Once you are in receipt of an Applaud patch, you are able to deploy the software following the steps below. In addition to these steps, you will usually perform other tasks in parallel such as project management and internal communications.
- Patch Installation. Patch Installation is automated and is typically performed by your Database Administrator. The patch is installed on all of your Application Tier nodes, including any external nodes. Some post-requisite installation steps may be performed by your Functional Super Users.
- Activation (one-time activity after purchase). Applaud Products require one-time activation. The activation process is designed to be as simple and easy as possible and takes just a few minutes. Once an Applaud product is purchased and installed, you supply our Activation Team with your serial numbers (one for each database) and our Activation Team will then provide you with Activation Codes. Activation is typically performed by a Database Administrator or Functional Super User.
- Configuration (only required for new products and some updates). Much of the initial configuration is automated during installation. Applaud products have deep configuration options and this activity may stretch from a few days (minimum) to several weeks. Configuration is typically performed by a Functional Super User.
- Mobile Deployment. Deploy the app into your Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform and push it to users’ devices, or publish the app into the public app stores. This step is not necessary if you are pointing your users to our public mobile apps or if you’re not deploying mobile.
Steps 1-3 will be repeated for each database. For example, if you have a DEV, TEST, and PROD environment you will repeat these steps 3 times.
Downtime
The installation has been designed to reduce downtime to a minimum by:
- Automating as much of the installation as possible
- Allowing patch installation without bringing down any Database services
- Only requiring a restart of the Application Tier services when necessary (eg, when delivering new PL/SQL or java objects)
- Automatically recompiling invalid objects at the end of the installation
- Moving some installation tasks to online tasks that are executed by concurrent programs
Timing
Applaud Products are designed for rapid deployment. The actual time taken to deploy each product will vary according to the size of the patch and the complexity of your chosen configuration.
The following metrics are designed to give you a feel for timings on one UNIX or Linux system with basic configuration and all pre-requisites satisfied. These are guidelines only; the actual time it takes may vary.
| Step | Includes | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Downloading the patch zip file, installation, manual steps, and post-install steps | Approximately 1 hour per Application Tier node |
| Activation | Retrieving of serial numbers; entering of activation codes | < 30 minutes effort (elapsed time around 1 day) |
| Configuration | Up to 3 configuration steps are performed by a user that already has the required access | Varies based on requirements from 1 hour to several days |
| Mobile Deployment | Repacking the app and deploying on an MDM platform or into the public app store | Minimum of 2 weeks if publishing to the public app stores; Approximately 1-2 days if not. |