Integrating preview systems for early validation and maintenance in development-to-production landscapes provisioned by continuous delivery

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

upgrading a development maintenance (Dev-Maintain) computing system from a release version n to a release version n+1, wherein a production (Prod) computing system is on the release version n, and a development preview (Dev-Preview) computing system is on the release version n+1;

transporting changes from the Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Maintain computing system;

merging inactive changes transported from the Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Maintain computing system to generate merged changes;

transporting the merged changes to the Dev-Preview computing system;

performing a release version upgrade to the Prod computing system and to the Dev-Preview computing system; and

transporting active changes from the Dev-Maintain computing system to the Prod computing system, wherein the changes are an inactive form if the changes collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system and the changes are in an active form if the changes do not collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the merged changes are transported to the Dev-Preview computing system with an overwrite parameter set to ensure that the Dev-Preview computing system also includes merged data objects on the Dev-Maintain computing system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the release version upgrade upgrades the Prod computing system to the release version n+1 and the Dev-Preview computing system to a release version n+2.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising, following the release version upgrade of the Dev-Preview computing system to the release version n+2, transporting changes from a second Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Preview system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

merging inactive changes transported from the second Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Preview system to generate second merged changes; and

transporting the second merged changes to the second Dev-Preview computing system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising performing a release version upgrade on the second Dev-Preview computing system, wherein the second Dev-Preview computing system is upgraded to a release version n+3.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

upgrading a development maintenance (Dev-Maintain) computing system from a release version n to a release version n+1, wherein a production (Prod) computing system is on the release version n, and a development preview (Dev-Preview) computing system is on the release version n+1;

transporting changes from the Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Maintain computing system;

merging inactive changes transported from the Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Maintain computing system to generate merged changes;

transporting the merged changes to the Dev-Preview computing system;

performing a release version upgrade to the Prod computing system and to the Dev-Preview computing system; and

transporting active changes from the Dev-Maintain computing system to the Prod computing system wherein the changes are an inactive form if the changes collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system and the changes are in an active form if the changes do not collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the merged changes are transported to the Dev-Preview computing system with an overwrite parameter set to ensure that the Dev-Preview computing system also includes merged data objects on the Dev-Maintain computing system.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the release version upgrade upgrades the Prod computing system to the release version n+1 and the Dev-Preview computing system to a release version n+2.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising one or more instructions to, following the release version upgrade of the Dev-Preview computing system to the release version n+2, transport changes from a second Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Preview system.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising one or more instructions to:

merge inactive changes transported from the second Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Preview system to generate second merged changes; and

transport the second merged changes to the second Dev-Preview computing system.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising one or more instructions to perform a release version upgrade on the second Dev-Preview computing system, wherein the second Dev-Preview computing system is upgraded to a release version n+3.

13. A computer-implemented system, comprising: one or more computers; and one or more computer memory devices interoperably coupled with the one or more computers and having tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, perform one or more operations comprising:

upgrading a development maintenance (Dev-Maintain) computing system from a release version n to a release version n+1, wherein a production (Prod) computing system is on the release version n, and a development preview (Dev-Preview) computing system k on the release version n+1;

transporting changes from the Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Maintain computing system;

merging inactive changes transported from the Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Maintain computing system to generate merged changes;

transporting the merged changes to the Dev-Preview computing system;

performing a release version upgrade to the Prod computing system and to the Dev-Preview computing system; and

transporting active changes from the Dev-Maintain computing system to the Prod computing system, wherein the changes are an inactive form if the changes collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system and the changes are in an active form if the changes do not collide with changes already performed in the Dev-Maintain computing system.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 13 , wherein the merged changes are transported to the Dev-Preview computing system with an overwrite parameter set to ensure that the Dev-Preview computing system also includes merged data objects on the Dev-Maintain computing system.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 13 , wherein the release version upgrade upgrades the Prod computing system to the release version n+1 and the Dev-Preview computing system to a release version n+2.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more instructions to, following the release version upgrade of the Dev-Preview computing system to the release version n+2, transport changes from a second Dev-Preview computing system to the Dev-Preview system.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more instructions to:

merge inactive changes transported from the second Dev-Preview computing system into the Dev-Preview system to generate second merged changes;

transport the second merged changes to the second Dev-Preview computing system; and

perform a release version upgrade on the second Dev-Preview computing system, wherein the second Dev-Preview computing system is upgraded to a release version n+3.