Aliases for accessing shared tables during provision of continuous access during application upgrade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10013472-B2
Application number	US-201213730753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Mar 6, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

Continuous access to an application and associated data is provided during a modification (for example, an upgrade) of the application. Shared tables are used to perform parallel changes in databases associated with an original database schema, a temporary database schema, and an upgraded database schema. Aliases are used to access shared tables from some database schemas. The use of shared tables obviates a separate merging of data written by different tools and/or systems during an upgrade of the application. Related methods, apparatuses, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining, using one or more data processors, a first data-set characterizing a first version of an application, the first data-set comprising a plurality of tables arranged according to an original database schema characterizing a first database structure and a second database structure, the first database structure characterizing an arrangement of data in the first version of the application, the second database structure characterizing a desired arrangement of data in a second version of the application;
generating, using one or more data processors, a copy of a first portion of the first data-set on a temporary system, data of the temporary system being arranged according to a temporary database schema, the temporary database schema comprising a first set of one or more aliases to access a second portion of the first data-set, the first set of one or more aliases preventing generation of a copy of the first data-set in entirety, a selective access to the data of the temporary database schema being continuously enabled and provided to a client computer operated by a user when the upgrade of the application is being performed, the temporary system being operably coupled to the client computer via a communication network;
upgrading, using one or more data processors, the first data-set to generate a second data-set associated with an upgraded application, the updating being based on the second database structure and being performed asynchronously for a plurality of users, the second data-set being arranged according to the second database structure of an upgrade database schema, the upgrade database schema comprising a second set of one or more aliases to access a third portion of the first data-set; and
enabling, using one or more data processors, access by the client computer to the second data-set after the upgrade of the application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is executed in a computing landscape comprising an enterprise resource planning system, a customer relationship management system, and a business warehouse system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first version of the application is an original version of the application; and
the second version of the application is an upgraded version of the application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of tables comprise a first plurality of tables associated with the first database structure and a second plurality of tables associated with the second database structure;
the first plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the first database structure; and
the second plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the second database stricture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, using one or more data processors, a shadow database schema, the shadow database schema characterizing the second database structure, the shadow database schema comprising a third set of one or more aliases to access a fourth portion of the first data-set.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fourth portion of the first data-set comprises:
repository tables associated with the second database structure; and
temporary data operational tables associated with the second database structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first data-set comprises:
operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;
application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;
application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified offline during the upgrade; and
application tables that are imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the first data-set comprises:
operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade; and
application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third portion of the first data-set comprises operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

10. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining a first data-set characterizing a first version of an application, the first data-set comprising a plurality of tables arranged according to an original database schema characterizing a first database structure and a second database structure, the first database structure characterizing an arrangement of data in the first version of the application, the second database structure characterizing a desired arrangement of data in an upgraded version of the application;
generating a copy of a first portion of the first data-set, the copy being generated on a temporary system, data of the temporary system being arranged according to a temporary database schema, the temporary database schema comprising a first set of one or more aliases to access a second portion of the first data-set, the first set of one or more aliases preventing a need for generation of a copy of the first data-set in entirety, a selective access to the data of the temporary database schema being continuously enabled for a client computer operated by a user when the upgrade of the application is being performed, the temporary system being operably coupled to the client computer via a communication network;
upgrading the first data-set to generate a second data-set associated with an upgraded application, the upgrading being based on the second database structure and being performed asynchronously for a plurality of users, the second data-set being arranged according to the second database structure of an upgrade database schema, the upgrade database schema comprising a second set of one or more aliases to access a third portion of the first data-set; and
enabling, for the client computer operated by the user, access to the second data-set after the upgrade of the application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:
the first data-set is obtained from a central database implemented at a central server; and
the central server is accessed by temporary system via a network.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the network is internet.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of tables comprise a first plurality of tables associated with the first database structure and a second plurality of tables associated with the second database structure;
the first plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the first database structure; and
the second plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the second database structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the first data-set comprises:
operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;
applicati

Assignees

• Driesen Volker
• Jordt Nicolai
• Mayer Martin
• Hoprich Wieland
• Engelko Andrey
• Meissner Steffen
• Schreiber Peter
• Bentzien Levke
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Driesen Volker
• Jordt Nicolai
• Mayer Martin
• Hoprich Wieland
• Engelko Andrey
• Meissner Steffen
• Schreiber Peter
• Bentzien Levke

Classifications

• G06F17/303

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/16

  Protection against loss of memory contents {(contains no material, see G06F11/00)} · CPC title

• G06F17/30578 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30091

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/214 Primary

  Database migration support · CPC title