Support continuous availability by allowing the use of multiple concurrent versions of shared artifact libraries, with proper bind-drain semantics, for long-lived process application consumers

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for updating multiple concurrent versions of shared artifact libraries. Shared artifact libraries are associated with a consuming application for establishing shared artifact libraries upon which the consuming application has a dependency for artifacts. A snapshot of the shared artifact libraries associated with the consuming application in an active session is created in response to starting a session. The shared artifact libraries are updated in response to new versions and updates of the shared artifact libraries becoming available. Artifacts are dispensed from the shared artifact libraries to the consuming application based on the snapshot of the session.