Non-invasive upgrades of server components in cloud deployments

• US 9,483,326 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ravi, Kiran Vedula Venkata Naga
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANIWANG, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US13/940,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for performing software upgrades. The method serves to preserve an inter-process connection between two endpoints during patching operations. The method commences by suspending at least some communication activity over the inter-process connection while preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection. A patching facility produces a patched endpoint (e.g., a software component) by performing a patch operation to one of the endpoints of the inter-process connection while the at least some communication activity remains suspended. After patching, a process reconfigures at least some of the one or more preserved functioning states of the inter-process connection to connect to the patched endpoint. When the preserved functioning states of the inter-process connection have been restored, then communication activity resumes over the connection, using the patched endpoint. The inter-process communication can comprise one or more connections between a server process and a client process.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method to preserve an inter-process connection between two endpoints during patching operations, the method comprising:

suspending at least some communication activity for a client process such that an execution of the client process that corresponds to the communication activity for the client process is paused, while preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection at least by saving information about the execution of the client process via the inter-process connection for later access after a patch operation is performed;

implementing a wait state during which the execution of the client process is paused, and one or more incoming requests from the client process are blocked from execution until at least the patch operation is complete;

producing a patched endpoint by performing the patch operation to one of the endpoints of the inter-process connection while the at least some communication activity remains suspended; and

reconfiguring at least some of the one or more functioning states, which have been preserved, of the inter-process connection to connect to the patched endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising resuming communication activity over the connection, using the patched endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-process connection comprises a connection between a server process and a client process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection comprises a keep-alive operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspending at least some communication activity over the inter-process connection is performed using a surrogate process.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein initiation of the suspending is responsive to a cloud tenant indication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspending at least some communication activity over the inter-process connection is performed using a process table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconfiguring at least some of the one or more preserved functioning states of the inter-process is performed using a surrogate process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first endpoint of the inter-process connection is a client process and a second endpoint of the inter-process connection is a server process.

10. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a set of acts to preserve an inter-process connection between two endpoints during patching operations, the set of acts comprising:

suspending at least some communication activity for a client process such that an execution of the client process that corresponds to the communication activity for the client process is paused, while preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection by saving information about the execution of the client process via the inter-process connection for later access after a patch operation is performed,

implementing a wait state during which the execution of the client process is paused, and one or more incoming requests from the client process are blocked from execution until at least the patch operation is complete;

producing a patched endpoint by performing the patch operation to one of the endpoints of the inter-process connection while the at least some communication activity remains suspended; and

reconfiguring at least some of the one or more functioning states, which have been preserved, of the inter-process connection to connect to the patched endpoint.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions for resuming communication activity over the connection, using the patched endpoint.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the inter-process connection comprises a connection between a server process and a client process.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection comprises a keep-alive operation.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the suspending at least some communication activity over the inter-process connection is performed using a surrogate process.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein initiation of the suspending is responsive to a cloud tenant indication.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the suspending at least some communication activity over the inter-process connection is performed using a process table.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the reconfiguring at least some of the one or more preserved functioning states of the inter-process is performed using a surrogate process.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a first endpoint of the inter-process connection is a client process and a second endpoint of the inter-process connection is a server process.

19. A computer system comprising infrastructure to preserve an inter-process connection between two endpoints during patching operations, comprising:

a processor-implemented host computer comprising a process table, the host computer configured to suspend at least some communication activity for a client process such that an execution of the client process that corresponds to the communication activity for the client process is paused, while preserving one or more functioning states of the inter-process connection at least by saving information about the execution of the client process via the inter-process connection for later access after a patch operation is performed;

a processor-implemented cloud server comprising a process manager, the cloud server configured to implement a wait state during which the execution of the client process is paused, and one or more incoming requests from the client process are blocked from execution until at least the patch operation is complete, to produce a patched endpoint by performing the patch operation to one of the endpoints of the inter-process connection while the at least some communication activity remains suspended, and to invoke reconfiguration of at least some of the one or more functioning states, which have been preserved, of the inter-process connection to connect to the patched endpoint.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the cloud server is further configured to re-establish communication activity over the connection, using the patched endpoint.