ONLINE UPGRADING OF A DATABASE ENVIRONMENT USING TRANSPARENTLY-PATCHED SEED DATA TABLES

• US 20140101645A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: BUZASKI, George, HUDSON, Kevin, BASTIDAS, Santiago Xavier, DUJMOVIC, Ivo, ARDERIUS, Maximiliano
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2372 Updates performed during offline database operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2393 Updating materialised views
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for managing upgrades of database systems using a transparently-patched seed data table. The method commences on a running system by copying (while software applications are running) portions of data comprising a seed data table to database table rows that are temporarily inaccessible by the software applications. The copy operation creates new rows (a seed data table copy) in a database table. The method continues while software applications are running by modifying the seed data table copy (e.g., by applying a patch). For a brief time, the method stops the software applications, then changes the database table rows that were temporarily inaccessible by the software applications to become accessible by the software applications and restarts the software application to point to the patched seed data table copy. The patch can add or change a column of the seed data table copy or its schema.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for online upgrading of a software application in a database environment using a transparently-patched seed data table, the method comprising:

copying, while the software application is running, data comprising a seed data table to database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application, the copying to create a seed data table copy;

modifying the schema of the seed data table copy by applying at least one patch, the modifying to create a patched seed data table copy;

stopping the software application, then changing the database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application to become accessible by the software application; and

restarting the software application to point to the patched seed data table copy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one patch comprises at least one of, an addition of a column to the seed data table copy, a change of data type of a column in the seed data table copy, or a modification of a schema of the seed data table copy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one patch comprises adding an edition identifier to at least one column of the seed data table copy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the seed data table copy occurs while the software application is not stopped.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a cross-edition trigger agent to apply a change to at least one row of the seed data table copy while the software application is running

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an application code patch to a code base of the software application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application to become accessible by the software application uses a synonym.

8. A computer system for online upgrading of a software application in a database environment using a transparently-patched seed data table, comprising:

a computer processor to execute a set of program code instructions; and

a memory to hold the program code instructions, in which the program code instructions comprises program code to perform,

copying, while the software application is running, data comprising a seed data table to database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application, the copying to create a seed data table copy;

modifying the schema of the seed data table copy by applying at least one patch, the modifying to create a patched seed data table copy;

stopping the software application, then changing the database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application to become accessible by the software application; and

restarting the software application to point to the patched seed data table copy.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the at least one patch comprises at least one of, an addition of a column to the seed data table copy, a change of data type of a column in the seed data table copy, or a modification of a schema of the seed data table copy.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the at least one patch comprises adding an edition identifier to at least one column of the seed data table copy.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein modifying the seed data table copy occurs while the software application is not stopped.

12. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising program code for using a cross-edition trigger agent to apply a change to at least one row of the seed data table copy while the software application is running

13. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising program code for applying an application code patch to a code base of the software application.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein changing the database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application to become accessible by the software application uses a synonym.

15. 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 process to implement online upgrading of a software application in a database environment using a transparently-patched seed data table, the process comprising:

copying, while the software application is running, data comprising a seed data table to database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application, the copying to create a seed data table copy;

modifying the schema of the seed data table copy by applying at least one patch, the modifying to create a patched seed data table copy;

stopping the software application, then changing the database table rows temporarily inaccessible by the software application to become accessible by the software application; and

restarting the software application to point to the patched seed data table copy.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one patch comprises at least one of, an addition of a column to the seed data table copy, a change of data type of a column in the seed data table copy, or a modification of a schema of the seed data table copy.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the at least one patch comprises adding an edition identifier to at least one column of the seed data table copy.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein modifying the seed data table copy occurs while the software application is not stopped.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for using a cross-edition trigger agent to apply a change to at least one row of the seed data table copy while the software application is running

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for applying an application code patch to a code base of the software application.