compatible, start a first automatic application copy process to;

lock the source application;

identify a structure of the source application on the source system;

create, using the identified structure, an equivalent structure in the target system;

copy the source application to the target system; and

unlock the source application.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein when the OS of the source and target systems are not compatible, the instructions are further executable to cause the at least one computing device to:

start a second automatic application copy process to;

lock the source application;

copy the source application to a storage medium;

unlock the source system; and

copy the source application copy from the data storage medium to the target system.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first automatic application copy process:

determines whether a first application copy tool that copies the source application is compatible with the OS of the computer of the target system; and

when the first application copy tool is compatible with the OS of the computer of the target system, calls the first application copy tool to copy the source application to the target system.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first automatic application copy process:

when the first application copy tool is not compatible with the OS of the computer of the target system, installs a second application copy tool on the computer of the target system that is compatible; and

calls the second application copy tool to copy the source application to the target system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the copy of the source application is copied to the target system in a defragmented form.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the automatic application copy process, upon completion, further includes providing a completion notification to the requestor.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the automatic application copy process, upon completion, further includes issuing an application start command to a business application that accesses the copied application on the target system.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor, at least one memory device, and at least one network interface device; and

an application copy module stored on the at least one memory device and executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a command from a requestor to copy a source application to a target system, the source application instantiated on a source computer system having an associated source operating system (OS) and the target system being a computer system having an associated target OS;

determine whether the source OS is compatible with the target OS;

when the source OS and the target OS are not compatible, start a first automatic application copy process, the first automatic application copy process to;

lock the source application to prevent access thereto;

analyze the source application to identify a structure thereof;

create an equivalent structure on the target system;

copy the source application to a storage device;

unlock the source application to restore access thereto; and

copy, from the storage device, the source application copy to the structure created on the target computer system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the application copy module is further executable by the at least one processor, when the source OS and the target OS are compatible, to start a second automatic application copy process to:

lock the source application to prevent access thereto;

copy the source application from the source computer system to a storage device;

unlock the source application to restore access thereto;

copy, from the storage device, the source application copy to the target computer system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the application copy module is further executable by the at least one processor to:

determine whether the first application copy tool used to copy the source application from the source computer system is compatible with the target OS; and

when the first application copy tool is compatible with the target OS, import, using the first application copy tool, the source system copy into the target OS.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the system copy module is further executable by the at least one processor to:

when the first application copy tool is not compatible with the target OS, install, on the target OS, a second application copy tool that is compatible with the target OS; and

import, using the second application copy tool, the source application into the target OS.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the copy of the source application is stored to the at least one table in a defragmented form.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the application copy module is further executable by the at least one processor to cause the application copy module to start, responsive to the completion of the copying of the application, an application on the target computer system, wherein the application includes at least one enterprise application that accesses the application on the target computer system.