Zero Downtime Maintenance Using A Mirror Approach

• US 20100088281A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brodkorb, Thomas, Herbas, Franklin, Driesen, Volker, Abitbol, Roy, Ben-Zeev, Miki
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/213 with details for schema evolution support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing software updates. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include copying an application to a shadow system, the application used to upgrade the shadow system rather than a production system; copying data from the production system to the shadow system; selecting whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system; recording one or more changes to data in the production system, the changes recorded in a container, when record changes has been selected; migrating recorded data in the container to the shadow system, so that the shadow system and production system are in a similar data state; and using the shadow system, upgraded with the application and at least one of data copied from the production system and recorded data from the container, for production rather than the production system. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

copying an application to a shadow system, the application used to upgrade the shadow system rather than a production system;

copying data from the production system to the shadow system;

selecting whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system;

recording one or more changes to data in the production system, the changes recorded in a container, when record changes has been selected;

migrating recorded data in the container to the shadow system, so that the shadow system and production system are in a substantially similar data state; and

using the shadow system, upgraded with the application and at least one of data copied from the production system and recorded data from the container, for production rather than the production system.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein selecting further comprise:

receiving an indication from a user regarding whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein recording further comprises:

storing, in the container, one or more changes to data at the production system, the one or more changes are configured to enable the one or more changes to be applied to the data copied to the shadow system.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein copying data from the production system to the shadow system further comprises:

copying one or more of the following types of data;

a sales order, a master data, account information, a customer invoice, a batch job runtime information, an update task information, an input queue, a print queue, a change log, and user data.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

replaying, at the production system, the migrated recorded data.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein replaying further comprises:

applying the migrated recorded data to the data copied from the production system to the shadow system.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein migrating further comprises:

reading data from the container, when the data has not been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein migrating further comprises:

reading data from the container, when the data has not been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein migrating further comprises:

deleting data from the container, when the data has been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

copying an application to a shadow system, the application used to upgrade the shadow system rather than a production system;

copying data from the production system to the shadow system;

selecting whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system;

recording one or more changes to data in the production system, the changes recorded in a container, when record changes has been selected;

migrating recorded data in the container to the shadow system, so that the shadow system and production system are in a substantially similar data state; and

using the shadow system, upgraded with the application and at least one of data copied from the production system and recorded data from the container, for production rather than the production system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein selecting further comprise:

receiving an indication from a user regarding whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein recording further comprises:

storing, in the container, one or more changes to data at the production system, the one or more changes are configured to enable the one or more changes to be applied to the data copied to the shadow system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein copying data from the production system to the shadow system further comprises:

copying one or more of the following types of data;

a sales order, a master data, account information, a customer invoice, a batch job runtime information, an update task information, an input queue, a print queue, a change log, and user data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

replaying, at the production system, the migrated recorded data.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein replaying further comprises:

applying the migrated recorded data to the data copied from the production system to the shadow system.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein migrating further comprises:

reading data from the container, when the data has not been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein migrating further comprises:

reading data from the container, when the data has not been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein migrating further comprises:

deleting data from the container, when the data has been migrated from the container to the shadow system.

19. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to perform a method comprising;

copying an application to a shadow system, the application used to upgrade the shadow system rather than a production system;

copying data from the production system to the shadow system;

selecting whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system;

recording one or more changes to data in the production system, the changes recorded in a container, when record changes has been selected;

migrating recorded data in the container to the shadow system, so that the shadow system and production system are in a substantially similar data state; and

using the shadow system, upgraded with the application and at least one of data copied from the production system and recorded data from the container, for production rather than the production system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein selecting further comprise:

receiving an indication from a user regarding whether to lock changes to data in the production system or record changes to the data in the production system.