Abstract: Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and software for enhancing application update processes. In an implementation, a delta file is received in a data center that hosts various instances of a service application. The delta file represents a difference between a new version of the service application and a previous version of the service application. An instance of the service application installed in the data center is removed from service temporarily in order to update it from the previous version of the service application to the new version of the service application. Upon initiating and completing an update of the instance of the service application to the new version of the service application using at least the delta file, the instance is returned to service.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a roaming settings service that receives an update to roaming settings specific to a user that is initiated by an instance of an application program provisioned according to a first application mode. Upon receiving a request for the roaming settings specific to the user initiated by an instance of the application program provisioned according to a second application model, the roaming settings service retrieves updated roaming settings that reflect the update to the roaming settings. The settings service transfers the updated roaming settings for delivery to the instance of the application program provisioned according to the second application model.

Abstract: Techniques to perform gradual upgrades are described. An apparatus may include a database with a data set for a first version of an application program, and a computing device to couple to the database. The computing device may have a processor and memory, with the memory to store a first version of an application program, an installer program, and a gradual update engine. The processor may execute the installer program to install a second version of the application program, and said gradual update engine to convert the data set to a data schema used by the second version one data segment at a time. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A machine manager controls the deployment and management of machines (physical and virtual) for an online service. Multi-tier server groups are arranged in farms that each may include different configurations. For example, their may be content farms, federated services farms and SQL farms that are arranged to perform operations for the online service. When the multiple farms are upgraded, new farms are deployed and the associated content databases from the old farms are moved to the newly deployed farms. During the upgrade of the farms, requests may continue to be processed by the farms. The farms may be automatically load balanced during an upgrade. As content becomes available on the new farm, requests for the content may be automatically redirected to the new farm.

Abstract: A server farm includes a plurality of server devices. The plurality of server devices includes a plurality of topology service endpoints and a plurality of target service endpoints. A client computing system sends a topology service request to one of the topology service endpoints. In response, the topology service endpoint sends target service endpoint Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to the client computing system. When a client application at the client computing system needs to send a target service request to one of the target service endpoints, the client computing system applies a load balancing algorithm to select one of the target service endpoint URIs. The client computing system then sends a target service request to the target service endpoint identified by the selected one of the target service endpoint URIs. In this way, the client computing system may use a load balancing algorithm appropriate for the client application.

Abstract: A machine manager controls the deployment and management of machines (physical and virtual) for an online service. Multi-tier server groups are arranged in farms that each may include different configurations. For example, their may be content farms, federated services farms and SQL farms that are arranged to perform operations for the online service. When the multiple farms are upgraded, new farms are deployed and the associated content databases from the old farms are moved to the newly deployed farms. During the upgrade of the farms, requests may continue to be processed by the farms. The farms may be automatically load balanced during an upgrade. As content becomes available on the new farm, requests for the content may be automatically redirected to the new farm.

Abstract: Techniques to perform gradual upgrades are described. An apparatus may include a database with a data set for a first version of an application program, and a computing device to couple to the database. The computing device may have a processor and memory, with the memory to store a first version of an application program, an installer program, and a gradual update engine. The processor may execute the installer program to install a second version of the application program, and said gradual update engine to convert the data set to a data schema used by the second version one data segment at a time. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A server farm includes a plurality of server devices. The plurality of server devices includes a plurality of topology service endpoints and a plurality of target service endpoints. A client computing system sends a topology service request to one of the topology service endpoints. In response, the topology service endpoint sends target service endpoint Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to the client computing system. When a client application at the client computing system needs to send a target service request to one of the target service endpoints, the client computing system applies a load balancing algorithm to select one of the target service endpoint URIs. The client computing system then sends a target service request to the target service endpoint identified by the selected one of the target service endpoint URIs. In this way, the client computing system may use a load balancing algorithm appropriate for the client application.

Abstract: Techniques to perform gradual upgrades are described. An apparatus may include a database with a data set for a first version of an application program, and a computing device to couple to the database. The computing device may have a processor and memory, with the memory to store a first version of an application program, an installer program, and a gradual update engine. The processor may execute the installer program to install a second version of the application program, and said gradual update engine to convert the data set to a data schema used by the second version one data segment at a time. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques to perform gradual upgrades are described. An apparatus may include a database with a data set for a first version of an application program, and a computing device to couple to the database. The computing device may have a processor and memory, with the memory to store a first version of an application program, an installer program, and a gradual update engine. The processor may execute the installer program to install a second version of the application program, and said gradual update engine to convert the data set to a data schema used by the second version one data segment at a time. Other embodiments are described and claimed.