Content maintenance optimization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934482-B2
Application number	US-201313902659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a delivery unit comprises a plurality of objects. The delivery unit is encapsulated within a transport container for delivery to an entity for installation. As new versions of the objects are created by modifying the source code, the modified versions of objects are included in the delivery unit along with unmodified versions of the remaining objects of the delivery unit. The modified versions of the objects are marked for installation, while the unmodified versions are not marked for installation. Upon installation, the objects marked for installation are extracted from the delivery unit while the objects not marked for installation are discarded. The extracted objects are then installed, thus updating any previous versions of the objects, while unmodified objects are not installed. In one representative embodiment, objects are procedures of a database system, which may be organized hierarchically into folders.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing object versions to a database system, the method comprising:
obtaining a delivery unit comprising a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of objects having a prior version, at least one of the plurality of objects being modified from its prior version and the remainder of the objects being unmodified from their prior versions;
enclosing the delivery unit in a transport container data structure;
marking the at least one of the plurality of objects for installation such that only marked objects will be installed to the database system;
after enclosing the delivery unit in the transport container data structure, sending the transport container data structure via a physical or electronic transport system to the database system for installation at the database system;
receiving the transport container data structure at the database system;
extracting the delivery unit from the transport container structure at the database system;
extracting from the delivery unit the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for installation at the database system; and
installing at the database system the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for installation at the database system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein marking the at least one of the plurality of objects for installation comprises:
creating a metadata section within the transport container data structure; and
including, within the metadata section, information identifying the at least one of the plurality of objects for installation, such that the delivery unit within the transport container data structure remains unchanged.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein marking the at least one of the plurality of objects for installation comprises:
creating at least one metadata section within the delivery unit; and
including, within the at least one metadata section, information identifying the at least one of the plurality of objects for installation, such that the transport container data structure remains unchanged.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying a user interface having a plurality of regions, at least one region displaying structure of the delivery unit, including displaying the plurality of objects; and
receiving input via the user interface, the input indicating which of the plurality of objects should be marked for installation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of objects comprises at least two objects and wherein the method further comprising marking the at least two objects as dependent on each other.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery unit is obtained from a development environment used to modify prior versions of the plurality of objects.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
discarding any unmarked objects.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery unit has a prior version comprising the prior version of the plurality of objects.

9. A system for providing object versions to a database system, the system comprising:
memory;
a computer processor coupled to the memory;
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the computer processor, the instructions comprising a packager configured to:
obtain a delivery unit comprising a plurality of objects, the plurality of objects comprising at least one modified object and at least one unmodified object;
enclose the delivery unit in a transport container data structure;
mark the at least one modified object for installation such that only marked objects will be installed to the database system;
after enclosing the delivery unit in the transport container data structure, send the transport container data structure to the database system via a physical or electronic transport system
receive the transport container data structure at the database system;
extract the delivery unit from the transport container structure at the database system:
extract from the delivery unit the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for installation at the database system; and
install at the database system the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for installation at the database system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise a development environment configured to:
display source code used to create a prior version of the at least one modified object,
receive input modifying the source code;
create the at least one modified object from the modified source code; and
create the delivery unit.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the packager is part of a development environment configured to:
display source code used to create a prior version of the at least one modified object;
receive input modifying the source code;
create the at least one modified object from the modified source code; and
create the delivery unit.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the objects are used in a database system.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the development environment is a development environment for a database system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the packager is separate from the development environment.

15. A machine-readable storage medium for storing data for access by a database system, comprising:
a transport container data structure configured to transport a raw data stream;
a delivery unit comprising a plurality of objects, the plurality of objects comprising a modified data object and an unmodified data object, the delivery unit stored as the raw data stream within the transport container data structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects is marked for installation at a database system;
metadata comprising an installation indicator, the installation indicator to indicate that the modified data object is to be installed at the database system;
instructions executable by a computer processor at the database system to cause the database system to perform operations comprising:
extracting the delivery unit from the transport container structure at the database system;
extracting from the delivery unit the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for
installation at the database system; and
installing at the database system the at least one of the plurality of objects marked for installation at the database system.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of objects comprises a second modified object and wherein the metadata comprises a dependent indicator to indicate that the modified object and the second modified object are dependent on installation of the other.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of objects of the delivery unit are arranged in a hierarchical manner.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of objects are procedures organized into folders.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of objects are procedures of a database system.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the metadata is stored as part of the transport container data structure such that the delivery unit remains unchanged by the metadata.

Assignees

• Kemmler Andreas
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Kemmler Andreas

Classifications

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title

• H04L45/563

  Software download or update · CPC title

• H04L41/082

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title

• G06F8/60

  Software deployment · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title