Patent ID: 7523142

Claim:
A method for upgrading a database, the database including a main system with a source release accessible to a main database user, the method comprising: installing in the database a shadow system that includes a destination release accessible to a shadow database user, wherein installing the shadow system comprises defining storage structures for the destination release based on a name of the main database user, and creating synonyms for the shadow database user to provide access to storage structures for the destination release that are stored under the name of the main database user; operating the shadow system in parallel with operation of the main system; setting a plurality of triggers to detect and report chances in data in the main production system: analyzing the triggers, during downtime of the main system, to restore or update the changed data in the shadow system back to the destination release: and performing, during downtime of the main system, a system switch to remove the source release from the database and provide an upgraded system based on the destination release of the shadow system.