Method for preserving changes made during a migration of a system's configuration to a second configuration

Apparatus employed in a system having a processor and a database which includes first configuration tables that define a configuration m of the system to migrate the system to a configuration m+1 thereof, the apparatus comprising:

• a copy of the first configuration tables;
• a snapshot table which can be used by the processor to detect whether the first configuration tables still define configuration m,
• a signoff table in the database which indicates one or more approving users of one or more users of the system, the approving users' approval being required before the configuration m can be migrated to the configuration m+1;
• and the processor operating under control of a user of the system to modify the copy of the first configuration tables to produce second configuration tables that define configuration m+1, compare the first configuration tables with the snapshot table to determine whether the first configuration tables still define configuration m, and if the first configuration tables do so, use the second configuration tables to modify the first configuration tables so that the first configuration tables define configuration m+1, the processor further operating under control of the user to obtain approval from each of the approving users before using the second configuration tables to modify the first configuration tables.

A method of migrating from configuration m of a system to a configuration m+1 thereof, the system's configuration being defined by first configuration tables in a database, the database further including a configuration change tracking table, and the method comprising the steps performed by the system of:

• making second configuration tables that define configuration m+1;
• making a determination whether the first configuration tables still define configuration m;
• if the first configuration tables still define configuration in, using the second configuration tables to modify the first configuration tables such that the first configuration tables define configuration m+1;
• and
• recording any modification to the first configuration tables in the configuration change tracking table together with an indication that the modification was made during a migration from one configuration to another.