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author | Erlang/OTP <[email protected]> | 2009-11-20 14:54:40 +0000 |
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committer | Erlang/OTP <[email protected]> | 2009-11-20 14:54:40 +0000 |
commit | 84adefa331c4159d432d22840663c38f155cd4c1 (patch) | |
tree | bff9a9c66adda4df2106dfd0e5c053ab182a12bd /system/doc/design_principles/release_handling.xml | |
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The R13B03 release.OTP_R13B03
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diff --git a/system/doc/design_principles/release_handling.xml b/system/doc/design_principles/release_handling.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1d62c242c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/system/doc/design_principles/release_handling.xml @@ -0,0 +1,667 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="latin1" ?> +<!DOCTYPE chapter SYSTEM "chapter.dtd"> + +<chapter> + <header> + <copyright> + <year>2003</year><year>2009</year> + <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder> + </copyright> + <legalnotice> + The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public License, + Version 1.1, (the "License"); you may not use this file except in + compliance with the License. You should have received a copy of the + Erlang Public License along with this software. If not, it can be + retrieved online at http://www.erlang.org/. + + Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" + basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See + the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations + under the License. + + </legalnotice> + + <title>Release Handling</title> + <prepared></prepared> + <docno></docno> + <date></date> + <rev></rev> + <file>release_handling.xml</file> + </header> + + <section> + <title>Release Handling Principles</title> + <p>An important feature of the Erlang programming language is + the ability to change module code in run-time, <em>code replacement</em>, as described in <em>Erlang Reference Manual</em>.</p> + <p>Based on this feature, the OTP application SASL provides a + framework for upgrading and downgrading between different + versions of an entire release in run-time. This is what we call + <em>release handling</em>.</p> + <p>The framework consists of off-line support (<c>systools</c>) for + generating scripts and building release packages, and on-line + support (<c>release_handler</c>) for unpacking and installing + release packages.</p> + <p>Note that the minimal system based on Erlang/OTP, enabling + release handling, thus consists of Kernel, STDLIB and SASL.</p> + <list type="ordered"> + <item> + <p>A release is created as described in the previous chapter + <seealso marker="release_structure">Releases</seealso>. + The release is transferred to and installed at target + environment. Refer to <em>System Principles</em> for + information of how to install the first target system.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>Modifications, for example error corrections, are made to + the code in the development environment.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>At some point it is time to make a new version of release. + The relevant <c>.app</c> files are updated and a new + <c>.rel</c> file is written.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>For each modified application, an + <seealso marker="#appup">application upgrade file</seealso>, + <c>.appup</c>, is created. In this file, it is described how + to upgrade and/or downgrade between the old and new version of + the application.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>Based on the <c>.appup</c> files, a + <seealso marker="#relup">release upgrade file</seealso> called + <c>relup</c>, is created. This file describes how to upgrade + and/or downgrade between the old and new version of + the entire release.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>A new release package is made and transferred to + the target system.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>The new release package is unpacked using the release + handler.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>The new version of the release is installed, also using + the release handler. This is done by evaluating + the instructions in <c>relup</c>. Modules may be added, + deleted or re-loaded, applications may be started, stopped or + re-started etc. In some cases, it is even necessary to restart + the entire emulator.</p> + <p>If the installation fails, the system may be rebooted. + The old release version is then automatically used.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>If the installation succeeds, the new version is made + the default version, which should now be used in case of a + system reboot.</p> + </item> + </list> + <p>The next chapter, <seealso marker="appup_cookbook">Appup Cookbook</seealso>, contains examples of <c>.appup</c> files + for typical cases of upgrades/downgrades that are normally easy + to handle in run-time. However, there are a many aspects that can + make release handling complicated. To name a few examples:</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item> + <p>Complicated or circular dependencies can make it difficult + or even impossible to decide in which order things must be + done without risking run-time errors during an upgrade or + downgrade. Dependencies may be:</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item>between nodes,</item> + <item>between processes, and</item> + <item>between modules.</item> + </list> + </item> + <item> + <p>During release handling, non-affected processes continue + normal execution. This may lead to timeouts or other problems. + For example, new processes created in the time window between + suspending processes using a certain module and loading a new + version of this module, may execute old code.</p> + </item> + </list> + <p>It is therefore recommended that code is changed in as small + steps as possible, and always kept backwards compatible.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="req"></marker> + <title>Requirements</title> + <p>For release handling to work properly, the runtime system needs + to have knowledge about which release it is currently running. It + must also be able to change (in run-time) which boot script and + system configuration file should be used if the system is + rebooted, for example by <c>heart</c> after a failure. + Therefore, Erlang must be started as an embedded system, see + <em>Embedded System</em> for information on how to do this.</p> + <p>For system reboots to work properly, it is also required that + the system is started with heart beat monitoring, see + <c>erl(1)</c> and <c>heart(3)</c>.</p> + <p>Other requirements:</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item> + <p>The boot script included in a release package must be + generated from the same <c>.rel</c> file as the release + package itself.</p> + <p>Information about applications are fetched from the script + when an upgrade or downgrade is performed.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>The system must be configured using one and only one system + configuration file, called <c>sys.config</c>.</p> + <p>If found, this file is automatically included when a release + package is created.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>All versions of a release, except the first one, must + contain a <c>relup</c> file.</p> + <p>If found, this file is automatically included when a release + package is created.</p> + </item> + </list> + </section> + + <section> + <title>Distributed Systems</title> + <p>If the system consists of several Erlang nodes, each node may use + its own version of the release. The release handler is a locally + registered process and must be called at each node where an + upgrade or downgrade is required. There is a release handling + instruction that can be used to synchronize the release handler + processes at a number of nodes: <c>sync_nodes</c>. See + <c>appup(4)</c>.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="instr"></marker> + <title>Release Handling Instructions</title> + <p>OTP supports a set of <em>release handling instructions</em> + that is used when creating <c>.appup</c> files. The release + handler understands a subset of these, the <em>low-level</em> + instructions. To make it easier for the user, there are also a + number of <em>high-level</em> instructions, which are translated + to low-level instructions by <c>systools:make_relup</c>.</p> + <p>Here, some of the most frequently used instructions are + described. The complete list of instructions is found in + <c>appup(4)</c>.</p> + <p>First, some definitions:</p> + <taglist> + <tag><em>Residence module</em></tag> + <item> + <p>The module where a process has its tail-recursive loop + function(s). If the tail-recursive loop functions are + implemented in several modules, all those modules are residence + modules for the process.</p> + </item> + <tag><em>Functional module</em></tag> + <item> + <p>A module which is not a residence module for any process.</p> + </item> + </taglist> + <p>Note that for a process implemented using an OTP behaviour, + the behaviour module is the residence module for that process. + The callback module is a functional module.</p> + + <section> + <title>load_module</title> + <p>If a simple extension has been made to a functional module, it + is sufficient to simply load the new version of the module into + the system, and remove the old version. This is called + <em>simple code replacement</em> and for this the following + instruction is used:</p> + <code type="none"> +{load_module, Module}</code> + </section> + + <section> + <title>update</title> + <p>If a more complex change has been made, for example a change + to the format of the internal state of a gen_server, simple code + replacement is not sufficient. Instead it is necessary to + suspend the processes using the module (to avoid that they try + to handle any requests before the code replacement is + completed), ask them to transform the internal state format and + switch to the new version of the module, remove the old version + and last, resume the processes. This is called <em>synchronized code replacement</em> and for this the following instructions + are used:</p> + <code type="none"> +{update, Module, {advanced, Extra}} +{update, Module, supervisor}</code> + <p><c>update</c> with argument <c>{advanced,Extra}</c> is used + when changing the internal state of a behaviour as described + above. It will cause behaviour processes to call the callback + function <c>code_change</c>, passing the term <c>Extra</c> and + some other information as arguments. See the man pages for + the respective behaviours and + <seealso marker="appup_cookbook#int_state">Appup Cookbook</seealso>.</p> + <p><c>update</c> with argument <c>supervisor</c> is used when + changing the start specification of a supervisor. See + <seealso marker="appup_cookbook#sup">Appup Cookbook</seealso>.</p> + <p>The release handler finds the processes <em>using</em> a module + to update by traversing the supervision tree of each running + application and checking all the child specifications:</p> + <code type="none"> +{Id, StartFunc, Restart, Shutdown, Type, Modules}</code> + <p>A process is using a module if the name is listed in + <c>Modules</c> in the child specification for the process.</p> + <p>If <c>Modules=dynamic</c>, which is the case for event + managers, the event manager process informs the release handler + about the list of currently installed event handlers (gen_fsm) + and it is checked if the module name is in this list instead.</p> + <p>The release handler suspends, asks for code change, and + resumes processes by calling the functions + <c>sys:suspend/1,2</c>, <c>sys:change_code/4,5</c> and + <c>sys:resume/1,2</c> respectively.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <title>add_module and delete_module</title> + <p>If a new module is introduced, the following instruction is + used:</p> + <code type="none"> +{add_module, Module}</code> + <p>The instruction loads the module and is absolutely necessary + when running Erlang in embedded mode. It is not strictly + required when running Erlang in interactive (default) mode, + since the code server automatically searches for and loads + unloaded modules.</p> + <p>The opposite of <c>add_module</c> is <c>delete_module</c> which + unloads a module:</p> + <code type="none"> +{delete_module, Module}</code> + <p>Note that any process, in any application, with <c>Module</c> + as residence module, is killed when the instruction is + evaluated. The user should therefore ensure that all such + processes are terminated before deleting the module, to avoid + a possible situation with failing supervisor restarts.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <title>Application Instructions</title> + <p>Instruction for adding an application:</p> + <code type="none"> +{add_application, Application}</code> + <p>Adding an application means that the modules defined by + the <c>modules</c> key in the <c>.app</c> file are loaded using + a number of <c>add_module</c> instructions, then the application + is started.</p> + <p>Instruction for removing an application:</p> + <code type="none"> +{remove_application, Application}</code> + <p>Removing an application means that the application is stopped, + the modules are unloaded using a number of <c>delete_module</c> + instructions and then the application specification is unloaded + from the application controller.</p> + <p>Instruction for removing an application:</p> + <code type="none"> +{restart_application, Application}</code> + <p>Restarting an application means that the application is stopped + and then started again similar to using the instructions + <c>remove_application</c> and <c>add_application</c> in + sequence.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <title>apply (low-level)</title> + <p>To call an arbitrary function from the release handler, + the following instruction is used:</p> + <code type="none"> +{apply, {M, F, A}}</code> + <p>The release handler will evalute <c>apply(M, F, A)</c>.</p> + </section> + + <section> + <title>restart_new_emulator (low-level)</title> + <p>This instruction is used when changing to a new emulator + version, or if a system reboot is needed for some other reason. + Requires that the system is started with heart beat + monitoring, see <c>erl(1)</c> and <c>heart(3)</c>.</p> + <p>When the release handler encounters the instruction, it shuts + down the current emulator by calling <c>init:reboot()</c>, see + <c>init(3)</c>. All processes are terminated gracefully and + the system can then be rebooted by the heart program, using + the new release version. This new version must still be made + permanent when the new emulator is up and running. Otherwise, + the old version is used in case of a new system reboot.</p> + <p>On UNIX, the release handler tells the heart program which + command to use to reboot the system. Note that the environment + variable <c>HEART_COMMAND</c>, normally used by the heart + program, in this case is ignored. The command instead defaults + to <c>$ROOT/bin/start</c>. Another command can be set + by using the SASL configuration parameter <c>start_prg</c>, see + <c>sasl(6)</c>.</p> + </section> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="appup"></marker> + <title>Application Upgrade File</title> + <p>To define how to upgrade/downgrade between the current version + and previous versions of an application, we create an + <em>application upgrade file</em>, or in short <c>.appup</c> file. + The file should be called <c>Application.appup</c>, where + <c>Application</c> is the name of the application:</p> + <code type="none"> +{Vsn, + [{UpFromVsn1, InstructionsU1}, + ..., + {UpFromVsnK, InstructionsUK}], + [{DownToVsn1, InstructionsD1}, + ..., + {DownToVsnK, InstructionsDK}]}.</code> + <p><c>Vsn</c>, a string, is the current version of the application, + as defined in the <c>.app</c> file. Each <c>UpFromVsn</c> + is a previous version of the application to upgrade from, and each + <c>DownToVsn</c> is a previous version of the application to + downgrade to. Each <c>Instructions</c> is a list of release + handling instructions.</p> + <p>The syntax and contents of the <c>appup</c> file are described + in detail in <c>appup(4)</c>.</p> + <p>In the chapter <seealso marker="appup_cookbook">Appup Cookbook</seealso>, examples of <c>.appup</c> files for typical + upgrade/downgrade cases are given.</p> + <p>Example: Consider the release <c>ch_rel-1</c> from + the <seealso marker="release_structure#ch_rel">Releases</seealso> + chapter. Assume we want to add a function <c>available/0</c> to + the server <c>ch3</c> which returns the number of available + channels:</p> + <p>(Hint: When trying out the example, make the changes in a copy of + the original directory, so that the first versions are still + available.)</p> + <code type="none"> +-module(ch3). +-behaviour(gen_server). + +-export([start_link/0]). +-export([alloc/0, free/1]). +-export([available/0]). +-export([init/1, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2]). + +start_link() -> + gen_server:start_link({local, ch3}, ch3, [], []). + +alloc() -> + gen_server:call(ch3, alloc). + +free(Ch) -> + gen_server:cast(ch3, {free, Ch}). + +available() -> + gen_server:call(ch3, available). + +init(_Args) -> + {ok, channels()}. + +handle_call(alloc, _From, Chs) -> + {Ch, Chs2} = alloc(Chs), + {reply, Ch, Chs2}; +handle_call(available, _From, Chs) -> + N = available(Chs), + {reply, N, Chs}. + +handle_cast({free, Ch}, Chs) -> + Chs2 = free(Ch, Chs), + {noreply, Chs2}.</code> + <p>A new version of the <c>ch_app.app</c> file must now be created, + where the version is updated:</p> + <code type="none"> +{application, ch_app, + [{description, "Channel allocator"}, + {vsn, "2"}, + {modules, [ch_app, ch_sup, ch3]}, + {registered, [ch3]}, + {applications, [kernel, stdlib, sasl]}, + {mod, {ch_app,[]}} + ]}.</code> + <p>To upgrade <c>ch_app</c> from <c>"1"</c> to <c>"2"</c> (and + to downgrade from <c>"2"</c> to <c>"1"</c>), we simply need to + load the new (old) version of the <c>ch3</c> callback module. + We create the application upgrade file <c>ch_app.appup</c> in + the <c>ebin</c> directory:</p> + <code type="none"> +{"2", + [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}], + [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}] +}.</code> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="relup"></marker> + <title>Release Upgrade File</title> + <p>To define how to upgrade/downgrade between the new version and + previous versions of a release, we create a <em>release upgrade file</em>, or in short <c>relup</c> file.</p> + <p>This file does not need to be created manually, it can be + generated by <c>systools:make_relup/3,4</c>. The relevant versions + of the <c>.rel</c> file, <c>.app</c> files and <c>.appup</c> files + are used as input. It is deducted which applications should be + added and deleted, and which applications that need to be upgraded + and/or downgraded. The instructions for this is fetched from + the <c>.appup</c> files and transformed into a single list of + low-level instructions in the right order.</p> + <p>If the <c>relup</c> file is relatively simple, it can be created + manually. Remember that it should only contain low-level + instructions.</p> + <p>The syntax and contents of the release upgrade file are + described in detail in <c>relup(4)</c>.</p> + <p>Example, continued from the previous section. We have a new + version "2" of <c>ch_app</c> and an <c>.appup</c> file. We also + need a new version of the <c>.rel</c> file. This time the file is + called <c>ch_rel-2.rel</c> and the release version string is + changed changed from "A" to "B":</p> + <code type="none"> +{release, + {"ch_rel", "B"}, + {erts, "5.3"}, + [{kernel, "2.9"}, + {stdlib, "1.12"}, + {sasl, "1.10"}, + {ch_app, "2"}] +}.</code> + <p>Now the <c>relup</c> file can be generated:</p> + <pre> +1> <input>systools:make_relup("ch_rel-2", ["ch_rel-1"], ["ch_rel-1"]).</input> +ok</pre> + <p>This will generate a <c>relup</c> file with instructions for + how to upgrade from version "A" ("ch_rel-1") to version "B" + ("ch_rel-2") and how to downgrade from version "B" to version "A".</p> + <p>Note that both the old and new versions of the <c>.app</c> and + <c>.rel</c> files must be in the code path, as well as + the <c>.appup</c> and (new) <c>.beam</c> files. It is possible + to extend the code path by using the option <c>path</c>:</p> + <pre> +1> <input>systools:make_relup("ch_rel-2", ["ch_rel-1"], ["ch_rel-1"],</input> +<input>[{path,["../ch_rel-1",</input> +<input>"../ch_rel-1/lib/ch_app-1/ebin"]}]).</input> +ok</pre> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="rel_handler"></marker> + <title>Installing a Release</title> + <p>When we have made a new version of a release, a release package + can be created with this new version and transferred to the target + environment.</p> + <p>To install the new version of the release in run-time, + the <em>release handler</em> is used. This is a process belonging + to the SASL application, that handles unpacking, installation, + and removal of release packages. It is interfaced through + the module <c>release_handler</c>, which is described in detail in + <c>release_handler(3)</c>.</p> + <p>Assuming there is a target system up and running with + installation root directory <c>$ROOT</c>, the release package with + the new version of the release should be copied to + <c>$ROOT/releases</c>.</p> + <p>The first action is to <em>unpack</em> the release package, + the files are then extracted from the package:</p> + <code type="none"> +release_handler:unpack_release(ReleaseName) => {ok, Vsn}</code> + <p><c>ReleaseName</c> is the name of the release package except + the <c>.tar.gz</c> extension. <c>Vsn</c> is the version of + the unpacked release, as defined in its <c>.rel</c> file.</p> + <p>A directory <c>$ROOT/lib/releases/Vsn</c> will be created, where + the <c>.rel</c> file, the boot script <c>start.boot</c>, + the system configuration file <c>sys.config</c> and <c>relup</c> + are placed. For applications with new version numbers, + the application directories will be placed under <c>$ROOT/lib</c>. + Unchanged applications are not affected.</p> + <p>An unpacked release can be <em>installed</em>. The release + handler then evaluates the instructions in <c>relup</c>, step by + step:</p> + <code type="none"> +release_handler:install_release(Vsn) => {ok, FromVsn, []}</code> + <p>If an error occurs during the installation, the system is + rebooted using the old version of the release. If installation + succeeds, the system is afterwards using the new version of + the release, but should anything happen and the system is + rebooted, it would start using the previous version again. To be + made the default version, the newly installed release must be made + <em>permanent</em>, which means the previous version becomes + <em>old</em>:</p> + <code type="none"> +release_handler:make_permanent(Vsn) => ok</code> + <p>The system keeps information about which versions are old and + permanent in the files <c>$ROOT/releases/RELEASES</c> and + <c>$ROOT/releases/start_erl.data</c>.</p> + <p>To downgrade from <c>Vsn</c> to <c>FromVsn</c>, + <c>install_release</c> must be called again:</p> + <code type="none"> +release_handler:install_release(FromVsn) => {ok, Vsn, []}</code> + <p>An installed, but not permanent, release can be <em>removed</em>. + Information about the release is then deleted from + <c>$ROOT/releases/RELEASES</c> and the release specific code, + that is the new application directories and + the <c>$ROOT/releases/Vsn</c> directory, are removed.</p> + <code type="none"> +release_handler:remove_release(Vsn) => ok</code> + <p>Example, continued from the previous sections:</p> + <p>1) Create a target system as described in <em>System Principles</em> of the first version <c>"A"</c> of <c>ch_rel</c> + from + the <seealso marker="release_structure#ch_rel">Releases</seealso> + chapter. This time <c>sys.config</c> must be included in + the release package. If no configuration is needed, the file + should contain the empty list:</p> + <code type="none"> +[].</code> + <p>2) Start the system as a simple target system. Note that in + reality, it should be started as an embedded system. However, + using <c>erl</c> with the correct boot script and <c>.config</c> + file is enough for illustration purposes:</p> + <pre> +% <input>cd $ROOT</input> +% <input>bin/erl -boot $ROOT/releases/A/start -config $ROOT/releases/A/sys</input> +...</pre> + <p><c>$ROOT</c> is the installation directory of the target system.</p> + <p>3) In another Erlang shell, generate start scripts and create a + release package for the new version <c>"B"</c>. Remember to + include (a possible updated) <c>sys.config</c> and + the <c>relup</c> file, see <seealso marker="#relup">Release Upgrade File</seealso> above.</p> + <pre> +1> <input>systools:make_script("ch_rel-2").</input> +ok +2> <input>systools:make_tar("ch_rel-2").</input> +ok</pre> + <p>The new release package now contains version "2" of <c>ch_app</c> + and the <c>relup</c> file as well:</p> + <code type="none"> +% tar tf ch_rel-2.tar +lib/kernel-2.9/ebin/kernel.app +lib/kernel-2.9/ebin/application.beam +... +lib/stdlib-1.12/ebin/stdlib.app +lib/stdlib-1.12/ebin/beam_lib.beam +... +lib/sasl-1.10/ebin/sasl.app +lib/sasl-1.10/ebin/sasl.beam +... +lib/ch_app-2/ebin/ch_app.app +lib/ch_app-2/ebin/ch_app.beam +lib/ch_app-2/ebin/ch_sup.beam +lib/ch_app-2/ebin/ch3.beam +releases/B/start.boot +releases/B/relup +releases/B/sys.config +releases/ch_rel-2.rel</code> + <p>4) Copy the release package <c>ch_rel-2.tar.gz</c> to + the <c>$ROOT/releases</c> directory.</p> + <p>5) In the running target system, unpack the release package:</p> + <pre> +1> <input>release_handler:unpack_release("ch_rel-2").</input> +{ok,"B"}</pre> + <p>The new application version <c>ch_app-2</c> is installed under + <c>$ROOT/lib</c> next to <c>ch_app-1</c>. The <c>kernel</c>, + <c>stdlib</c> and <c>sasl</c> directories are not affected, as + they have not changed.</p> + <p>Under <c>$ROOT/releases</c>, a new directory <c>B</c> is created, + containing <c>ch_rel-2.rel</c>, <c>start.boot</c>, + <c>sys.config</c> and <c>relup</c>.</p> + <p>6) Check if the function <c>ch3:available/0</c> is available:</p> + <pre> +2> <input>ch3:available().</input> +** exception error: undefined function ch3:available/0</pre> + <p>7) Install the new release. The instructions in + <c>$ROOT/releases/B/relup</c> are executed one by one, resulting + in the new version of <c>ch3</c> being loaded. The function + <c>ch3:available/0</c> is now available:</p> + <pre> +3> <input>release_handler:install_release("B").</input> +{ok,"A",[]} +4> <input>ch3:available().</input> +3 +5> <input>code:which(ch3).</input> +".../lib/ch_app-2/ebin/ch3.beam" +6> <input>code:which(ch_sup).</input> +".../lib/ch_app-1/ebin/ch_sup.beam"</pre> + <p>Note that processes in <c>ch_app</c> for which code have not + been updated, for example the supervisor, are still evaluating + code from <c>ch_app-1</c>.</p> + <p>8) If the target system is now rebooted, it will use version "A" + again. The "B" version must be made permanent, in order to be + used when the system is rebooted.</p> + <pre> +7> <input>release_handler:make_permanent("B").</input> +ok</pre> + </section> + + <section> + <marker id="sys"></marker> + <title>Updating Application Specifications</title> + <p>When a new version of a release is installed, the application + specifications are automatically updated for all loaded + applications.</p> + <note> + <p>The information about the new application specifications are + fetched from the boot script included in the release package. + It is therefore important that the boot script is generated from + the same <c>.rel</c> file as is used to build the release + package itself.</p> + </note> + <p>Specifically, the application configuration parameters are + automatically updated according to (in increasing priority + order):</p> + <list type="ordered"> + <item>The data in the boot script, fetched from the new + application resource file <c>App.app</c></item> + <item>The new <c>sys.config</c></item> + <item>Command line arguments <c>-App Par Val</c></item> + </list> + <p>This means that parameter values set in the other system + configuration files, as well as values set using + <c>application:set_env/3</c>, are disregarded.</p> + <p>When an installed release is made permanent, the system process + <c>init</c> is set to point out the new <c>sys.config</c>.</p> + <p>After the installation, the application controller will compare + the old and new configuration parameters for all running + applications and call the callback function:</p> + <code type="none"> +Module:config_change(Changed, New, Removed)</code> + <p><c>Module</c> is the application callback module as defined by + the <c>mod</c> key in the <c>.app</c> file. <c>Changed</c> and + <c>New</c> are lists of <c>{Par,Val}</c> for all changed and + added configuration parameters, respectively. <c>Removed</c> is + a list of all parameters <c>Par</c> that have been removed.</p> + <p>The function is optional and may be omitted when implementing an + application callback module.</p> + </section> +</chapter> + |