Abstract: An online service includes databases that are upgraded while still processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while it is being upgraded. The schema of the database is upgraded before the web servers are upgraded to utilize the upgraded schema. Changes that are made to the upgraded schema are backwards compatible with the schema being used during the upgrade process. Restrictions are placed on the operations performed on the database during the upgrade process. After upgrading the schema, the web servers of the online service are upgraded to use the upgraded schema.

Abstract: An online service includes managed databases that include one or more tenants (e.g. customers, users). A multi-tenant database may be split between two or more databases while the database being split continues processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while content is being moved. After moving the content, tenant traffic is automatically redirected to the database that contains the tenant's content.

Abstract: A cloud manager assists in deploying and managing networks for an online service. The cloud manager system receives requests to perform operations relating to configuring, updating and performing tasks in networks that are used in providing the online service. The management of the assets may comprise deploying machines, updating machines, removing machines, performing configuration changes on servers, Virtual Machines (VMs), as well as performing other tasks relating to the management. The cloud manager is configured to receive requests through an idempotent and asynchronous application programming interface (API) that can not rely on a reliable network.

Abstract: A cloud manager assists in deploying and managing networks for an online service. The cloud manager system receives requests to perform operations relating to configuring, updating and performing tasks in networks that are used in providing the online service. The management of the assets may comprise deploying machines, updating machines, removing machines, performing configuration changes on servers, Virtual Machines (VMs), as well as performing other tasks relating to the management. The cloud manager is configured to receive requests through an idempotent and asynchronous application programming interface (API) that can not rely on a reliable network.

Abstract: A machine manager controls the deployment and management of machines for an online service. The machine manager is configured to manually/automatically deploy farms, upgrade farms, add machines, remove machines, start machines, stop machines, and the like. The machine manager keeps track of the locations of the machines, the roles of the machines within the networks, as well as other characteristics relating to the machines (e.g. health of the machines). Instead of upgrading software on the machines in a farm that are currently handling requests, one or more machines are configured in a new farm with the selected disk images and then the requests are moved from the old farm to the new farm.

Abstract: An online service includes databases that are upgraded while still processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while it is being upgraded. The schema of the database is upgraded before the web servers are upgraded to utilize the upgraded schema. Changes that are made to the upgraded schema are backwards compatible with the schema being used during the upgrade process. Restrictions are placed on the operations performed on the database during the upgrade process. After upgrading the schema, the web servers of the online service are upgraded to use the upgraded schema.

Abstract: An online service includes managed databases that include one or more tenants (e.g. customers, users). A multi-tenant database may be split between two or more databases while the database being split continues processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while content is being moved. After moving the content, tenant traffic is automatically redirected to the database that contains the tenant's content.

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 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: Software that would not normally be able to be installed on a machine through a remote process is installed by a high privilege installer running on the machine. A request is received from a remote machine to install software on the machine using the high privilege installer. The high privilege installer determines when software that was requested remotely is to be installed. For example, the high privilege installer may monitor an install queue for software to be installed. When there are entries in the install queue, the high privilege installer is used to install the software. When there are no entries in the install queue, the high privilege installer may sleep until there is more software that is identified to be installed.

Abstract: An idempotent and asynchronous application programming interface (API) that can not rely on a reliable network is used by a cloud manager to receive and process requests. The cloud manager system is a central coordination service that receives requests using the API to perform update operations and get operations relating to the online service. For example, the API includes methods for deploying machines, updating machines, removing machines, performing configuration changes on servers, Virtual Machines (VMs), as well as performing other tasks relating to the management of the online service. Receiving and processing a same API call multiple times results in a same result.

Abstract: A machine manager controls the deployment and management of machines for an online service. The machine manager is configured to manually/automatically deploy farms, upgrade farms, add machines, remove machines, start machines, stop machines, and the like. The machine manager keeps track of the locations of the machines, the roles of the machines within the networks, as well as other characteristics relating to the machines (e.g. health of the machines). Instead of upgrading software on the machines in a farm that are currently handling requests, one or more machines are configured in a new farm with the selected disk images and then the requests are moved from the old farm to the new farm.

Abstract: A cloud manager assists in deploying and managing networks for an online service. The cloud manager system receives requests to perform operations relating to configuring, updating and performing tasks in networks that are used in providing the online service. The management of the assets may comprise deploying machines, updating machines, removing machines, performing configuration changes on servers, Virtual Machines (VMs), as well as performing other tasks relating to the management. The cloud manager is configured to receive requests through an idempotent and asynchronous application programming interface (API) that can not rely on a reliable network.

Abstract: An online service includes managed databases that include one or more tenants (e.g. customers, users). A multi-tenant database may be split between two or more databases while the database being split continues processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while content is being moved. After moving the content, tenant traffic is automatically redirected to the database that contains the tenant's content.

Abstract: An online service includes databases that are upgraded while still processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while it is being upgraded. The schema of the database is upgraded before the web servers are upgraded to utilize the upgraded schema. Changes that are made to the upgraded schema are backwards compatible with the schema being used during the upgrade process. Restrictions are placed on the operations performed on the database during the upgrade process. After upgrading the schema, the web servers of the online service are upgraded to use the upgraded schema.

Abstract: A cloud manager is utilized in the patching of physical machines and virtual machines that are used within an online service, such as an online content management service. The cloud manager assists in the scheduling of the application of software patches to the machines (physical and virtual) within the network such that the availability of the online service is maintained while machines are being patched. The machines to be patched are partitioned into groups that are patched at different times. Generally, the groups are partitioned into a highly available independent groups of machines such that one or more of the groups that are not currently being patched continue to provide the service(s) of the group that is being patched. The machines (physical and virtual) within each of the groups may be patched in parallel.