System and method for providing distributed database services

• US 20020004796A1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sons of Innovation LLC
• Original Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Inventors: Vange, Mark, Clementoni, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 : based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 : based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 : using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 : Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A database system operating over a communication network. A plurality of client applications coupled to the network generate database access requests. An intermediary server coupled to the network receives the requests. A data storage mechanism coupled to the network has an interface for communicating with the intermediary servers. The intermediary server is responsive to a received database access request to establishing a channel with the data storage mechanism to obtain data from the data storage mechanism in response to a received client request. The intermediary server is further operable to format the obtained data in a manner suitable for use by one of the client applications that requested the associated database access.

Claims

1. A database system comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of client applications coupled to the network and generating database access requests;

a set comprising one or more intermediary servers coupled to the network to receive the requests;

a data storage mechanism coupled to the network and having an interface for communicating with the intermediary servers;

means within the intermediary server responsive to a received database access request for establishing a channel with the data storage mechanism to obtain data from the data storage mechanism in response to a received client request; and

means within the intermediary server for formatting the obtained data in a manner suitable for use by one of the client applications that requested the associated database access.

2. The database system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the client applications database management system (DBMS) client and the intermediary servers comprise listener processes configured to accept requests from the DBMS client.

3. The database system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the client applications comprises a web browser application and the database access requests comprise HTTP requests.

4. The database system of claim 1 wherein the intermediary server comprises a web server having one or more interfaces for receiving the database access requests and communicate with the data storage mechanism interface.

5. The database system of claim 1 wherein the intermediary server is topologically close to the client applications and topologically distant from the data storage mechanism.

6. The database system of claim 1 wherein the intermediary server comprises:

a first computer located topologically close to the client application and configured to receive the database access requests;

a second computer located topologically close to the data storage mechanism and configure to communicate with the interface of the data storage mechanism; and

a communication channel between the first and second computers.

7. The database system of claim 6 wherein the communication channel supports prioritization of database access requests and responses to database access requests.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing an intermediary server comprises:

providing a first computer located topologically close to the client application and configured to receive the database access requests;

providing a second computer located topologically close to the data storage mechanism and configured to communicate with the interface of the data storage mechanism; and

maintaining a communication channel between the first and second computers.

11. The method of claim 7 prioritizing at least one request for database content over other requests for database content at least partially based on content-based prioritization criteria specified by the database owner.

12. The method of claim 7 prioritizing at least one request for database content over other requests for database content at least partially based on user priority information, wherein the user priority information is based upon identification of a user associated with the client application generating the at least one request.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the user priority information is specified by the database owner.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the user priority information is derived from content priority information aggregated from a plurality of database content requests.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

causing the intermediary server to issue a remote procedure call to the data storage mechanism over the established channel to initiate the transport of data.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

causing the data storage mechanism to issue a remote procedure call to the intermediary server over the established channel to initiate the formatting and delivery of the database content using the data obtained from the data storage mechanism.

8. A method for serving database content comprising:

providing a communication network;

generating requests for database content from data storage mechanism using a plurality of client applications coupled to the network;

providing an intermediary server coupled to the network to receive the requests from client applications;

providing a data storage mechanism coupled to the network and having an interface for communicating with the intermediary server;

causing the intermediary server to access the data storage mechanism in response to receiving a request from a client application;

using the intermediary server to format database content obtained from the data storage mechanism to a format usable by the client application; and

delivering the formatted database content to the client application that generated the request for database content.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the act of generating requests for database content comprises generating a database management system (DBMS) client query and the act of receiving the request comprises implementing a DBMS listener process in the intermediary server configured to detect the DBMS client query.

17. A method of prioritizing access to a database comprising:

receiving a plurality of database access requests;

associating a priority value with each database access request; and

selectively applying the database access requests to a data storage mechanism in an order at least partially based upon the priority value associated with each database access request.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising prioritizing at least one request for database content over other requests for database content based on user priority information, wherein the user priority information is based upon identification of a user associated with the client application generating the at least one request.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the user priority information is specified by the database owner.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the user priority information is derived from content priority information aggregated from a plurality of database content requests.

21. A method for serving database content comprising:

generating requests for database content from data storage mechanism using a plurality of client applications;

providing an intermediary server coupled to receive the requests from client applications;

providing a data storage mechanism coupled to the network and having an interface for communicating with the intermediary server;

causing the intermediary server to determine availability of the data storage mechanism in response to receiving a request from a client application;

using the intermediary server to obtain substitute database content in response to determining that the data storage mechanism is busy/unavailable; and

delivering the substitute content to the client application that generated the request for database content.

22. A method for serving database content comprising:

generating requests for database content from data storage mechanism using a plurality of client applications;

providing a plurality of intermediary servers coupled receive the requests from client applications;

providing a database management system coupled to the network and having an interface for communicating with the intermediary server;

implementing at least some of the database management system in local data storage within the intermediary servers;

causing an intermediary server to respond to at least some received requests using the local data storage rather than by accessing the database management system coupled to the network.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

redirecting a request for database content to a selected one of the intermediary servers, wherein the selected intermediary server is selected based upon its ability to respond to the request using the local data storage within the selected intermediary server.