Aliases for accessing shared tables during provision of continuous access during application upgrade

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, using one or more data processors, a first data-set characterizing a first version of an application, the first data-set comprising a plurality of tables arranged according to an original database schema characterizing a first database structure and a second database structure, the first database structure characterizing an arrangement of data in the first version of the application, the second database structure characterizing a desired arrangement of data in a second version of the application;

generating, using one or more data processors, a copy of a first portion of the first data-set on a temporary system, data of the temporary system being arranged according to a temporary database schema, the temporary database schema comprising a first set of one or more aliases to access a second portion of the first data-set, the first set of one or more aliases preventing generation of a copy of the first data-set in entirety, a selective access to the data of the temporary database schema being continuously enabled and provided to a client computer operated by a user when the upgrade of the application is being performed, the temporary system being operably coupled to the client computer via a communication network;

upgrading, using one or more data processors, the first data-set to generate a second data-set associated with an upgraded application, the updating being based on the second database structure and being performed asynchronously for a plurality of users, the second data-set being arranged according to the second database structure of an upgrade database schema, the upgrade database schema comprising a second set of one or more aliases to access a third portion of the first data-set; and

enabling, using one or more data processors, access by the client computer to the second data-set after the upgrade of the application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is executed in a computing landscape comprising an enterprise resource planning system, a customer relationship management system, and a business warehouse system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first version of the application is an original version of the application; and

the second version of the application is an upgraded version of the application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of tables comprise a first plurality of tables associated with the first database structure and a second plurality of tables associated with the second database structure;

the first plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the first database structure; and

the second plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the second database stricture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, using one or more data processors, a shadow database schema, the shadow database schema characterizing the second database structure, the shadow database schema comprising a third set of one or more aliases to access a fourth portion of the first data-set.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fourth portion of the first data-set comprises:

repository tables associated with the second database structure; and

temporary data operational tables associated with the second database structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified offline during the upgrade; and

application tables that are imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade; and

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third portion of the first data-set comprises operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

10. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a first data-set characterizing a first version of an application, the first data-set comprising a plurality of tables arranged according to an original database schema characterizing a first database structure and a second database structure, the first database structure characterizing an arrangement of data in the first version of the application, the second database structure characterizing a desired arrangement of data in an upgraded version of the application;

generating a copy of a first portion of the first data-set, the copy being generated on a temporary system, data of the temporary system being arranged according to a temporary database schema, the temporary database schema comprising a first set of one or more aliases to access a second portion of the first data-set, the first set of one or more aliases preventing a need for generation of a copy of the first data-set in entirety, a selective access to the data of the temporary database schema being continuously enabled for a client computer operated by a user when the upgrade of the application is being performed, the temporary system being operably coupled to the client computer via a communication network;

upgrading the first data-set to generate a second data-set associated with an upgraded application, the upgrading being based on the second database structure and being performed asynchronously for a plurality of users, the second data-set being arranged according to the second database structure of an upgrade database schema, the upgrade database schema comprising a second set of one or more aliases to access a third portion of the first data-set; and

enabling, for the client computer operated by the user, access to the second data-set after the upgrade of the application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:

the first data-set is obtained from a central database implemented at a central server; and

the central server is accessed by temporary system via a network.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the network is internet.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:

the plurality of tables comprise a first plurality of tables associated with the first database structure and a second plurality of tables associated with the second database structure;

the first plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the first database structure; and

the second plurality of tables comprises repository tables, temporary data operational tables, operational tables, and application tables that are associated with the second database structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified offline during the upgrade; and

application tables that are imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade; and

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the third portion of the first data-set comprises operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

17. A system comprising:

at least one hardware programmable processor; and

a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware programmable processor, cause the at least one hardware programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first data-set characterizing a first version of an application, the first data-set comprising a plurality of tables arranged according to an original database schema characterizing a first database structure and a second database structure, the first database structure characterizing an arrangement of data in the first version of the application, the second database structure characterizing a desired arrangement of data in an upgraded version of the application;

generating a copy of a first portion of the first data-set, the copy being generated on a temporary system, data of the temporary system being arranged according to a temporary database schema, the temporary database schema comprising a first set of one or more aliases to access a second portion of the first data-set, the first set of one or more aliases preventing generation of a copy of the first data-set in entirety, a selective access to the data of the temporary database schema being continuously provided to a client computer of a user when the upgrade of the application is being performed, the temporary system being operably coupled to the client computer via a communication network;

upgrading the first data-set to generate second data-set associated with an upgraded application, the upgrading being based on the second database structure and being performed asynchronously for a plurality of users, the second data-set being arranged according to the second database structure of an upgrade database schema, the upgrade database schema comprising a second set of one or more aliases to access a third portion of the first data-set; and

providing, to the client computer operated by the user, access to the second data-set after the upgrade of the application.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:

the first portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified online during the upgrade;

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are modified offline during the upgrade; and

application tables that are imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade;

the second portion of the first data-set comprises:

operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade; and

application tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade; and

the third portion of the first data-set comprises operational tables that are not imported during the upgrade and that are not modified during the upgrade.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein:

the application is executed in a distributed computing landscape comprising an enterprise resource planning system, a customer relationship management system, and a business warehouse system;

the first version of the application characterizes a first version of the distributed computing landscape; and

the upgraded version of the application characterizes an upgraded version of the distributed computing landscape.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the first data-set are separate from each other.