Application containers in container databases

• US 10,572,551 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kruglikov, Andre, Rajamani, Kumar, Baby, Thomas, Yam, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Owyang, Michelle N
• Application Number:
  US15/331,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

In an approach, memory usage within a database management system is optimized by designating an application root which stores data and metadata for database objects that are common across pluggable databases which support the same application. In addition, the application root can be used to manage access to the pluggable databases by defining common users which are created at the application root, but can be used to access any of the member pluggable databases. Furthermore, different versions of the same application can be supported concurrently by maintaining separate application roots for each version. For instance, when an upgrade is applied to the application root, a clone can be created and the update can be applied to the clone. Then, the member pluggable databases which are to be upgraded can be synchronized to the clone, while leaving other pluggable databases servicing the previous version of the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a database server storing;

a) a multitenant container database, b) a root database and a plurality of pluggable databases, including a plurality of application roots, including a particular application root, in the multitenant container database and, c) in the root database, one or more database objects and metadata related to the one or more database objects that are shared among the plurality of pluggable databases;

the database server storing, in the particular application root, second one or more database objects and second metadata related to the second one or more database objects that are shared among a subset of the plurality of pluggable databases in the multitenant container database which are utilized by a common application;

the database server receiving a query from a database client that is to be applied to the particular application root in the multitenant container database, wherein the query identifies at least a particular database object;

in response to receiving the query, the database server executing the query based on a database dictionary of the particular application root to generate a result set; and

the database server returning the result set to the database client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular database object is a meta-data linked object where a definition of the particular database object is stored in the database dictionary of the particular application root and data for the particular database object is stored within a respective one or more tablespace files of each pluggable database within the subset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular database object is a data-linked object where a definition of the particular database object is stored in the database dictionary of the particular application root and data for the particular database object is stored within one or more tablespace files of the particular application root.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the database server receiving an instruction to create an application user that is common across the subset;

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application user, the database server storing information in the database dictionary of the particular application root that defines the application user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application user, the database server storing information in a respective database dictionary of each pluggable database of the subset that defines the application user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the database server receiving an instruction to create an application role that is common across the subset;

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application role, the database server storing information in the database dictionary of the particular application root that defines the application role.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application role, the database server storing information in a respective database dictionary of each pluggable database of the subset that defines the application role.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the database server receiving an instruction that specifies to update the particular application root to a new version of the common application, wherein the instruction specifies or references a set of instructions to execute at the particular application root to update to the new version;

in response to receiving the instruction, the database server creating a clone of the particular application root;

the database server executing the set of instructions on the clone;

the database server synchronizing one or more pluggable databases of the subset to the new version of the common application, wherein synchronizing the one or more pluggable databases causes the database server to switch one or more references to the particular application root stored by the one or more pluggable databases to instead reference the clone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the database server synchronizing the one or more pluggable databases of the subset to the new version of the common application is performed in response to receiving one or more commands specifying to synchronize the one or more pluggable databases to the new version of the common application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more pluggable databases includes at least one fewer pluggable database than the subset.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the database server receiving an instruction that specifies to patch the particular application root, wherein the instruction specifies or references a set of instructions to execute at the particular application root to patch the particular application root;

in response to receiving the instruction, the database server executing the set of instructions on the particular application root.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

a database server storing;

a) a multitenant container database, b) a root database and a plurality of pluggable databases, including a plurality of application roots, including a particular application root, in the multitenant container database and, c) in the root database, one or more database objects and metadata related to the one or more database objects that are shared among the plurality of pluggable databases;

the database server storing, in the particular application root, second one or more database objects and second metadata related to the second one or more database objects that are shared among a subset of the plurality of pluggable databases in the multitenant container database which are utilized by a common application;

the database server receiving a query from a database client that is to be applied to the particular application root in the multitenant container database, wherein the query identifies at least a particular database object;

in response to receiving the query, the database server executing the query based on a database dictionary of the particular application root to generate a result set;

the database server returning the result set to the database client.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the particular database object is a meta-data linked object where a definition of the particular database object is stored in the database dictionary of the particular application root and data for the particular database object is stored within a respective one or more tablespace files of each pluggable database within the subset.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the particular database object is a data-linked object where a definition of the particular database object is stored in the database dictionary of the particular application root and data for the particular database object is stored within one or more tablespace files of the particular application root.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

the database server to receive an instruction to create an application user that is common across the subset;

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application user, the database server to store information in the database dictionary of the particular application root that defines the application user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application user, the database server to store information in a respective database dictionary of each pluggable database of the subset that defines the application user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

the database server to receive an instruction to create an application role that is common across the subset;

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application role, the database server to store information in the database dictionary of the particular application root that defines the application role.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

in response to receiving the instruction to create the application role, the database server to store information in a respective database dictionary of each pluggable database of the subset that defines the application role.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

the database server to receive an instruction that specifies to update the particular application root to a new version of the common application, wherein the instruction specifies or references a set of instructions to execute at the particular application root to update to the new version;

in response to receiving the instruction, the database server to create a clone of the particular application root;

the database server to execute the set of instructions on the clone;

the database server to synchronize one or more pluggable databases of the subset to the new version of the common application, wherein synchronizing the one or more pluggable databases causes the database server to switch one or more references to the particular application root stored by the one or more pluggable databases to instead reference the clone.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the database server synchronizing the one or more pluggable databases of the subset to the new version of the common application is performed in response to receiving one or more commands specifying to synchronize the one or more pluggable databases to the new version of the common application.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more pluggable databases includes at least one fewer pluggable database than the sub set.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions include instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors cause:

the database server to receive an instruction that specifies to patch the particular application root, wherein the instruction specifies or references a set of instructions to execute at the particular application root to patch the particular application root;

in response to receiving the instruction, the database server to execute the set of instructions on the particular application root.

23. A system comprising:

a database server comprising one or more processors;

a multitenant container database comprising one or more non-transitory storage mediums;

in the multitenant container database, a root database and a plurality of pluggable databases, including a plurality of application roots, including a particular application root;

in the root database, one or more database objects and metadata related to the one or more database objects that are shared among the plurality of pluggable databases;

in the particular application root, second one or more database objects and second metadata related to the second one or more database objects that are shared among a subset of the plurality of pluggable databases in the multitenant container database which are utilized by a common application;

wherein the database server is configured to;

store the multitenant container database, the root database, the plurality of pluggable databases and, in the root database, one or more database objects and metadata related to the one or more database objects that are shared among the plurality of pluggable databases;

store, in the particular application root, second one or more database objects and second metadata related to the second one or more database objects that are shared among a subset of the plurality of pluggable databases in the multitenant container database which are utilized by a common application;

receive a query from a database client that is to be applied to the particular application root in the multitenant container database, wherein the query identifies at least a particular database object;

execute, in response to receiving the query, the query based on a database dictionary of the particular application root to generate a result set; and

return the result set to the database client.