Patent ID: 8495610
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for performing a process upgrade from a source process to a target process in a local entity, comprising: the local entity having a source process unit, a target process unit and a socket interface unit, wherein: the source process unit performing the source process, the target process unit performing the target process, and the socket interface unit establishing a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) socket interface with a far end entity external to the local entity, wherein the source process is in communication with the far end entity via the TCP socket interface, the process upgrade comprising: prior to creating of the target process, creating by the socket interface unit, a first mapping relationship between an identity (ID) of the source process and an ID of the TCP socket interface; registering by the source process, a service name with the socket interface unit, such that the socket interface unit maintains a relationship between the service name and the first mapping relationship in order to receive data from the far end entity via the TCP socket interface; copying by the source process, source process data to the target process, wherein the target process is created prior to the copying of the source process data to the target process; copying by the source process, received data from the far end entity to the target process; upon determining by the source process that the received data from the far end entity is complete: cease receiving far end entity data via the TCP socket interface without disconnecting the source process from the far end entity via the TCP socket interface, such that the TCP socket interface communicates received data from the far end entity with only one of: the source process or the target process, but not both during the process upgrade, and afterwards the source process sending an upgrade and switch indication to the target process; sending by the target process, an upgrade and switch request to the socket interface unit, wherein the upgrade and switch request includes an ID of the target process and the service name; switching, by the socket interface, a socket interface service to the target process, wherein the switching comprising: searching for, by the socket interface unit, the first mapping relationship according to the service name obtained from the upgrade and switch request; and changing by the socket interface unit, the first mapping relationship to a second mapping relationship between an ID of the target process and the ID of the TCP socket interface, wherein the ID of the source process is replaced with the ID of the target process; and the socket interface unit switching to the target process according to the upgrade and switch request, such that the target process communicates with the far end entity via the TCP socket interface without disconnecting the source process from the TCP socket interface with the far end entity during the process upgrade.