Partition-Scoped Patching for Multitenant Application Servers
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Solution Overview
Problem
In shared application server environments, particularly those supporting multitenancy, updating an application can affect other tenants due to the shared resource nature of servers, requiring careful management to minimize downtime and avoid impacting other users.
Innovation Solution
The system employs partition-scoped patching, utilizing a patch orchestrator and partition lifecycle runtime interface to update a resource group or application within a targeted partition without affecting other partitions, with session handling flags directing traffic through a traffic director to maintain service continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a server is shut down to update an application, then the application can be patched, but other tenants using the shared server will be affected and downtime occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the shared application server environment into isolated partition groups, where each partition group contains a subset of partitions. This segmentation allows updates to be applied to one partition group without affecting other partition groups, thereby maintaining service availability for other tenants while enabling necessary updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a partition migration mechanism that acts as an intermediary process. During updates, partitions are migrated between different server instances, allowing the update process to proceed without directly impacting the availability of other partitions. The migration mechanism coordinates traffic redirection and ensures seamless transitions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the application server environment is updated, then the application version is improved, but service disruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring multiple partition groups and preparing migration paths before updates are needed. This allows the environment to be prepped for updates in advance, so when updates are required, the transition can occur quickly with minimal service disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous service delivery by maintaining multiple active partition groups that can serve requests while others are being updated. The load balancer continuously distributes traffic to available partitions, ensuring that the useful action of serving applications continues uninterrupted during the update process.
3Reliability
If partitions are isolated for updates, then other tenants are protected, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal partition group structures that can serve multiple functions: they act as isolation units for updates, as load-balancing groups, and as migration targets. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex mechanisms for each purpose, thereby managing complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein are a system and method for partition-scoped patching in an application server environment. A computer environment includes an application server, for example a multitenant application server, that supports the use of one or more partitions, wherein each partition provides an administrative and runtime subdivision of a domain. During a partition-scoped rollout of a patch or update, to a resource group or application within a plurality of servers or clusters of servers, the resource group or application can be updated within a targeted partition, using a patch orchestrator and partition lifecycle runtime interface, without affecting the operation of other partitions at those servers or clusters of servers. One or more session handling flags can be used, to enable sessions and/or requests that are associated with the targeted partition, to be handled by a traffic director, during the patching process.