Live kernel updating using progressive checkpointing and network tunnels

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to perform a live update of an operating system in a data processing system, the live update comprising:
• receiving an update to the operating system;
• cloning an original root volume group associated with an operating system instance executing in a first logical partition of the data processing system to generate a cloned root volume group for booting a second logical partition of the data processing system;
• applying the update to the cloned root volume group to generate an updated and cloned root volume group;
• booting the second logical partition of the data processing system using the updated and cloned root volume group;
• selecting an application instance, from a plurality of application instances executing on the original root volume group from the first logical partition, to be migrated to the second logical partition;
• migrating the application instance, the migration comprising:
• creating a network tunnel between the first logical partition and the second logical partition;
• creating an entry in a live-kernel update transfer table (LTT) mapping the network tunnel;
• restarting the application instance on the second logical partition;
• forwarding data directed to the application instance on the first logical partition to the application instance on the second logical partition;
• and
• assigning a network address of the first logical partition to the second logical partition in response to a number of entries in the LTT exceeding a predetermined threshold.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a live update of an operating system in a data processing system, the live update comprising:

• receiving an update to the operating system;
• cloning an original root volume group associated with an operating system instance executing in a first logical partition of the data processing system to generate a cloned root volume group for booting a second logical partition of the data processing system;
• applying the update to the cloned root volume group to generate an updated and cloned root volume group;
• booting the second logical partition of the data processing system using the updated and cloned root volume group;
• selecting an application instance, from a plurality of application instances executing on the original root volume group from the first logical partition, to be migrated to the second logical partition;
• migrating the application instance, the migration comprising:
• creating a network tunnel between the first logical partition and the second logical partition;
• restarting the application instance on the second logical partition;
• and
• forwarding data directed to the application instance on the first logical partition to the application instance on the second logical partition;
• assigning a network address of the first logical partition to the second logical partition;
• and
• creating an entry in a live-kernel update transfer table (LTT) mapping the network tunnel, and wherein the network address of the first logical partition is assigned to the second logical partition in response to a number of entries in the LTT exceeding a predetermined threshold.