Systems and methods for application management and deployment

Abstract

In embodiments, a multi-phase approach can be used to deploy an application across a network or server cluster. A master deployer on an administration server is contracted, such as by a deployment took, indicating that an application is to be deployed. The master contacts a slave deployer on each managed server that is to deploy the application, indicating that the slave should prepare for deployment. The slave can pull the application from an application source into a staging area for each managed server. In the staging area, each managed server explodes the application from an application archive file, if necessary, and attempts to load the application. The managed servers notify the master of the success of the load, and if all loads are successful each application can be moved to a production directory and activated.

1 . A system for deploying an application across a network, comprising: 
 an administration server containing a master deployer; and    a managed server containing a slave deployer, the managed server being managed by said administration server, the slave deployer can receive a deployment instruction from the master deployer and attempt to load the application, the slave deployer can inform the master deployer of the success of the load and further can deploy the application upon receiving a deploy command from the master deployer.    
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a deployment tool to send a deployment command to said administration server, wherein the deployment tool is one of a standalone application and an administration console.    
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 pulling the application module to an application staging area;    
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an application source containing the application to be deployed, wherein the application source is selected from the group consisting of a directory, an application file, and an application archive.    
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a staging directory for receiving the application from the source and allowing a managed server to attempt to load the application.    
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a production directory for holding a copy of the deployed application to be activated for a managed server.    
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the master deployer is further capable of deploying modules of an application.    
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a deployment target containing the identity of each managed server to receive the deployment.    
     
     
         9 . A method for deploying an application across a network, comprising: 
 contacting a master deployer on an administration server to indicate that an application is to be deployed;    contacting a slave deployer on each managed server managed by the administration server to indicate that an application is to be deployed on that managed server; and    activating the application on each managed server.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 pointing the administration server to the source of the application.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 exploding the application in the staging area from a application archive file.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 attempting to load the application from the staging area for each managed server.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 notifying the administration server of the success of the load for each managed server.    
     
     
         14 . A method for deploying an application to a cluster, comprising: 
 contacting a master deployer on a cluster management server to indicate that an application is to be deployed;    contacting a slave deployer on at least one cluster server in the cluster managed by the cluster management server to indicate that an application is to be deployed; and    activating the application.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 pointing the cluster management server to the source of the application.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 notifying the cluster management server of the success of the load for each cluster server in the cluster receiving the application.