Reducing downtime during upgrades of interrelated components in a database system

• US 9,448,784 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kadiyala, Sandeep, Palakurthy, Venu, Buzaski, George, Hudson, Kevin, Dujmovic, Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOORAY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US13/802,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 reducing downtime during upgrades of interrelated components in a computing environment. The method commences while at least one running software application is executing within the computing environment by loading a plurality of database objects from an initial run edition into a patch edition. The database objects comprise at least one software application code module, at least one relational database table, and at least one file system. The method continues by applying at least one patch to the software application code module(s) corresponding to the running software application(s) to create patched software application(s), then applying patches to the relational database table to create a patched relational database table, and further applying a patch to the file system to create a patched file system. When the subject patches have been applied, the method stops the running software application(s) and starts the patched software application(s).

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for reducing downtime during upgrades of interrelated components in a computing environment, the method comprising:

identifying an initial run edition associated with at least one running software application;

identifying an interrelation between the at least one running software application and at least one relational database table using at least one or more synonyms indicative of the interrelation;

identifying a plurality of components from the initial run edition based in part or in whole upon the interrelation, the plurality of components comprising at least one software application code module for the at least one running software applications, at least a portion of the at least one relational database table, and at least one file system;

loading the plurality of components into a patch edition;

applying at least one first patch to the at least one software application code module in the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application to create a patched software application;

applying at least one second patch to the at least one relational database table in the patch edition to create a patched relational database table;

after the at least one first patch and the at least one second patch have been applied, shutting down the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application;

starting the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application after shutting down the initial run edition such that one or more users accessing the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application are placed offline during a cutover period and return online after conclusion of the cutover period;

identifying one or more instances of a running file system for the at least one running software application;

identifying a running file system format for the one or more instances of the running file system;

identifying running file system content for the one or more instances of the running file system, the running file system content including an application definition and application metadata that control how the at least one running software application operates;

associating the one or more instances of the running file system with an initial run file system edition;

amalgamating the initial run file system edition into the initial run edition that is associated with the at least one running software application;

creating a file system patch edition for the one or more instances of the running file system;

synchronizing the file system patch edition with the initial run file system edition; and

creating a patch or upgrade session for the one or more instances of the running file system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a synonym to refer to a logical schema of the patch edition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying at least one file system patch to the at least one file system to create a patch file system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising configuring the patch file system as a new run file system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the at least one software application code module that was used to create the patched software application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of, calculating free space requirements, granting edition management permissions, executing one or more finalizing steps, the finalizing steps comprising at least one of, computing cutover actions, recompiling selected objects, or reporting processing errors, or enabling editioning for users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating that the one or more instances of the running file system are ready to start the patch or upgrade session at least by cleaning up one or more previous patch sessions and by checking for availability of one or more services needed for the patch or upgrade cycle;

determining a patch file system format and patch file system content for the file system patch edition;

preparing the file system patch edition for the one or more instances of the running file system at least by modifying the running file system into a patch file system, modifying the running file system comprising at least applying the patch system format and the patch file system content to the file system patch edition;

determining one or more cutover actions for the cutover period;

re-compiling one or more invalid objects;

quiescing a concurrent manager; and

configuring the patch file system as a new running file system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing at least a portion of the initial run edition and the patch edition at least by populating one or more changes between the initial run edition and the patch edition.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more non-editioned objects in the initial run edition;

identifying at least one session context for the one or more non-editioned objects in the initial run edition;

referencing the one or more non-editioned objects with only one or more corresponding editioned synonyms based in part or in whole upon the at least one session context;

identifying one or more editioned objects in the initial run edition;

identifying at least one change made to the one or more editioned objects in the initial run edition;

populating the at least one change to the patch edition;

identifying metadata that are interrelated to the at least one running software application from the initial run edition;

copying the metadata from the initial run edition to the patch edition;

loading the plurality of components into the patch edition at least by copying the at least one software application code module to the patch edition and by referencing the at least one relational database table in the patch edition;

preparing the file system patch edition for the at least one in the patch edition;

discarding one or more first synonyms for one or more first objects;

replacing reference to the one or more first synonyms with one or more private synonyms; and

performing a cutover from the initial run edition to the patch edition at least by modifying a first synonym referring to a logical schema of the initial run edition into a first modified synonym and by referencing the logical schema of the patch edition.

10. A computer system for reducing downtime during upgrades of interrelated components in a computing environment, 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 which, when executed by the computer processor, causes the computer processor at least to;

identify an initial run edition associated with at least one running software application;

identify an interrelation between the at least one running software application and at least one relational database table using at least one or more synonyms indicative of the interrelation;

identify a plurality of components from the initial run edition based in part or in whole upon the interrelation, the plurality of components comprising at least one software application code module for the at least one running software applications, at least a portion of the at least one relational database table, and at least one file system;

load the plurality of components into a patch edition;

apply at least one first patch to the at least one software application code module in the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application to create a patched software application;

apply at least one second patch to the at least one relational database table in the patch edition to create a patched relational database table;

after the at least one first patch and the at least one second patch have been applied, shut down the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application;

start the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application after shutting down the initial run edition such that one or more users accessing the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application are placed offline during a cutover period and return online after conclusion of the cutover period;

identify one or more instances of a running file system for the at least one running software application;

identify a running file system format for the one or more instances of the running file system;

identify running file system content for the one or more instances of the running file system, the running file system content including an application definition and application metadata that control how the at least one running software application operates;

associate the one or more instances of the running file system with an initial run file system edition;

amalgamate the initial run file system edition into the initial run edition that is associated with the at least one running software application;

create a file system patch edition for the one or more instances of the running file system;

synchronize the file system patch edition with the initial run file system edition; and

create a patch or upgrade session for the one or more instances of the running file system.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising program code which, when executed by the computer processor, further causes the computer processor to modify a synonym to refer to a logical schema of the patch edition.

12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising program code which, when executed by the computer processor, further causes the computer processor to apply at least one file system patch to the at least one file system to create a patch file system.

13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising program code which, when executed by the computer processor, further causes the computer processor to configure the patch file system as a new run file system.

14. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising program code which, when executed by the computer processor, further causes the computer processor to delete the at least one software application code module that was used to create the patched software application.

15. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising program code which, when executed by the computer processor, further causes the computer processor to access the patched relational database table using the patched software application.

16. 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 tasks to implement reducing downtime during upgrades of interrelated components in a computing environment, the set of tasks comprising:

identifying an initial run edition associated with at least one running software application;

identifying an interrelation between the at least one running software application and at least one relational database table using at least one or more synonyms indicative of the interrelation;

identifying a plurality of components from the initial run edition based in part or in whole upon the interrelation, the plurality of components comprising at least one software application code module for the at least one running software applications, at least a portion of the at least one relational database table, and at least one file system;

loading the plurality of components into a patch edition;

applying at least one first patch to the at least one software application code module in the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application to create a patched software application;

applying at least one second patch to the at least one relational database table in the patch edition to create a patched relational database table;

after the at least one first patch and the at least one second patch have been applied, shutting down the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application;

starting the patch edition corresponding to the at least one running software application after shutting down the initial run edition such that one or more users accessing the initial run edition associated with the at least one running software application are placed offline during a cutover period and return online after conclusion of the cutover period;

identifying one or more instances of a running file system for the at least one running software application;

identifying a running file system format for the one or more instances of the running file system;

identifying running file system content for the one or more instances of the running file system, the running file system content including an application definition and application metadata that control how the at least one running software application operates;

associating the one or more instances of the running file system with an initial run file system edition;

amalgamating the initial run file system edition into the initial run edition that is associated with the at least one running software application;

creating a file system patch edition for the one or more instances of the running file system;

synchronizing the file system patch edition with the initial run file system edition; and

creating a patch or upgrade session for the one or more instances of the running file system.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for modifying a synonym to refer to a logical schema of the patch edition.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for applying at least one file system patch to the at least one file system to create a patch file system.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising instructions for configuring the patch file system as a new run file system.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for deleting the at least one software application code module that was used to create the patched software application.