Patent ID: 7757226

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for performing a rolling upgrade in a computing system in which multiple members execute a computer application based at least in part upon a first version of a shared file, comprising: using a processor for: creating a second version of the shared file; bringing down a first member, wherein a second member is not brought down while the first member is down; generating a first private symbolic link for the first member to reference the second version of the shared file, the first private symbolic link comprising link criteria that designates that the first member of a group is authorized to use the first private symbolic link such that the first private symbolic link does not provide a universally visible symbolic link so that the first private symbolic link is not visible to the second member of the group, wherein the first member uses the first private symbolic link and second member uses a second private symbolic link to access different versions of the shared file based such that the first and second private symbolic links are used to perform the rolling upgrade in a staggered manner in the computing system, wherein the second private symbolic link does not provide the universally visible symbolic link so that the second private symbolic link is not visible to the first member of the group; bringing up the first member so that the first member references the second version of the shared file; and storing the private symbolic link in a volatile or non-volatile computer usable medium or displaying the private symbolic link on a display device.