Configuration retention service for web application servers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11194568-B1
Application number	US-202017081699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2020
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Technologies are described for retaining configuration information for software applications during upgrades. For example, when an addon software package is deployed to a web application server running a main software platform, the configuration information for the addon software package can be preserved separately (e.g., independent of the common configuration file) and used later to restore the addon configuration information if needed. In some implementations, an addon presence file is used to store an entry for the addon software package. The entry identifies another file containing the configuration information for the addon software package. If the main software platform is upgraded resulting in the common configuration file being overwritten or replaced, then the addon configuration information can be added back to the common configuration file using the preserved configuration information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, performed by one or more computing devices, for automated retention of configuration information, the method comprising:
deploying an addon software package to a web application server, wherein the web application server is running a main software platform, wherein the main software platform uses a common configuration file; and wherein the addon software package adds configuration information to the common configuration file;
adding an entry for the addon software package to an addon presence file;
installing an addon configuration file that contains configuration information for the addon software package;
upon upgrading the main software platform:
replacing the common configuration file;
detecting the entry for the addon software package from the addon presence file; and
responsive to detecting the entry for the addon software package, adding configuration information from the addon configuration file to the common configuration file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common configuration file stores configuration information for the main software platform, the addon software package, and any additional addon software packages.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the entry for the addon software package to the addon presence file comprises:
adding a source file indicator that indicates a location of the addon configuration file; and
adding a target file indicator that indicates a location of the common configuration file.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon upgrading the main software platform, automatically executing an addon retention service that detects the entry for the addon software package and adds the configuration information from the addon configuration file to the common configuration file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is repeated for each of a plurality of web application servers.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing the method for one or more additional addon software packages, wherein each of the one or more additional addon software packages has its respective entry in the addon presence file, and its respective addon configuration file.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adding one or more additional addon configuration files for the addon software package to the addon presence file;
upon upgrading the main software platform:
detecting the one or more additional addon configuration files for the addon software package in the addon presence file; and
responsive to detecting the one or more additional addon configuration files for the addon software package, adding configuration information from the one or more additional addon configuration files to the common configuration file.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the entry for the addon software package to the addon presence file is performed in response to determining that the addon presence file did not contain the entry for the addon software package.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information for the addon software package comprises uniform resource locator (URL) mapping information to an executable of the addon software package.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, over a network connection, a request form a client device to access the addon software package; and
responsive to receiving the request, executing the addon software package using the configuration information from the common configuration file.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web application server provides web applications for one or more client devices.

12. A computing device comprising:
a processor; and
memory;
the computing device configured, via computer-executable instructions, to perform operations for automated retention of configuration information, the operations comprising:
deploying an addon software package on the computing device, wherein the computing device is running a main software platform, wherein the main software platform uses a common configuration file; and wherein the addon software package adds configuration information to the common configuration file;
adding an entry for the addon software package to an addon presence file;
installing an addon configuration file that contains configuration information for the addon software package;
upon upgrading the main software platform:
replacing the common configuration file;
detecting the entry for the addon software package from the addon presence file; and
responsive to detecting the entry for the addon software package, adding configuration information from the addon configuration file to the common configuration file.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the common configuration file stores configuration information for the main software platform, the addon software package, and any additional addon software packages.

14. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein adding the entry for the addon software package to the addon presence file comprises:
adding a source file indicator that indicates a location of the addon configuration file; and
adding a target file indicator that indicates a location of the common configuration file.

15. The computing device of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
upon upgrading the main software platform, automatically executing an addon retention service that detects the entry for the addon software package and adds the configuration information from the addon configuration file to the common configuration file.

16. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the configuration information for the addon software package comprises uniform resource locator (URL) mapping information to an executable of the addon software package.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for execution on one or more computing devices to perform operations for automated retention of configuration information, the operations comprising:
deploying an addon software package to a web application server, wherein the web application server is running a main software platform, wherein the main software platform uses a common configuration file; and wherein the addon software package adds configuration information to the common configuration file;
adding an entry for the addon software package to an addon presence file;
installing an addon configuration file that contains configuration information for the addon software package;
upon upgrading the main software platform:
replacing the common configuration file;
detecting the entry for the addon software package from the addon presence file; and
responsive to detecting the entry for the addon software package, adding configuration information from the addon configuration file to the common configuration file.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the common configuration file stores configuration information for the main software platform, the addon software package, and any additional addon software packages.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein adding the entry for the addon software package to the addon presence file comprises:
adding a source file indicator that indicates a location of the addon configuration file; and
adding a target file indicator that indicates a location of the common configuration file.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , the operations f

Assignees

• Sap Se

Inventors

• Biswas Devashish
• Jain Nikita

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F8/61 Primary

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F16/955

  using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL] · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title