System and method for supporting custom hooks during patching in an application server environment

A method for providing support for custom hooks during patching in an application server, enterprise, cloud computing, or other computing environment, comprising:

• providing, at one or more computers, a computing environment executing thereon, together with a plurality of managed server instances that operate as part of a domain for execution of software applications;
• wherein the computing environment operates a patching workflow performed by a plurality of patching primitives during phases of the patching workflow and including a series of steps that apply patches to update a plurality of targeted nodes within the plurality of managed server nodes, in a controlled rolling restart, from one of an initial patched or an unpatched version, to a subsequently patched version;
• wherein each patching primitive is adapted to perform an operation of the patching workflow during one or more phases of the patching workflow, wherein the phases are associated with extension points specified by a configuration file;
• and
• wherein the configuration file specifies a plurality of extension definitions, including for each extension definition a name of an extension point in the patching workflow where an associated extension is to be inserted, and an executable code or command to execute at that extension point;
• and
• wherein an extension manager parses the configuration file to cause an extension to be associated with a particular phase of the patching workflow, for execution during patching of targeted nodes, including that:
• the configuration file indicates, for each of the extension definitions therein, the extension point in the patching workflow where the extension is to be inserted, and the name of the executable code or command to execute;
• a patch orchestration engine generates the patching workflow to apply patches to update the targeted nodes,
• wherein the extension point is associated with a particular phase of the patching workflow, and
• wherein during generation of the patching workflow, the patch orchestration engine causes an associated extension to be inserted into the patching workflow, for execution during patching of the targeted nodes;
• and
• during building of the patching workflow for use with the targeted nodes, the extension associated with the extension point is inserted into the patching workflow for execution in association with the patching primitives during the particular phase of patching of the targeted nodes, to modify the particular phase of the patching workflow for use in patching of the targeted nodes, including that extensions registered to run on particular targeted nodes are executed on those nodes that the patching workflow is updating at that point.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the method comprising:

• providing, at one or more computers, a computing environment executing thereon, together with a plurality of managed server instances that operate as part of a domain for execution of software applications;
• wherein the computing environment operates a patching workflow performed by a plurality of patching primitives during phases of the patching workflow and including a series of steps that apply patches to update a plurality of targeted nodes within the plurality of managed server nodes, in a controlled rolling restart, from one of an initial patched or an unpatched version, to a subsequently patched version;
• wherein each patching primitive is adapted to perform an operation of the patching workflow during one or more phases of the patching workflow, wherein the phases are associated with extension points specified by a configuration file;
• and
• wherein the configuration file specifies a plurality of extension definitions, including for each extension definition a name of an extension point in the patching workflow where an associated extension is to be inserted, and an executable code or command to execute at that extension point;
• and
• wherein an extension manager parses the configuration file to cause an extension to be associated with a particular phase of the patching workflow, for execution during patching of targeted nodes, including that:
• the configuration file indicates, for each of the extension definitions therein, the extension point in the patching workflow where the extension is to be inserted, and the name of the executable code or command to execute;
• a patch orchestration engine generates the patching workflow to apply patches to update the targeted nodes,
• wherein the extension point is associated with a particular phase of the patching workflow, and
• wherein during generation of the patching workflow, the patch orchestration engine causes an associated extension to be inserted into the patching workflow, for execution during patching of the targeted nodes;
• and
• during building of the patching workflow for use with the targeted nodes, the extension associated with the extension point is inserted into the patching workflow for execution in association with the patching primitives during the particular phase of patching of the targeted nodes, to modify the particular phase of the patching workflow for use in patching of the targeted nodes, including that extensions registered to run on particular targeted nodes are executed on those nodes that the patching workflow is updating at that point.