Update coordination in a multi-tenant cloud computing environment

A computer-readable storage medium configured with software which upon execution performs a method of coordinating updates in a multi-tenant cloud computing environment, the method comprising:

• an update coordinator receiving an infrastructure update request from a cloud computing infrastructure service provider, the infrastructure update request specifying an infrastructure update to at least one infrastructure component of the cloud computing environment;
• the update coordinator receiving a tenant update request from a tenant of the cloud computing environment, the tenant update request specifying a tenant update which is limited to tenant software that is specific to that tenant;
• proactively coordinating the update requests to reduce tenant downtime;
• and
• performing at least one of the updates in a manner consistent with a result of the coordinating step;
• wherein an availability specification specifies a maximum period of time for which the tenant software can be unavailable, and proactively coordinating the update requests includes determining that performing the infrastructure update would make the tenant software unavailable for more than the specified maximum period of time and then postponing or disapproving the infrastructure update request even though doing so contributes to a failure to meet a security target.

A system which coordinates competing updates in a cloud computing environment, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory in operable communication with the processor;
• one or more priority specifications residing in the memory;
• and
• an update coordinator including instructions residing in the memory which are executable by the processor to perform a method which includes (a) the update coordinator receiving a first update request from a first update requester specifying a first update to at least part of the cloud computing environment, (b) the update coordinator receiving a second update request from a second update requester specifying a second update to at least part of the cloud computing environment, the update requesters being distinct entities, and (c) coordinating the update requests to control performance of at least one update including at least one of the following acts based on priorities in the one or more priority specifications:
• (i) resolving a tenant-tenant conflict between update requests from independently controlled tenants of the cloud computing environment, (ii) resolving a conflict when one update requester is a tenant of the cloud computing environment and the other update requester is a cloud computing infrastructure service provider that provides infrastructure services to multiple independently controlled tenants, or (iii) resolving a security-based conflict, namely, a conflict when one update request has security as a highest priority and the other update request does not have security as the highest priority;
• giving a first deployment engine approval to perform the first update and giving a second and different deployment engine approval to perform the second update;
• and
• detecting rogue behavior based at least in part on at least one of the following:
• (i) one or more update request approvals, or (ii) one or more disapprovals of update requests.