Alternate Model Loading Process

Instead of loading models in production, you can copy specific tables to your production environment instead of loading models in real time.

Current Model Loading Process

  1. Create models in your catalog modeling application in the integration test environment.
  2. Publish these models to OPE in the integration test environment.
  3. Perform end-to-end tests before launching new offers or products in the test environment.
  4. Publish these models in OPE in the production environment.
  5. Perform sanity testing in production environment.

Alternate Model Loading Process

  1. Create models in your catalog modeling application in the integration test environment.
  2. Publish these models to OPE in the integration test environment.
  3. Perform end-to-end tests before launching new offers or products in the test environment.
  4. Export DATA_MODEL, DATA_MODEL_RELATION, and SERVER_CACHE tables from the integration environment.
  5. Copy DATA_MODEL, DATA_MODEL_RELATION, and SERVER_CACHE tables to the production environment.

    Start/ Open or perform a rolling restart of OPE servers.

The following are alternatives to Step 5 in the Alternative Model Loading Process.

  • Option 1: Replace tables using the_TEMP table approach
    1. Copy the DATA_MODEL, DATA_MODEL_RELATION, and SERVER_CACHE tables as temporary tables (_TEMP) in the production environment while the environment is still running
    2. Stop OPE.
    3. Swap the _TEMP tables for actual tables.
    4. Rebuild any required indexes.
    5. Start OPE.
  • Option 2: Use Online Table Redefinition

    This approach is used for table DML changes. The original table is unmodified for the duration of DDL changes. When the index is rebuilt, the process holds an exclusive lock on the table and all online requests are queued for that duration to be served later.

    We used this approach for moving from non-partitioned to a partitioned database. The advantage of this approach was, no downtime is required for making table changes.

    1. Use online redefinition to create a new table and copy data from the _TEMP table.
    2. Rebuild any required indexes.
    3. Perform a rolling restart of OPE servers for the application to read the updated table data.

    For more information on online redefinition see https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B28359_01/server.111/b28310/tables007.htm#ADMIN01514.