Appup Cookbook

## 12 Appup Cookbook

This chapter contains examples of `.appup` files for typical cases of upgrades/downgrades done in run-time.

### 12.1 Changing a Functional Module

When a change has been made to a functional module, for example if a new function has been added or a bug has been corrected, simple code replacement is sufficient.

Example:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{load_module, m}]}],
     [{"1", [{load_module, m}]}]
    }.

### 12.2 Changing a Residence Module

In a system implemented according to the OTP Design Principles, all processes, except system processes and special processes, reside in one of the behaviours `supervisor`, `gen_server`, `gen_fsm` or `gen_event`. These belong to the STDLIB application and upgrading/downgrading normally requires an emulator restart.

OTP thus provides no support for changing residence modules except in the case of special processes.

### 12.3 Changing a Callback Module

A callback module is a functional module, and for code extensions simple code replacement is sufficient.

Example: When adding a function to `ch3` as described in the example in Release Handling, `ch_app.appup` looks as follows:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}],
     [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}]
    }.

OTP also supports changing the internal state of behaviour processes, see Changing Internal State below.

### 12.4 Changing Internal State

In this case, simple code replacement is not sufficient. The process must explicitly transform its state using the callback function `code_change` before switching to the new version of the callback module. Thus synchronized code replacement is used.

Example: Consider the gen_server `ch3` from the chapter about the gen_server behaviour. The internal state is a term `Chs` representing the available channels. Assume we want add a counter `N` which keeps track of the number of `alloc` requests so far. This means we need to change the format to `{Chs,N}`.

The `.appup` file could look as follows:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{update, ch3, {advanced, []}}]}],
     [{"1", [{update, ch3, {advanced, []}}]}]
    }.

The third element of the `update` instruction is a tuple `{advanced,Extra}` which says that the affected processes should do a state transformation before loading the new version of the module. This is done by the processes calling the callback function `code_change` (see `gen_server(3)`). The term `Extra`, in this case [], is passed as-is to the function:

    -module(ch3).
    ...
    -export([code_change/3]).
    ...
    code_change({down, _Vsn}, {Chs, N}, _Extra) ->
        {ok, Chs};
    code_change(_Vsn, Chs, _Extra) ->
        {ok, {Chs, 0}}.

The first argument is `{down,Vsn}` in case of a downgrade, or `Vsn` in case of an upgrade. The term `Vsn` is fetched from the 'original' version of the module, i.e. the version we are upgrading from, or downgrading to.

The version is defined by the module attribute `vsn`, if any. There is no such attribute in `ch3`, so in this case the version is the checksum (a huge integer) of the BEAM file, an uninteresting value which is ignored.

(The other callback functions of `ch3` need to be modified as well and perhaps a new interface function added, this is not shown here).

### 12.5 Module Dependencies

Assume we extend a module by adding a new interface function, as in the example in Release Handling, where a function `available/0` is added to `ch3`.

If we also add a call to this function, say in the module `m1`, a run-time error could occur during release upgrade if the new version of `m1` is loaded first and calls `ch3:available/0` before the new version of `ch3` is loaded.

Thus, `ch3` must be loaded before `m1` is, in the upgrade case, and vice versa in the downgrade case. We say that `m1` is dependent on `ch3`. In a release handling instruction, this is expressed by the element `DepMods`:

    {load_module, Module, DepMods}
    {update, Module, {advanced, Extra}, DepMods}

`DepMods` is a list of modules, on which `Module` is dependent.

Example: The module `m1` in the application `myapp` is dependent on `ch3` when upgrading from "1" to "2", or downgrading from "2" to "1":

    myapp.appup:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{load_module, m1, [ch3]}]}],
     [{"1", [{load_module, m1, [ch3]}]}]
    }.

    ch_app.appup:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}],
     [{"1", [{load_module, ch3}]}]
    }.

If `m1` and `ch3` had belonged to the same application, the `.appup` file could have looked like this:

    {"2",
     [{"1",
       [{load_module, ch3},
        {load_module, m1, [ch3]}]}],
     [{"1",
       [{load_module, ch3},
        {load_module, m1, [ch3]}]}]
    }.

Note that it is `m1` that is dependent on `ch3` also when downgrading. `systools` knows the difference between up- and downgrading and will generate a correct `relup`, where `ch3` is loaded before `m1` when upgrading but `m1` is loaded before `ch3` when downgrading.

### 12.6 Changing Code For a Special Process

In this case, simple code replacement is not sufficient. When a new version of a residence module for a special process is loaded, the process must make a fully qualified call to its loop function to switch to the new code. Thus synchronized code replacement must be used.

| The name(s) of the user-defined residence module(s) must be listed in the `Modules` part of the child specification for the special process, in order for the release handler to find the process.

Example. Consider the example `ch4` from the chapter about sys and proc_lib. When started by a supervisor, the child specification could look like this:

    {ch4, {ch4, start_link, []},
     permanent, brutal_kill, worker, [ch4]}

If `ch4` is part of the application `sp_app` and a new version of the module should be loaded when upgrading from version "1" to "2" of this application, `sp_app.appup` could look like this:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{update, ch4, {advanced, []}}]}],
     [{"1", [{update, ch4, {advanced, []}}]}]
    }.

The `update` instruction must contain the tuple `{advanced,Extra}`. The instruction will make the special process call the callback function `system_code_change/4`, a function the user must implement. The term `Extra`, in this case [], is passed as-is to `system_code_change/4`:

    -module(ch4).
    ...
    -export([system_code_change/4]).
    ...

    system_code_change(Chs, _Module, _OldVsn, _Extra) ->
        {ok, Chs}.

The first argument is the internal state `State` passed from the function `sys:handle_system_msg(Request, From, Parent, Module, Deb, State)`, called by the special process when a system message is received. In `ch4`, the internal state is the set of available channels `Chs`.

The second argument is the name of the module (`ch4`).

The third argument is `Vsn` or `{down,Vsn}` as described for gen_server:code_change/3.

In this case, all arguments but the first are ignored and the function simply returns the internal state again. This is enough if the code only has been extended. If we had wanted to change the internal state (similar to the example in Changing Internal State), it would have been done in this function and `{ok,Chs2}` returned.

### 12.7 Changing a Supervisor

The supervisor behaviour supports changing the internal state, i.e. changing restart strategy and maximum restart frequency properties, as well as changing existing child specifications.

Adding and deleting child processes are also possible, but not handled automatically. Instructions must be given by in the `.appup` file.

#### 12.7.1 Changing Properties

Since the supervisor should change its internal state, synchronized code replacement is required. However, a special `update` instruction must be used.

The new version of the callback module must be loaded first both in the case of upgrade and downgrade. Then the new return value of `init/1` can be checked and the internal state be changed accordingly.

The following `upgrade` instruction is used for supervisors:

    {update, Module, supervisor}

Example: Assume we want to change the restart strategy of `ch_sup` from the Supervisor Behaviour chapter from one_for_one to one_for_all. We change the callback function `init/1` in `ch_sup.erl`:

    -module(ch_sup).
    ...

    init(_Args) ->
        {ok, {{one_for_all, 1, 60}, ...}}.

The file `ch_app.appup`:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{update, ch_sup, supervisor}]}],
     [{"1", [{update, ch_sup, supervisor}]}]
    }.

#### 12.7.2 Changing Child Specifications

The instruction, and thus the `.appup` file, when changing an existing child specification, is the same as when changing properties as described above:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{update, ch_sup, supervisor}]}],
     [{"1", [{update, ch_sup, supervisor}]}]
    }.

The changes do not affect existing child processes. For example, changing the start function only specifies how the child process should be restarted, if needed later on.

Note that the id of the child specification cannot be changed.

Note also that changing the `Modules` field of the child specification may affect the release handling process itself, as this field is used to identify which processes are affected when doing a synchronized code replacement.

#### 12.7.3 Adding And Deleting Child Processes

As stated above, changing child specifications does not affect existing child processes. New child specifications are automatically added, but not deleted. Also, child processes are not automatically started or terminated. Instead, this must be done explicitly using `apply` instructions.

Example: Assume we want to add a new child process `m1` to `ch_sup` when upgrading `ch_app` from "1" to "2". This means `m1` should be deleted when downgrading from "2" to "1":

    {"2",
     [{"1",
       [{update, ch_sup, supervisor},
        {apply, {supervisor, restart_child, [ch_sup, m1]}}
       ]}],
     [{"1",
       [{apply, {supervisor, terminate_child, [ch_sup, m1]}},
        {apply, {supervisor, delete_child, [ch_sup, m1]}},
        {update, ch_sup, supervisor}
       ]}]
    }.

Note that the order of the instructions is important.

Note also that the supervisor must be registered as `ch_sup` for the script to work. If the supervisor is not registered, it cannot be accessed directly from the script. Instead a help function that finds the pid of the supervisor and calls `supervisor:restart_child` etc. must be written, and it is this function that should be called from the script using the `apply` instruction.

If the module `m1` is introduced in version "2" of `ch_app`, it must also be loaded when upgrading and deleted when downgrading:

    {"2",
     [{"1",
       [{add_module, m1},
        {update, ch_sup, supervisor},
        {apply, {supervisor, restart_child, [ch_sup, m1]}}
       ]}],
     [{"1",
       [{apply, {supervisor, terminate_child, [ch_sup, m1]}},
        {apply, {supervisor, delete_child, [ch_sup, m1]}},
        {update, ch_sup, supervisor},
        {delete_module, m1}
       ]}]
    }.

Note again that the order of the instructions is important. When upgrading, `m1` must be loaded and the supervisor's child specification changed, before the new child process can be started. When downgrading, the child process must be terminated before child specification is changed and the module is deleted.

### 12.8 Adding or Deleting a Module

Example: A new functional module `m` is added to `ch_app`:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{add_module, m}]}],
     [{"1", [{delete_module, m}]}]

### 12.9 Starting or Terminating a Process

In a system structured according to the OTP design principles, any process would be a child process belonging to a supervisor, see Adding and Deleting Child Processes above.

### 12.10 Adding or Removing an Application

When adding or removing an application, no `.appup` file is needed. When generating `relup`, the `.rel` files are compared and `add_application` and `remove_application` instructions are added automatically.

### 12.11 Restarting an Application

Restarting an application is useful when a change is too complicated to be made without restarting the processes, for example if the supervisor hierarchy has been restructured.

Example: When adding a new child `m1` to `ch_sup`, as in the example above, an alternative to updating the supervisor is to restart the entire application:

    {"2",
     [{"1", [{restart_application, ch_app}]}],
     [{"1", [{restart_application, ch_app}]}]
    }.

### 12.12 Changing an Application Specification

When installing a release, the application specifications are automatically updated before evaluating the `relup` script. Hence, no instructions are needed in the `.appup` file:

    {"2",
     [{"1", []}],
     [{"1", []}]
    }.

### 12.13 Changing Application Configuration

Changing an application configuration by updating the `env` key in the `.app` file is an instance of changing an application specification, see above.

Alternatively, application configuration parameters can be added or updated in `sys.config`.

### 12.14 Changing Included Applications

The release handling instructions for adding, removing and restarting applications apply to primary applications only. There are no corresponding instructions for included applications. However, since an included application is really a supervision tree with a topmost supervisor, started as a child process to a supervisor in the including application, a `relup` file can be manually created.

Example: Assume we have a release containing an application `prim_app` which have a supervisor `prim_sup` in its supervision tree.

In a new version of the release, our example application `ch_app` should be included in `prim_app`. That is, its topmost supervisor `ch_sup` should be started as a child process to `prim_sup`.

1) Edit the code for `prim_sup`:

    init(...) ->
        {ok, {...supervisor flags...,
              [...,
               {ch_sup, {ch_sup,start_link,[]},
                permanent,infinity,supervisor,[ch_sup]},
               ...]}}.

2) Edit the `.app` file for `prim_app`:

    {application, prim_app,
     [...,
      {vsn, "2"},
      ...,
      {included_applications, [ch_app]},
      ...
     ]}.

3) Create a new `.rel` file, including `ch_app`:

    {release,
     ...,
     [...,
      {prim_app, "2"},
      {ch_app, "1"}]}.

#### 12.14.1 Application Restart

4a) One way to start the included application is to restart the entire `prim_app` application. Normally, we would then use the `restart_application` instruction in the `.appup` file for `prim_app`.

However, if we did this and then generated a `relup` file, not only would it contain instructions for restarting (i.e. removing and adding) `prim_app`, it would also contain instructions for starting `ch_app` (and stopping it, in the case of downgrade). This is due to the fact that `ch_app` is included in the new `.rel` file, but not in the old one.

Instead, a correct `relup` file can be created manually, either from scratch or by editing the generated version. The instructions for starting/stopping `ch_app` are replaced by instructions for loading/unloading the application:

    {"B",
     [{"A",
       [],
       [{load_object_code,{ch_app,"1",[ch_sup,ch3]}},
        {load_object_code,{prim_app,"2",[prim_app,prim_sup]}},
        point_of_no_return,
        {apply,{application,stop,[prim_app]}},
        {remove,{prim_app,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {remove,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {purge,[prim_app,prim_sup]},
        {load,{prim_app,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {load,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {load,{ch_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {load,{ch3,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {apply,{application,load,[ch_app]}},
        {apply,{application,start,[prim_app,permanent]}}]}],
     [{"A",
       [],
       [{load_object_code,{prim_app,"1",[prim_app,prim_sup]}},
        point_of_no_return,
        {apply,{application,stop,[prim_app]}},
        {apply,{application,unload,[ch_app]}},
        {remove,{ch_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {remove,{ch3,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {purge,[ch_sup,ch3]},
        {remove,{prim_app,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {remove,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {purge,[prim_app,prim_sup]},
        {load,{prim_app,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {load,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {apply,{application,start,[prim_app,permanent]}}]}]
    }.

#### 12.14.2 Supervisor Change

4b) Another way to start the included application (or stop it in the case of downgrade) is by combining instructions for adding and removing child processes to/from `prim_sup` with instructions for loading/unloading all `ch_app` code and its application specification.

Again, the `relup` file is created manually. Either from scratch or by editing a generated version. Load all code for `ch_app` first, and also load the application specification, before `prim_sup` is updated. When downgrading, `prim_sup` should be updated first, before the code for `ch_app` and its application specification are unloaded.

    {"B",
     [{"A",
       [],
       [{load_object_code,{ch_app,"1",[ch_sup,ch3]}},
        {load_object_code,{prim_app,"2",[prim_sup]}},
        point_of_no_return,
        {load,{ch_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {load,{ch3,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {apply,{application,load,[ch_app]}},
        {suspend,[prim_sup]},
        {load,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {code_change,up,[{prim_sup,[]}]},
        {resume,[prim_sup]},
        {apply,{supervisor,restart_child,[prim_sup,ch_sup]}}]}],
     [{"A",
       [],
       [{load_object_code,{prim_app,"1",[prim_sup]}},
        point_of_no_return,
        {apply,{supervisor,terminate_child,[prim_sup,ch_sup]}},
        {apply,{supervisor,delete_child,[prim_sup,ch_sup]}},
        {suspend,[prim_sup]},
        {load,{prim_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {code_change,down,[{prim_sup,[]}]},
        {resume,[prim_sup]},
        {remove,{ch_sup,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {remove,{ch3,brutal_purge,brutal_purge}},
        {purge,[ch_sup,ch3]},
        {apply,{application,unload,[ch_app]}}]}]
    }.

### 12.15 Changing Non-Erlang Code

Changing code for a program written in another programming language than Erlang, for example a port program, is very application dependent and OTP provides no special support for it.

Example, changing code for a port program: Assume that the Erlang process controlling the port is a gen_server `portc` and that the port is opened in the callback function `init/1`:

    init(...) ->
        ...,
        PortPrg = filename:join(code:priv_dir(App), "portc"),
        Port = open_port({spawn,PortPrg}, [...]),
        ...,
        {ok, #state{port=Port, ...}}.

If the port program should be updated, we can extend the code for the gen_server with a `code_change` function which closes the old port and opens a new port. (If necessary, the gen_server may first request data that needs to be saved from the port program and pass this data to the new port):

    code_change(_OldVsn, State, port) ->
        State#state.port ! close,
        receive
            {Port,close} ->
                true
        end,
        PortPrg = filename:join(code:priv_dir(App), "portc"),
        Port = open_port({spawn,PortPrg}, [...]),
        {ok, #state{port=Port, ...}}.

Update the application version number in the `.app` file and write an `.appup` file:

    ["2",
     [{"1", [{update, portc, {advanced,port}}]}],
     [{"1", [{update, portc, {advanced,port}}]}]
    ].

Make sure the `priv` directory where the C program is located is included in the new release package:

    1> systools:make_tar("my_release", [{dirs,[priv]}]).
    ...

### 12.16 Emulator Restart

If the emulator can or should be restarted, the very simple `.relup` file can be created manually:

    {"B",
     [{"A",
       [],
       [restart_new_emulator]}],
     [{"A",
       [],
       [restart_new_emulator]}]
    }.

This way, the release handler framework with automatic packing and unpacking of release packages, automatic path updates etc. can be used without having to specify `.appup` files.

If some transformation of persistent data, for example database contents, needs to be done before installing the new release version, instructions for this can be added to the `.relup` file as well.

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