Dynamic application updates

IBM® Spectrum Symphony's dynamic application update feature facilitates the administration of service packages and their associations with applications.

The IBM Spectrum Symphony application update features allow you to do the following tasks:
  • Deploy an updated service package without stopping the current workload.
  • Dynamically update or remove session type and service sections from the application profile without stopping the current workload. Only sessions using the removed sections are affected.
  • Dynamically add session type and service sections to the application profile without stopping the current workload.
  • Deploy a service package to any level of the consumer tree allowing the service to be shared with all consumers under this level. This enables service packages to be shared among multiple applications linked by the downward path of the consumer hierarchy.
  • Update Docker container definitions without stopping the current workload.
The following table offers guidelines for choosing the appropriate method to perform typical application updates. Within this table, the term workload is defined as existing running tasks and sessions associated with the application that is being updated:
Scenario Action Results
  • You have an updated service package for an enabled application.
  • You want current and future workload to use the updated service package.
  • You want to overwrite the original service package.
    Note:
    • You will not be able to switch back to the original service package.
    • Changing attributes will abort the existing workload.
 Complete the steps in Using the cluster management console to deploy service packages for consumers with short names.
  • Workload continues to run with the next scheduled task using the updated service package.
  • The updated service package has the same name as the original service package.
  • Once updated, the original service package is no longer available in the repository.
  • Clients do not need modification.
  • You have an updated service package for an enabled application.
  • You want current and future workload to use the updated service package.
  • You want to be able to easily switch back to the original service package, if necessary.
    Note:
    • You must use a new name for the updated service package so that the repository can store both the original and updated packages.
    • Changing attributes will abort the existing workload.
 Complete the steps in Changing a service package for an existing service.
  • Workload continues to run with the next scheduled task using the updated service package.
  • The updated service package has a different name than the original service package.
  • Once it is replaced, the original service package is still available in the repository.
  • Clients do not need modification.
  • You have a new service package for an enabled application.
  • You only want clients that have been notified to use the new service.
Note: Changing attributes will abort the existing workload.
 Complete the steps in Adding a new service and session type.
  • Workload continues to run using the existing service.
  • Clients that are aware of the new session type can use the new service.
  • Clients may need modification.
  • You have a new service package for an enabled application.
  • You want to use the new service when you create a new session.
Note: Changing attributes will abort the existing workload.
 Complete the steps in Assigning a new service to an existing session type.
  • Workload continues to run using the existing service.
  • New sessions with the updated session type use the new service.
  • Clients do not need modification.
You no longer need a service or session type and want to remove it from an application.
Note: Changing attributes will abort the existing workload.
 Complete the steps in Removing a service or session type. Any session that uses the removed service or session type is aborted.
You want to update the operating system attributes in the service element for an enabled application. Update the operating system attributes in the service element for an enabled application.
  • Workload continues to run with the next scheduled task using the updated operating system attributes.
  • Clients do not need modification.
You want to change the default service for an enabled application. Change the default service for an enabled application.
  • Workload continues to run using the old default service.
  • New sessions whose session type refers to the default service use the new default service.
  • Clients do not need modification.
You want to add, modify, or remove Docker container definitions for an enabled application. Complete the steps in Updating Docker definitions for an application. Workload continues to run with the next scheduled task using the updated application profile.